| Ōkamiden: Chiisaki Taiyō | |
|---|---|
 The Japanese game logo for Ōkamiden: Chiisaki Taiyō |
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| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Kuniomi Matsushita Motohide Eshiro |
| Writer(s) | Yukinori Kitajima |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo DS |
| Release date(s) | JP
2010 |
| Genre(s) | Action-adventure |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Ōkamiden: Chiisaki Taiyō (大神伝～小さき太陽～, lit. Ōkami Chronicles: Tiny Sun) is an action-adventure video game to be published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is a direct sequel to the PlayStation 2 and Wii title Ōkami. It is being designed by Kuniomi Matsushita, the director of the Wii port of Ōkami, and Motohide Eshiro, producer of Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth and Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny. It is slated for a Japanese release sometime in 2010. It will star Chibiterasu, a small celestial wolf who bears a resemblance to Amaterasu, protagonist of Ōkami, as well as feature much of the same gameplay as its predecessor, including the Celestial Brush which allows players to freeze the gameplay and draw shapes or patterns using the touch screen.
Development began when Matsushita expressed an interest in creating a new Ōkami game, and showed Eshiro a technical demo of such a game in December 2008. Because the demo was so well-done, development began on a sequel. The Nintendo DS was chosen due to both it being the most successful platform of this generation as well as the touch screen being ideal for controlling the Celestial Brush.
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The game plays similarly to its predecessor, Ōkami. It retains the ability to freeze the gameplay and use the Celestial Brush to solve puzzles and fight enemies. The theme of returning life to the world also returns from Ōkami. A new feature is the ability for Chibiterasu to team up with partners. They can be used to explore the overworld with, as well as battle enemies. The "Shirabe brush" or "courage brush" as called by Daniel Felt of Wired, may be used to move Chibiterasu's partner independently across areas Chibiterasu cannot cross; this is often required to progress in the game. The game uses both the face and shoulder button controls (the latter used to bring up the Celestial Brush) alongside the stylus and touchscreen, but never at the same time, giving players the time to switch between the two control schemes.[1][2][3]
The game takes place three months after the events of Ōkami. In spite of Amaterasu's battle against the Dark Lord Yami, which would kill all the demons in Nippon, they return. The Konohana Sprite Sakuya, a character from the original Ōkami, summons the Sun God Amaterasu, but instead finds Chibiterasu, who looks like a young version of Amaterasu. It is speculated that Chibiterasu could be Amaterasu's son, but Motohide Eshiro, the game's producer, said that this will remain a secret for now. He added that he is a "young form of existence" and not fully grown; he retains several abilities of Amaterasu, including the Celestial Brush, but lacks her power, which will be reflected in the plot and gameplay. Chibiterasu's partners will be incorporated into the main plot as well. One of the partners that accompanies Chibiterasu is Nushi, the son of Susano and Kushi, two characters from Ōkami. He was born after the events of Ōkami, and appeared in the ending of the first game. They did not reveal how Susano had a son in such a short amount of time, but stated that they would reveal it eventually.[1]
Due to poor sales, Ōkami was considered a commercial failure on the PlayStation 2, and while it was widely believed to be one of the factors involved in the closure of its developer Clover Studio, Hideki Kamiya, lead designer of Ōkami, specified that producer Atsushi Inaba had an argument with Capcom management.[4] Kamiya commented that he had an idea in mind for the sequel and would enjoy to make it, but it was nothing more than an idea and beyond his control.[5] In July 2007, Capcom employee Keiji Inafune commented that a Wii port was something he had considered, but it was easier said than done, and they have no plans as of yet.[6] In spite of this, it received a port for the Wii.[7] Capcom employee Chris Svensson commented that in order for a sequel to come, a lot more people would have to buy copies of Ōkami for a sequel to be produced.[8]
In August 2009, Capcom filed for a Japanese trademark on the name "Ōkamiden" for a video game, a few months prior to the Japan release of the Wii version of Ōkami,[9] which led to speculation about an Ōkami sequel; Ōkamiden may be a shortening or pun for Ōkami Gaiden, translated as "Ōkami Sidestory", or possibly Ōkami Densetsu, which translates to "Ōkami Legend", thus fueling speculation that this may be the long awaited sequel. The September 2009 issue of Famitsu revealed that Ōkamiden: Chiisaki Taiyō was indeed another Ōkami game which will be released by Capcom on the Nintendo DS in 2010 in Japan, though no other release information was provided. The Famitsu articles shows gameplay, including combat, and graphics similar to the PlayStation 2/Wii game. Ōkamiden will be directed by Kuniomi Matsushita, who was responsible for the Wii port of Ōkami, and produced by Motohide Eshiro, who has previously worked on titles such as Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny and Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth.[5][10]
In December 2008, Matsushita had turned to Eshiro to ask about making a portable version of the game, and was able to demonstrate an advanced prototype that he had already prepared, with his desire to bring the charm of Ōkami to as many people as possible.[5][10] Development began when Kuniomi Matsushita brought up the idea for creating an Ōkami sequel to Motohide Eshiro for a handheld system. He had a strong desire to create this sequel and had created a quality test version, resulting in the project being greenlighted. They chose to go with the Nintendo DS due to its portability, allowing for players to pick it up and play wherever they wish, as well as the ability to use the stylus on the touch screen as a brush.[1] It will be shown in playable form at the Tokyo Game Show in September.[10] It is about 25% completed.[11] Yukinori Kitajima, writer for the critically-acclaimed Japanese Wii title, 428: Fūsa Sareta Shibuya de, will be the scenario author for Ōkamiden.[12]
Kotaku editor Luke Plunkett included a sequel to Ōkami on his list of video games he wished were at E3 in 2008, specifically mentioning a PlayStation 3 version.[13]
The decision to put Ōkamiden on the Nintendo DS has received mixed reactions. The Escapist editor John Funk stated that it was the perfect platform for the sequel, due to how the touch screen could be used to use the Celestial Brush.[14] Kombo editor Daniel Sims praised Ōkamiden's cel-shaded visuals, stating that they work well on the Nintendo DS.[15] Destructoid editor Hamza Aziz and Examiner editor Jeremy Rowles concurred that it was perfect for the Nintendo DS.[16][17] Aziz adding that he was impressed with Capcom managing to retain Ōkami's stylized appearance in the sequel.[16] Siliconera editor Ishaan Sahdev, however, was skeptical that Ōkamiden could replicate the feel that Ōkami provided, due to how much it relied on its visuals and art style to bring players into its world. He also criticized the reasoning behind placing it on the Nintendo DS, which was to reach a larger audience, calling the visuals terrible. He later questions whether its faults may hurt it enough that the project may not even have been worth it.[11] While The Escapist editor Garrett Tiemann remains skeptical on how good this title will be, he added that being on the DS would help its calligraphy mechanic more than the Wii version of Ōkami did.[18] Luke Plunkett expressed disappointment that it was a Nintendo DS game rather than a PlayStation 3 game.[19]
There has been skepticism about developing Ōkamiden without Platinum Games, a developer featuring key members of Clover Studio, including Hideki Kamiya, the developer behind Ōkami. MTV editor John Constantine worried about this, questioning whether the lack of Kamiya and Platinum Games would make the game feel like a rehash.[20] Garrett Tiemann was similarly wary of their lack of involvement with the project, though adding on a positive note that when a new developer takes on a pre-existing series, they don't make many drastic changes to it, so it should share a similar feel to Ōkami.[18]
IGN described the character of Chibiterasu as "adorable".[10] Destructoid editor Jim Sterling concurred, joking that its cuteness would make Ōkamiden one of the greatest Nintendo DS games ever made.[21] Garrett Tiemann, however, worried that the cuteness of Ōkamiden was added to appeal to fans of Nintendogs. He commented that Chibiterasu's name, which essentially means "child Amaterasu", is a metaphor for Ōkamiden. He also worried that Ōkamiden would be like the television show Muppet Babies, in how it was a baby version of The Muppet Show.[18] Luke Plunkett commented that despite his reservations for Ōkamiden, his "heart melted" when he saw Chibiterasu.[19]
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