I got my hands on Okamiden at E3 and it did not disappoint. Okamiden will be released on the Nintendo DS and is the sequel to Okami which was released for the Playstation 2 in 2006, and then for the Wii in 2008.
The series shift to the Wii was easy to understand using the WiiMote as a new control element. The main puzzle-solving tool in Okami is the Celestial Paint Brush which requires users to use ink some paint bridges, clean up the landscape, and even attack enemies. While Okami for the Wii was somewhat frustrating to control with the WiiMote, Okamiden using the DS touchscreen is much more clean and crisp.
This time around you are playing as the children of Okami’s main heroes. You will control Amaterasu’s wolf cub Chibiterasu and Susano’s son Kuni. Having two main playable characters will add some new elements to the puzzle-solving aspect of this adventure game, which has drawn many comparisons to the Legend of Zelda series. Taking advantage of the DS hardware is just an added bonus.
Although it probably should, Okamiden won’t sell more copies than either of the Zelda games for DS. I believe Okamiden will be much better than either of those games. While Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks are good games that play very well on the DS, they are only shells of their console counterparts. Okamiden on the other hand, looks to be true to the original and that is what it should be. Just because it’s going on a hand-held doesn’t mean that it needs to be watered down. Put this one on the top of your list for 2011.