Soapbox options allow our particular person writers and contributors to voice their opinions on sizzling matters and random stuff they have been chewing over. At this time, Alana is speaking a couple of Vanillaware oldie — Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a Wii title that’s celebrating its fifteenth anniversary. And, within the wake of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn Overlord’s success, it is time to give Vanillaware’s older title some love.
Vanillaware has been just about in all places. It is visited magical, mystical storybook worlds in Odin Sphere. It is returned to a medieval, warfaring world many instances with Grand Knights Historical past and Unicorn Overlord. It has been to Nineteen Eighties Japan in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. We have even been in a position to go to witch college because of GrimGrimoire. However regardless of the wide range of softly painted and lovely worlds, I all the time discover myself trying again to Edo Japan the fondest.
It was love at first sight with Muramasa: The Demon Blade, the developer’s second title on a Nintendo system after the Japanese-exclusive Kumatanchi on the DS. It is not essentially the most distinctive recreation in Vanillaware’s library, neither is it essentially the most difficult. But it surely’s a darn good time that, with the latest success of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn Overlord, deserves to have its second within the (rising) solar.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade has tons in widespread with Metroidvanias (development gated behind abilities/weapons, an interconnected map, some mild platforming) however the recreation centres extra on fight than deep exploration or secrets and techniques. The 2 lead characters — Kisuke, an amnesiac ninja whose solely reminiscence is that he should steal a selected katana; and Momohime, a princess who’s possessed by the spirit of a felony rōnin — play identically and discover primarily the identical map. However the interweaving tales and the crisp and difficult fight saved me coming again for extra.
Other than Vanillaware’s beautiful artwork type — which shines greatest when streaming by the reed-laced fields soaked in a fantastic blood-red sundown or whereas ascending by the honey-coloured clouds of Takamagahara — Muramasa’s standout characteristic is, as talked about, its fight. That is an motion RPG which you management by utilizing one button for single assaults and combos, and holding it right down to sprint across the display screen. It is extremely easy however trendy, notably when paired with the watercolour splendour of Vanillaware.
The wrinkle comes within the type of the weapons. You’ve a enormous weapon tree the place, from three beginning blades, you possibly can forge varied ‘Demon Blades’ to make use of throughout your playthrough. You’ll be able to equip three completely different swords without delay and swap between them throughout fight. There are two sword varieties — Blades, that are quick and quick, and Lengthy Blades, bigger, heavier, and extra highly effective weapons. Each sword has its personal stats, however you possibly can’t simply follow a single one. Your swords even have Soul Energy, which is consumed both by blocking assaults, taking injury, or utilizing the weapon’s Secret Artwork — a particularly highly effective assault that, once more, varies per weapon. If the sword’s Soul Energy is totally depleted, the weapon quickly breaks.
That is the place your weapon swapping is useful. Sheathing a blade and drawing one other weapon will permit the opposite swords to replenish their Soul Energy. Plus, drawing one other with a full Soul Energy gauge will set off an assault that hits each enemy on display screen. Do not inform me you have by no means seen a samurai film the place a warrior attracts his blade and instantly decimates the complete room and by no means needed to tug that off. It is simply as cool right here as it’s in any present or film I’ve ever seen.
To me, ‘accumulating’ the swords is the draw. I wish to see each single Secret Artwork and discover that three-weapon mixture that works for me. Hell Spinner, as an example, is a particularly quick horizontal spin that shreds foes on the bottom, whereas Wind is an aerial vertical spin. Faerie Bolt permits you to have two electrical orbs encompass your character for a restricted period of time, which protects you and does contact injury. Earth Runner is a relentless rush of sword stabs. Weaving a mixture of mild and heavy swords with defensive abilities and fast-paced offensive Arts is my favorite strategy to go.
Even when the fight is easy on the floor, I nonetheless adore working into each single mob of enemies as I discover Honshu and the 16 provinces. A bunch of seven ninjas may halt my progress as I run by the wet forests of Owari, however goodness is it enjoyable to juggle them within the air and dart across the display screen, taking them down one after the other — or typically multi functional fell swoop.
The fight actually shines throughout Muramasa’s unbelievable boss battles. Many of those are visible spectacles that require a mixture of endurance and aggression; studying enemy assault patterns and animations after which punishing them on the proper time feels extremely rewarding. Ippondatara is likely one of the recreation’s largest — an enormous monster that towers above the clouds, you should hack away at its toes earlier than ascending and taking over his fists, all whereas reflecting projectiles with perfectly-timed sword slashes. Then it’s a must to combat him in his boar kind, the place he’s helpless and does no injury. Seems, he is simply been attempting to maintain a sizzling spring to himself.
Whereas fights with enormous demons, large spiders, and even the god of storms, Raijin, himself are extremely memorable, the very best are (as with many motion video games) these fights with one other individual. In Kisuke’s story, he has to combat the lady he loves most on this planet, Torahime. Commanding a military of undead troopers and using atop her skeletal, ghostly steed, Torahime dashes to the opposite facet of the bamboo thicket, commanding her troopers to battle in opposition to Kisuke. Then it’s a must to chase her, avoiding her arrows by deflecting them or hiding behind the bamboo, It is not a very troublesome combat — notably in comparison with among the later battles — however the sheer spectacle, the narrative revelations that come after, and the very fact you are preventing a badass warrior princess atop a useless horse make it fairly darn superb.
A few of these harder fights — like the ultimate bosses, and even Wanyuudo the flaming wheel on Momohime’s facet — expose the wonder and stability of Muramasa’s fight. If you happen to’re good along with your weapon decisions and know when to dam, you will get some extremely satisfying combos and victories out of those encounters. However then there are the Caves of Evil dotted across the map. These unlockable challenges throw enemies and boss encounters at you in a brief gauntlet, and get progressively more durable the later into the sport you get. These “caves” could be discovered by the useless tree trunks you may uncover as you discover, and are locked behind varied completely different colored obstacles — that means you should get particular swords, often from story bosses, to even sort out them.
Trials such because the Mild Blue one which forces you to sort out seven samurai (ha!) enemies without delay check your endurance and your potential to interrupt enemy guards. An earlier one, locked behind a inexperienced barrier, pits you in opposition to poison-inducing enemies. There’s additionally a problem the place it’s a must to rechallenge a boss from earlier in Kisuke’s playthrough — besides this time, there are 4 of them. The variability right here as soon as once more assessments your information, and whereas it does drive you to backtrack (I imply, it is bought some Metroidvania DNA in there), who can complain about working by these beautiful areas each single time? Not me.
With Vanillaware getting extra consideration than ever these days, I actually want Muramasa: The Demon Blade was simpler to entry. You’ll be able to at present solely play this recreation formally on the Wii or the PlayStation Vita — which is, admittedly, the far superior model with a greater localisation and 4 DLC episodes with new characters and playstyles (one in every of which has you enjoying as a cat). The corporate’s president George Kamitani has stated that he needs to port the sport to fashionable platforms — and god would Muramasa look good on the Swap OLED — however has stated that “there are points”.
Having performed a number of Vanillaware titles, it is enjoyable to see the shared DNA in each single recreation regardless of what number of style variations there are within the developer’s library. The motion brawler-style fight of Dragon’s Crown is in Muramasa, and virtually each recreation has a number of storylines that intertwine with each other.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade is likely to be Vanillaware’s easiest title, and it does not defy many style conventions like its different video games do, however do I fondly miss the times of working by snowy mountains, hacking my manner by the depths of hell, and forging the legendary sword? In fact I do.
Have you ever ever performed Muramasa: The Demon Blade? Do you wish to see the sport on Swap (or fashionable platforms)? Tell us down beneath!