Sometimes, North American gamers miss out on playing obscure Japanese games, but that's not the case with Muramasa: The Demon Blade. Ignition Entertainment was wise enough not only to bring the game here, but to leave most of its content – save for some English translation – intact. Because of this, Wii owners are in for a treat.
In Muramasa, you have two characters available. There's the lovely Momohime, a warrior princess skilled in the ninja arts, and Kisuke, a curious character who's lost his memory, but still remembers how to fight. They embark on a spiritual journey that will take them across the land encountering enemies, including a demon monk. It's mostly spiritual mumbo jumbo, but if you're a fan of that sort of thing, you'll eat it up.
This is the latest game from Vanillaware, the same development team behind such games as GrimGrimoire and Odin Sphere. Their fans will immediately recognize familiar traits between those games and Muramasa. The hand-drawn animation, for instance, looks exquisite. Watching these characters in action, flipping through the air and swinging their blades, is a delight. The backdrops are also impressive, with multi-scrolling playfields, weather effects and perfect lighting. There are also a few nifty camera tricks thrown in for good measure, including one that gives you a better view from above. Overall, this is probably one of the better third-party Wii games we've seen.
The audio is equally stunning. Muramasa's soundtrack is a collection of wonderfully composed ancient themes that deserve to be heard in stereo. The sound effects, mostly clanging swords and enemy moans, are also high quality. As for the voice work, Ignition made a smart move sticking with the original Japanese actors. Sure, you'll have to read subtitles, but you'll appreciate the original voiceovers.
Then there's the gameplay, which couldn't be any easier to get into. Rather than overcomplicate things with needless arm swings, Muramasa uses the analog stick for movement and button presses for fighting; we love this set-up. You'll score dozens of hack and slash combos, ripping up the bad guys with jumping, ground and uppercut attacks. Some moves grow repetitive, but that's the perfect opportunity to try something new, like the triple air slash.
There are also a variety of swords to choose from. Over the course of the game, you'll unlock additional ones for your arsenal. You can arm up to three at once, switching between them with the C button. Sometimes it's necessary, as a blade breaks if it's in use for too long; with over 100 blades, there's plenty of variety.
That's not counting the bonus rooms, either. On occasion, you'll run into a space where you'll need to decimate 100 enemies at once. Do it, and you earn a bonus item. Just make sure you're properly leveled up.
Muramasa isn't perfect. The game has a structure similar to the old Metroid games and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. You can't access certain areas until you acquire the correct sword to open the pathway. Since all your travel is done in real-time, that means a lot of backtracking. This drags down the tempo of the game, even though groups of enemies will break up the monotony. Ignition or Vanillaware should've added a "speed up" option to get us past the dull parts.
That's a minor blemish on an otherwise magnificent adventure. Muramasa is one of the best third-party games for the Wii, a fine balance of style and substance. The presentation will blow you away, while the old-fashioned combat will keep you slicing and dicing for hours. This one cuts deep, but in a good way.
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