The creators of the acclaimed PlayStation 2 hit, Odin Sphere, return with the single player, action RPG, Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Steeped in the ancient mythology of Japan, Muramasa: The Demon Blade tells a tale of possessed souls, forgotten pasts and unimaginable destinies. A Wii exclusive, filled with expertly hand animated graphics and gameplay that transitions seamlessly between player-controlled elements and story sequences it is an adventure only to be experienced on the Wii. 
Over-the-to katana battles.
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Sword-specific attacks.
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Beautiful play environments.
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Enemies large and small.
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This adventure unfolds during feudal Japan's Genroku era, a volatile time marked by warring factions and grave civil unrest under the shogun Tsunayoshi Tokugawa. The power-hungry shogun yearns to collect an array of legendary swords, but these blades carry a terrible curse-each one thirsting for blood the moment it's drawn. Those who wield these blades slowly become homicidal, and are destined to a tragic and untimely death. Two Heroes are thrust into this treacherous climate-Kisuke, a brave young lad who's lost his memory, and Momohime, a lithe female ronin possessed by a dark spirit. They must venture across the dangerous countryside, in a race to collect the swords before the vile shogun can reach them. Watch as the destinies of those drawn to these cursed blades unfolds, as dragon and demon gods from the underworld appear to challenge those who wield them. Who will you encounter? Friend or foe? Find out in Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Playable Characters
In Muramasa: The Demon Blade players have their choice of two playable characters: the renegade ninja, Kisuke, and the princess turned kunoichi, Momohine. These are their stories.
 | Kisuke
A ninja with no memory and hounded by a dark unknown past, Kisuke inexplicably finds himself a fugitive, chased for a crime he doesn't remember. He only knows that he must find a certain "katana" and that despite his best intentions, battle seems to follow wherever he goes. |  | Momohime
Described by her subjects as "beautiful as a flower and pure as snow," Momohime is a princess of Narukami. But when a dark spirit visits her castle Momohime's idyllic life is changed forever. Forced against her will, she leaves behind everything she knows in a quest for the cursed demon swords. |
Gameplay
In Muramasa: The Demon Blade players are given the choice to take on the role of either Kisuke or Momohime as they set off in different directions with the goal of collecting as many katana (swords) as possible. Swords are categorized in groupings defined by the weapon's levels of power and agility. Each Katana also is imbued with a specific attack technique that players will utilize in the different, progessively more difficult game modes. Modes include: Unmatched Mode, designed for character leveling; Carnage Mode, an advanced action mode; and Insane Death Mode, which as its name implies is a very advanced mode and is only available to players who have cleared Carnage Mode. Key Game Features - A unique action RPG, from the makers of Odin Sphere, with a story pulled from Japanese mythology.
- Entrancing 2D animation with the look of beautiful hand-drawn watercolor painting.
- Playable characters including a male ninja or female kunoichi, both possessing a wide variety of ninja skills necessary for progression through the levels in not only side-scrolling fashion, but vertical progression elements as well.
- Controller support for both the Wii Remote and the Nintendo Classic Controller.
- Three progressively more difficult game modes: Unmatched Mode, Carnage Mode and Insane Death Mode.
- A large variety of play environments featuring optional challenge stages and mini-games throughout.
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 This is why we play video games. |
| Review Date: September 8, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Benjamin J. Gillespie, Higganum, CT |
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. |
The Wii game you've all been waiting for!
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| Review Date: September 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Poe the Ghost, Inside the great Deku Tree |
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 glance, 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 the gist of what the characters are saying.
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 entertaining 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. |
BEWARE: Only buy this game if YOU DON'T MIND LOSING ABOUT 20 HOURS OF YOUR LIFE...
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| Review Date: November 11, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Johnny Quest, Irvine, Ca., USA |
Just to start things off, I completely mean it when I said you'll waste a lot of your time if you intend to purchase and play this game. Just thought I might forewarn everyone since it is just that damn addictive. But down to business.
What I really liked about the game:
*The freaking beautiful (albeit slightly perverse at times) artwork and graphics.
If your a guy intending to play this game (and likes girls) get it simply for the fact that you'll be oogling the girl character in the game for hours... esp. during the hot springs/spa portion of the game. Don't worry, I won't tell if you do. xP
*Did I mention how great the graphics are? Oh, I did? Well I thought it deserved another mention (It really is just that good).
*Gameplay wise, its as simple and as intuitive as a game can be. It's a side-scrolling 2d action adventure, and after five minutes of tutorials you'll be a ninja master in no time. You'll create so much onscreen mayhem of carnage and combos, its sometimes hard to tell who is killing who. But it looks so good, you probably won't care.
If I have to fault the game at something:
*The first one would have to go to repetition. I understand that to remove some of the repetitive and mindless button smashing, the game implemented hundreds of different swords + magic that you can obtain and use in the game on the fly with the push of a button (three swords maximum can be equipped and switched up at any given time during the game). Of course it is by no means a "God of War" type of game in terms of variety and EXTENSIVE combo + move list, I really wished for it to be a least somewhat close to that sort of level. Considering how much better games are getting nowadays, adding more available moves to remove sort of the repetitive button smashing is an absolute must for games released these days. Based on that alone, I would have given my rating at a 4. I said 5 since I was on the fence between a 4 and a 4 and a half. The thing for me that tipped the scale to a five for me was it's beautiful artwork (much like the "Okami" series, which is also just as gorgeous in terms of visuals).
*Another fault would have to go to the initiation of enemy fights. Okay I understand it might have been an artistic style of choice to do it they way they did in the game, but it loses its sense of dynamic type of gameplay for me whenever game makers decide to make enemy encounters sort of "scripted" for a lack of a better word. You'll encounter A LOT of exactly the same enemy encounters throughout the course of game... again, variety in this would have been phenomenal. To better grasp what I mean, take a game like Metroid Corruption on the Wii. Sure there might be the same enemies from time to time, but the way you encounter them is dynamic, and really varied. I know some of you might think of this as a completely irrelevant analogy since Metroid on the Wii is a 3D game, but I can't think of another example to explain this at the moment.
Overall:
I recommend someone buying this game highly. It's a great game with lots of fun things to discover. And its also a plus if your a guy, since I'm probably sure the art director/game director was a guy since there is a lot of content with lots of umm... stuff that guys like scattered throughout the game... haha. If you need a game that you'll for sure get your money's worth, this is one of them. Just take into consideration though that gameplay will get tedious, and repetitive a lot of the bulk of gameplaying. But I overlooked all of it, and simply decided to take it for what it truly is: a beautiful work of art implemented into game form. Thanks for reading my long winded nonsense. :-D
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Excellent game
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| Review Date: September 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Keith B. Elder, |
I felt I had to post a review of this, after playing the game myself. I highly recommend this game, and I'm afraid I'm going to gush about it. If it was only mediocre, I wouldn't have written a review.
The looks are striking. I really think this may be the most beautiful game I've seen this console generation, and I'm including the Wii, 360, and ps3 in that comparison. It doesn't have photorealistic 3d models; instead, it has wonderfully animated figures that look like they flowed out of a paintbrush. It's like comparing the hand-drawn Disney "Pinocchio" to the CGI of "Ice Age". The 3d stuff is fun, but the 2d art is rich and beautiful.
Fortunately, the gorgeous images are wrapped around a good game. Gameplay is fast and straightforward, capturing the feel of old-school videogames. It really plays clean, and doesn't take more than a minute to really understand the fundamentals. It does get hard, though, later in the game.
The dialog is spoken Japanese with English subtitles. I didn't mind that, because the setting is very clearly in ancient Japan. The story is a bit hard to follow, especially if you aren't familiar with Japanese names and myths. It barely matters, though; the story is just quick flashes in between dozens of fights.
Wii games are all over the board, in terms of quality. This is definitely one of the best. This should be one of the core titles for the Wii that everybody should consider getting, up there with Mario: Galaxies, Metroid, WiiSports, and so on. |
Hands Down the Best Action game on the Wii.
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| Review Date: September 13, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Bones, MI, USA |
Muramasa: The Demon Blade is the type of game that makes me extremely glad I own a Wii system. I absolutely loved Odin Sphere on PS2 and knew I was in for a special treat with this offering from Vanillaware. The first thing that hits you are the drop dead gorgeous graphics. The artwork, animation and tremendous attention to detail are a sight to behold. My only regret is not being able to view this game in full 1080p. I'm a huge fan of 2-D type games and I could not be happier to now have this game in my collection.
The gameplay is fun and rewards you for mastery of all the techniques at your disposal. What is particulary enjoyable are the Boss fights. Every boss in this game is imposing and defintely puts your skills to the test. Some have described this game as a glorified button smasher, but having beat this game over eight times already, I can tell you that could not be further from the truth. To properly play this game, you need a subsantial degree of split second timeing, and the ability to implement chess like battle strategies at a moments notice. You will need to manage your resources (money, items, cooking, etc.) carefully in order to overcome the real challenges that come once you beat this game. What also surpised me is that each character does play slightly different and you will need to adjust accordingly. For example, Momohime (female) is just a bit slower in handling the heavier long blades, so I favor using the shorter quick blades with her. I used the classic controller, and the controls are spot on... the game would be worthless otherwise since it's intensly combat oriented.
I have only two problems with this game. From almost the very beginning of the game, you will be forced to back-track over and over again. This does get annoying especially towards the end of the game where the stages become more expansive. The only good news is that once you beat the game, you will be able to warp from one area to the next. My second issue does not apply soley to this game but includes others on various systems as well. My issue is that once you become your ultimate, perfect, "invincible" form, you've already completed everything there is to do in the entire game so you really never get the chance to do anything new or even challenging at this point. In other words, you must meet every available challenge to reach this state and then there's nothing else to do afterwards. I find this to be a flaw in many games these days.
Overall, this is a must own game period. Anyone who owns a Wii and does not have this game is more than missing out. I cannot give this game a higher recommenation.
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