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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is why we play video games., September 8, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
I've been highly anticipating the release of this game since the first picture came out after TGS a few years ago and I'm speechless, this is the best 3rd party Wii game I have ever played and I doubt I will ever play one better. Vanillaware has created the most beautiful 2D game that I have ever seen, Muramasa is one of those rare gems that only happens once. Everything is hand-drawn, playing this is like playing art. We all know this game looks amazing, so I will focus more on the gameplay with this review.
This is a game for anyone really, the hardcore action fans will enjoy themselves and casual gamers will be able to finish it without too much struggle. Muramasa is a straight ahead 2D sidescroller, you run through the map and take out the enemies as you encounter them. There are secret items to collect and NPCs to speak with. You can initially start with 2 game modes, Muso (normal) and Shura (hard). In Muso mode you can level up and obliterate most enemies without trouble, Shura is more action oriented and it's MUCH harder...but way more fun if you ask me. You can switch between game modes on the fly too, nice. You can select 1 of 2 characters, Kisuke and Momohime. Both play exactly the same but the story and bosses that you encounter are entirely different. You have to equip 3 swords at a time and eventually you can forge your own blades. After you defeat each boss in each character's story you have the ability to forge more blades. In total there are 108, for your first play through you will not be able to forge all of them. After completing the main story with each character, both characters can use all blades, you can then backtrack and finish bonus dungeons to achieve a 100% game. Based on the blades that you equip you will have a different ending, 3 endings for each character. You also have the ability to cook items to restore health and add bonuses to your stats, it's actually really fun! The voice acting is the original Japanese, some may not like this but I prefer it this way. The music is excellent as well. I think that English voices would have ruined the beauty of this game, that's just my opinion. If you are at all familiar with Japanese lore then you will LOVE this game, if not you'll probably enjoy it just as much. Both characters have a great story, deep and philosophical. I couldn't be happier with this game, I knew it was going to be great but I'm truly amazed. 20+ hours for a complete playthrough, I've already started over again too. If you own a Wii, do yourself a favor and buy this if you haven't already.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Wii game you've all been waiting for!, September 8, 2009
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
You know that awesome hardcore Wii game you've been waiting for to get your blood pumping like back in the good old days?
The Wii game that provides a level of excitement that you have yet to feel while playing your Nintendo Wii?
Well, my friends, I have discovered that game, and it's name is, "Muramasa: The Demon Blade"
Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a 2D Side Scrolling Action RPG made exclusively for the Nintendo Wii.
And although Muramasa is a 2D game, it has by far the most impressive visuals I've ever seen on Wii! And I've played Fragile & The Conduit!
So much detail is put into every little thing on the screen, and the back grounds are bursting with color!
Muramasa is not just a game, it's a work of art!
The action is fast-paced and exciting, so much so that it made my heart race in a way that it hasn't since the N64 days!
You use the Wiimote & Nunchuk, Classic Controller, or GCN Controller to move your character and pull off dazzling moves with grace, precision, & lightning speed!
No Motion Controls here, just good old-fashioned button pressing.
At first glace, Muramasa would appear to be a Button Masher, but it's actually quite the opposite...
Battles in Muramasa require a lot of strategy & precise timing, you won't get very far if all you do is mash the buttons wildly.
Muramasa has 3 modes in all...
Muso (Easy-Normal)
Shura (Hard)
And Shigurui (Super Hard) *Unlocked by beating the game on Shura, In this mode, you only have 1 HP!
There are 2 Playable characters, Kisuke (Male) & Momohime (Female) each has their own unique story, swords, & bosses!
The game requires multiple playthroughs to view everything, but don't let that turn you off! Muramasa is so insanely entertaining that you'll want to play it over many times as both characters.
Muramasa also has over 100 different blades within the game to collect, but much like the characters story, it requires multiple playthroughs to obtain them all.
Muramasa is also fully voiced in the original Japanese language, with English Subtitles. No poor-quality English Dubbing here!
There's also an option to switch off the Voices if you find them too distracting.
The game includes no cut scenes, every character you speak with in the entire game has full voiced dialogue.
Music in Muramasa consists of beautiful classic Japanese instrumentals which serves to further immerse the player into the atmosphere of the game.
The only slight draw-backs to Muramasa is that it's Single Player only, and it would've been awesome if there had've been some 2 Player Co-op thrown in.
Also, translation isn't word for word, it's basically just what the characters are saying verbatim.
Many reviewers have also complained about alot of back-tracking, but they obviously were unaware of the "Bronze Mirror" item which allows you to warp back to the last Save Point you visited.
Otherwise, Muramasa: The Demon Blade is a truly breath-taking Wii game and the most entertaing one I've ever played!
I literally couldn't stop grinning while I was playing!
Please go out and buy a copy, (rent it 1st if you have any doubts) it's clear that Vanilla Ware & Ignition put alot of work into this game, and this game deserves to sell well and let the developers know when they've done something right.
It's not everyday that you play a 3rd Party Wii game that it's clear the developer worked really hard on, and Muramasa is the 1st Wii game I've ever played with this extensive amount of effort weaved into every fiber & detail of the game from the visuals to the combat system.
Muramasa is a classic in every sense of the word, and has earned it's place as a shining example of what can be achieved on the Wii with a little effort.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A simply gorgeous 2D action RPG game, September 8, 2009
Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars
GRAPHICS: Normally, the first thing I focus on in a review is gameplay and then the graphics, but I'm making an exception for Muramasa. Goodness is this game gorgeous. The graphics wowed me from the start. Simply amazing. The entire game is composed of stunning 2D artwork with multiple layers of animated backgrounds. The color palette is amazingly deep and rich and everything animates smoothly. This game is one of the best looking games that I've seen on any of the three current consoles, and that fact is entirely due to the amazing artwork and sense of style that pervades the entire game.
GAMEPLAY: The game is a combat-heavy 2D side-scrolling action RPG title made by the same developers as Odin Sphere, and the gameplay is very similar. For anyone who hasn't played Odin Sphere, the gameplay is somewhat like Castlevania and Metroid meet Smash Brothers and Viewtiful Joe. I kind of imagine this is what Legend of Kage would have played like if Legend of Kage was actually a good game. You play as one of two characters, each of which has their own story and acquires their own special abilities throughout the game. Although the game contains some platforming elements, the focus is on combat and the combat feels excellent. Some areas of the game already have enemies placed upon them, but usually you are ambushed by a number of enemies and then the game slips into combat mode. As you progress throughout the game you will constantly be discovering and forging new weapons, and with each new weapon comes a new combat ability to take advantage of. Weapons are unlocked in a progression tree fashion. I haven't counted all of the weapons in the tree, but my estimate is there are about a hundred or so different swords to use. The pacing is just about perfect, and I probably have been unlocking a new weapon every 15 to 30 minutes. Additionally, the game includes a simple, stylish, and effective in-game map system that is both functional and non-intrusive, which is a huge bonus. Finally, boss battles are very challenging, especially on the high difficulty setting and always open up a new weapon which opens up new areas of the game to explore.
CONTROLS: The controls are very good and precise, for the most part. The game can be played with remote and nunchuck, the classic controller, and also the GameCube controller. In fact, if you've played Smash Brothers Melee on the Wii, the controls are almost identical. Similar to Smash Bros., the game is button-mash friendly but if you take time to learn the nuances of the combat, you can become a devastating force of nature. Most of all, I prefer to play this game with the classic controller. My only serious complaint about the controls is that there isn't a separate jump button and the jumping is a little too touchy as it currently stands.
SOUND: The music is great, ranging from traditional Japanese themes and instruments to some light rock mixes. The music almost always seems to fit the scene and feels great. In particular, I'm in love with the The voice acting is enjoyable, but it is in Japanese. It might be good or bad voice acting in Japan, but to my untrained American ears I can't really tell and it seems to flows nicely and smoothly. While I don't understand a lick of Japanese beyond "konechiwa", I feel that the choice to use Japanese voices with English sub-titles definitely keeps the game feeling authentic. Combat sound effects are well done, consisting of exactly what one would expect with a swordplay heavy game. Clanging weapons and lots of noises that sound link clink, shink, and whoosh.
VALUE: The game contains two stories that follows two main characters. The two different adventures play very similarly, but you will explore different areas in a different order. The game is reasonably long and the amount of mileage you get out of depends on if you race through it and stop playing or explore and unlock everything.
THE GOOD:
+++ Gorgeous graphics and artwork
+++ Great music
+++ Easy to learn, tough to master gameplay.
+++ Tons of new weapons to unlock at every turn of the game.
+++ Enjoyable story.
+++ Quality 2D gameplay in an industry where it often feels like 2D gameplay is going the way of the dinosaur.
THE BAD
--- Some areas, especially the villages use very repetitive graphic tiles. Gorgeous, but repetitive. A bit more variety would have been nice in these areas.
--- The game lacks a good quick travel system. This game could have really benefited from a Castlevania-style quick teleport mechanic that could eliminate some of backtracking that you have to endure.
Overall, this is an amazing game. When so many games today are trying to wow us with fancy 3D tricks, lighting, and particle effects, it is truly refreshing to see a game set out to impress through pure artistry. What's even better is if that artistic game plays well, which this game definitely does. If you enjoy 2D hack-n-slash RPGs such as the Castlevania series, I highly recommend purchasing this title. Fans of the 2D Metroid games will probably also enjoy this game immensely.
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