Muramasa: The Demon Blade
Encyclopedia
Muramasa: The Demon Blade, known in Japan as is an action role playing game developed by Vanillaware
and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games
in Europe, and Ignition Entertainment
in North America for the Wii
. The game was released in Japan on April 9, 2009, in North America on September 8, 2009, and in Europe on November 27, 2009.
Muramasa follows the story of Kisuke, a fugitive who has lost his memory, including that of a crime that he committed; and Momohime, a lithe princess possessed by a dark spirit. Gameplay allows players to use the Wii Remote (with Nunchuk), the Classic controller or the GameCube
controller. The game allows players to use two different characters and features three difficulty level
s.
Within its first week of release in Japan, Muramasa sold all of its shipped copies and reached the top Japan sales list.
The game has three different control methods, one that involves the Wii Remote
, one that involves the Nintendo GameCube controller and another that uses the Classic Controller
, for players who prefer more precision.
Graphically the game is similar to Odin Sphere
, retaining the same hand-drawn 2D art style, though inspiration was drawn from Japanese mythology
and culture rather than Norse mythology
. The game has over 30 different stages.
Two playable characters are selectable: Kisuke, a young amnesia
c ninja
, and Momohime, a young princess of Narukami Han, Mino Province
. Momohime starts off in the eastern Edo
and goes to the western Kyo
, while Kisuke goes the opposite direction. Both wield three katana
out of 108 to collect and forge.
Weapons are distinguished into two categories, Blade (katana
) and Long Blade (nōdachi
). Long Blade is bigger and deals more damage than Blade, suitable for sweeping a group of weak foes, while Blade has a shorter attack interval and is geared for high agility combat. Each sword has a Secret Art (ōgi), a powerful attack technique. Overuse of a sword (unleashing Secret Art or defending) will deplete its "Soul Gauge" and eventually break it and its attack power will drop substantially. A broken sword will automatically recover itself when sheathed for a short time.
The game can be played in three modes: Muso, Shura, and Shigurui. Muso Mode focuses on character leveling as opposed to action, whereas Shura Mode is more action-based, recommended for skilled players. Shigurui Mode is only available after a player clears the game in Shura Mode. This mode plays in the same fashion as Muso Mode but limits the player's HP to 1 and will never grow when leveled up
.
era at the time of shogun
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
on Honshū
, the main island of Japan. Because of his thirst for power, a conflict over immensely powerful swords, the Demon Blades, occurs. The swords are cursed and are said to bring tragedy, madness, and untimely deaths. As the chaos from the conflict spreads, creatures from the netherworld
are summoned by these blades, along with Dragon and Demon Gods.
): A young and introverted princess
of Narukami Han, Mino Province
. Ending up being possessed by the spirit of Jinkuro, she is forced to flee her castle and head westward to Kyo
from Edo.
(Hiroyuki Yoshino
): A young ninja with no memory of his past and filled with a sense of vengeance as he goes eastward to Edo
from Kyo. He carries a phantom katana as his weapon. He was granted skill in the powerful Oboro style when a ghostly swordmaster saved his life by fusing his soul with that of Kisuke's.
(Jouji Nakata
): The spirit
of a foul swordsman who originally planned to possess Yukinojyo's body so as to claim his political and physical strengths, but accidentally took over Momohime's instead due to her interruption.
(Omi Minami
): An Inari
Kitsune
(fox deity) under Fushimi who shows affection toward Jinkuro, who sees her as a tool to achieve his own goal.
(Shiho Kawaragi
): Another Kitsune who aids Kisuke, she is driven by the loss of control of the Demon Blade that sealed her kind's mortal enemy, Kuzuryu.
(Ayako Kawasumi
): The older sister of Momohime, she is a miko
of her family for guarding a Demon Blade that contained the spirit of Kuzuryu.
(Shō Hayami): Third son of the Yagyu family
who serves as swordsmaster to the Shogun
's family. He has acquired mastery of a Yagyuu swordsmanship sect and is in charge of espionage. He was originally planning an engagement with Momohime, but this was ruined by Jinkuro, who originally intended to possess him.
(Yasuhiro Mamiya): An evil monk chasing after the Jinkuro-possessed Momohime. Before his baptism, he was a swordsman and was crippled in a fight with a then-living Jinkuro.
's studio Basiscape as in Odin Sphere.
gave it a score of 34/40 citing the game's difficulty, short load times, graphics and sound but criticized it for its lack of a climax. The game entered the Japanese sales charts at number 2, selling 29,000 copies in its first week. It opened to similar numbers in North America, with 35,000 units. On June 8, 2009, X-Play
named Muramasa the "Best Wii Game of E3 2009". When reviewing, they scored it a 3 out of 5. Adam Sessler
and Morgan Webb
later explained in a discussion that "just because a game gets Best Wii Game Of The Year, doesn't make it good." It was then stated that they only based their previous crowning of Best Wii Game on the basis that they had only played a small portion of the game. Play magazine praised Muramasa, stating "The art and animation throughout is so refined...the gameplay is intuitive and never grows old; the RPG elements are unique and superbly presented and the score is simply mesmerizing." 3xGamer noted that it had some of the most unique backgrounds and music, which combined to make a solid gaming experience.
The game was later released under Nintendo’s "Everyone’s Recommendation Selection" of budget titles.
Vanillaware
is a Japanese video game company development studio. Previously, they were known as Puraguru from 2002 until 2004, when they renamed as Vanillaware. The studio's past projects have specialized in 2D, or sprite-based, game design. They have garnered positive attention from fans and game media alike...
and published by Marvelous Entertainment in Japan, Rising Star Games
Rising Star Games
Rising Star Games is a video games publisher formed as a joint business venture between Scandinavian distributor Bergsala and Japanese video game publisher and content developer Intergrow....
in Europe, and Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment
Ignition Entertainment Ltd. is a British video game publisher formed in April 2002. It was created from a selection of smaller developers and publishers, such as Archer MacLean's Awesome Studios.-History:...
in North America for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
. The game was released in Japan on April 9, 2009, in North America on September 8, 2009, and in Europe on November 27, 2009.
Muramasa follows the story of Kisuke, a fugitive who has lost his memory, including that of a crime that he committed; and Momohime, a lithe princess possessed by a dark spirit. Gameplay allows players to use the Wii Remote (with Nunchuk), the Classic controller or the GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
controller. The game allows players to use two different characters and features three difficulty level
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
s.
Within its first week of release in Japan, Muramasa sold all of its shipped copies and reached the top Japan sales list.
Gameplay
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
, one that involves the Nintendo GameCube controller and another that uses the Classic Controller
Classic Controller
The is a video game controller produced by Nintendo. It is used to play games on the Nintendo Wii video game console.-Classic Controller:The Classic Controller is plugged into the Wii Remote in order to be used. It features two analog sticks, a D-pad, face buttons labeled "a", "b", "x" and "y",...
, for players who prefer more precision.
Graphically the game is similar to Odin Sphere
Odin Sphere
is a 2D fantasy action RPG video game. Developed by Vanillaware and localized and published by Atlus for the PlayStation 2 in 2007, it tells the interlocking stories of five different protagonists. Odin Sphere is considered a spiritual successor to an Atlus game titled Princess Crown and takes some...
, retaining the same hand-drawn 2D art style, though inspiration was drawn from Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology
Japanese mythology is a system of beliefs that embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions as well as agriculturally based folk religion. The Shinto pantheon comprises innumerable kami...
and culture rather than Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
. The game has over 30 different stages.
Two playable characters are selectable: Kisuke, a young amnesia
Amnesia
Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
c ninja
Ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
, and Momohime, a young princess of Narukami Han, Mino Province
Mino Province
, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....
. Momohime starts off in the eastern Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
and goes to the western Kyo
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, while Kisuke goes the opposite direction. Both wield three katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
out of 108 to collect and forge.
Weapons are distinguished into two categories, Blade (katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
) and Long Blade (nōdachi
Nodachi
A nodachi is a large two-handed Japanese sword. Some have suggested that the meaning of "nodachi" is roughly the same as ōdachi meaning "large/great sword". A confusion between the terms has nearly synonymized "nodachi" with the very large "ōdachi"...
). Long Blade is bigger and deals more damage than Blade, suitable for sweeping a group of weak foes, while Blade has a shorter attack interval and is geared for high agility combat. Each sword has a Secret Art (ōgi), a powerful attack technique. Overuse of a sword (unleashing Secret Art or defending) will deplete its "Soul Gauge" and eventually break it and its attack power will drop substantially. A broken sword will automatically recover itself when sheathed for a short time.
The game can be played in three modes: Muso, Shura, and Shigurui. Muso Mode focuses on character leveling as opposed to action, whereas Shura Mode is more action-based, recommended for skilled players. Shigurui Mode is only available after a player clears the game in Shura Mode. This mode plays in the same fashion as Muso Mode but limits the player's HP to 1 and will never grow when leveled up
Level Up
Level Up was a UK children's TV programme that was broadcast on CBBC. It was launched on the 3rd April 2006, replacing Xchange. The show was an hour long and during the school year broadcasting from 7:30am until 8:30am...
.
Plot
Setting
The game takes place during the GenrokuGenroku
was a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
era at the time of shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
Tokugawa Tsunayoshi
was the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, thus making him the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
on Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
, the main island of Japan. Because of his thirst for power, a conflict over immensely powerful swords, the Demon Blades, occurs. The swords are cursed and are said to bring tragedy, madness, and untimely deaths. As the chaos from the conflict spreads, creatures from the netherworld
Yomi
, the Japanese word for the underworld in which horrible creatures guard the exits; according to Shinto mythology as related in Kojiki, this is where the dead go to dwell and apparently rot indefinitely. Once one has eaten at the hearth of Yomi it is impossible to return to the land of the living...
are summoned by these blades, along with Dragon and Demon Gods.
Story
Kisuke is a fugitive being chased for a crime he no longer remembers. His only desire is to find a certain katana. After defeating his arresters, he meets Yuzuruha who offers to guide his path. Meanwhile, Momohime, after being possessed by the soul of foul swordsman Izuna Jinkuro, is forced to flee her castle and accept Jinkuro's offer to complete his plan.Characters
(Miyuki SawashiroMiyuki Sawashiro
is a female Japanese voice actress and singer who works for Mausu Promotion.She voiced Puchiko in the English dubbed releases of Di Gi Charat the Movie and Leave it to Piyoko, making her one of the few Japanese voice actors to have reprised a role in English in addition to the original Japanese...
): A young and introverted princess
Hime
is the Japanese word for princess or a lady of higher birth. Daughters of a monarch are actually referred to by other terms, e.g. , literally king's daughter, even though Hime can be used to address Ōjo....
of Narukami Han, Mino Province
Mino Province
, one of the old provinces of Japan, encompassed part of modern-day Gifu Prefecture. It was sometimes called . Mino Province bordered Echizen, Hida, Ise, Mikawa, Ōmi, Owari, and Shinano Provinces....
. Ending up being possessed by the spirit of Jinkuro, she is forced to flee her castle and head westward to Kyo
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
from Edo.
(Hiroyuki Yoshino
Hiroyuki Yoshino
is a Japanese voice actor. He is part of Sigma Seven.-Anime:*Allison & Lillia *Angel Tails *Aquarian Age *Azumanga Daioh *Baccano! *Black Jack...
): A young ninja with no memory of his past and filled with a sense of vengeance as he goes eastward to Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
from Kyo. He carries a phantom katana as his weapon. He was granted skill in the powerful Oboro style when a ghostly swordmaster saved his life by fusing his soul with that of Kisuke's.
(Jouji Nakata
Jouji Nakata
, better known by his screen name , is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Ōsawa Office, and is most well known as the voices of Giroro , better known by his screen name , is a Japanese voice actor born in Tokyo, Japan. He is affiliated with Ōsawa Office, and is most...
): The spirit
Hitodama
are believed in Japanese folklore to be the souls of the newly dead taking form as mysterious fiery apparitions. The word hitodama is a combination of the Japanese words hito, meaning "human", and tama , meaning "soul"...
of a foul swordsman who originally planned to possess Yukinojyo's body so as to claim his political and physical strengths, but accidentally took over Momohime's instead due to her interruption.
(Omi Minami
Omi Minami
is a Japanese voice actor. She is mostly known for her work in anime and video game roles.-Notable anime voice roles:*Tama *Shimajirō Shimano *Euphemia Li Britannia...
): An Inari
Inari (mythology)
is the Japanese kami of fertility, rice, agriculture, foxes, industry and worldly success and one of the principal kami of Shinto. Represented as male, female, or androgynous, Inari is sometimes seen as a collective of three or five individual kami...
Kitsune
Kitsune
is the Japanese word for fox. Foxes are a common subject of Japanese folklore; in English, kitsune refers to them in this context. Stories depict them as intelligent beings and as possessing magical abilities that increase with their age and wisdom. Foremost among these is the ability to assume...
(fox deity) under Fushimi who shows affection toward Jinkuro, who sees her as a tool to achieve his own goal.
(Shiho Kawaragi
Shiho Kawaragi
, is a Japanese voice actor who works for Kenyu-Office.-Notable voice roles:Note: Main character role in bold letters.*Aisling in The Secret of Kells*Aki Aoi in Aki Sora*Barou Esharotto in Law of Ueki...
): Another Kitsune who aids Kisuke, she is driven by the loss of control of the Demon Blade that sealed her kind's mortal enemy, Kuzuryu.
(Ayako Kawasumi
Ayako Kawasumi
is a Japanese voice actress and J-pop singer. She is affectionately referred to by her fellow voice actors and fans as "", "" and "". She is a skilled pianist, having practiced the piano since childhood....
): The older sister of Momohime, she is a miko
Miko
is a Japanese term that anciently meant a "female shaman, spirit medium" who conveyed oracles from kami , and currently means a "shrine maiden; virgin consecrated to a deity" who serves at Shinto shrines.-Word:...
of her family for guarding a Demon Blade that contained the spirit of Kuzuryu.
(Shō Hayami): Third son of the Yagyu family
Yagyu clan
The ' were a family of daimyō with lands just outside Nara, who became the heads of one of Japan's greatest schools of swordsmanship, Yagyū Shinkage-ryū...
who serves as swordsmaster to the Shogun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
's family. He has acquired mastery of a Yagyuu swordsmanship sect and is in charge of espionage. He was originally planning an engagement with Momohime, but this was ruined by Jinkuro, who originally intended to possess him.
- A young female YamabushiYamabushi' are Japanese mountain ascetic hermits with a long tradition as mighty warriors endowed with supernatural powers. They follow the Shugendō doctrine, an integration of mainly esoteric Buddhism of the Shingon sect, with Tendai and Shinto elements...
who uses paper charms, explosives and crows in combat against demons during her journey.
(Yasuhiro Mamiya): An evil monk chasing after the Jinkuro-possessed Momohime. Before his baptism, he was a swordsman and was crippled in a fight with a then-living Jinkuro.
- The shogun, whose thirst for power caused the conflict over the Demon Blade and ordered Yukinojyo to exterminate Torahime with her family.
- An evil InugamiInugamiIn Japanese mythology an is a type of , similar to a familiar spirit, resembling, and usually originating from, a dog, and most commonly carrying out vengeance or acting as guardians on behalf of the inugami-mochi, or "inugami owner"...
who was sealed in the Demon Sword kept under guard by Torahime, using Tokugawa to accomplish its own desires before using him as host to regain its physical form before Kisuke slays it.
- Fudo-Myouou: The protector of the Buddha, he appears as a giant statue that the Jinkuro-possessed Momohime must destroy.
Development
Originally titled , it was shorted to Oboro Muramasa before release. While being developed, the game was referred to as Princess Crown 3, as Odin Sphere was referred to as Princess Crown 2. Director George "Jōji" Kamitani said he wanted to create a similar atmosphere as The Legend of Kage and Genpei Toma Den. Audio production was assigned to Hitoshi SakimotoHitoshi Sakimoto
is a Japanese video game composer and arranger. He is best known for scoring the games Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII, though he has composed soundtracks for over 70 games and arranged music for more than 40 others. He began playing music and video games in elementary school, and began...
's studio Basiscape as in Odin Sphere.
Reception
The game was received generally positively. Japanese gaming magazine FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
gave it a score of 34/40 citing the game's difficulty, short load times, graphics and sound but criticized it for its lack of a climax. The game entered the Japanese sales charts at number 2, selling 29,000 copies in its first week. It opened to similar numbers in North America, with 35,000 units. On June 8, 2009, X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
named Muramasa the "Best Wii Game of E3 2009". When reviewing, they scored it a 3 out of 5. Adam Sessler
Adam Sessler
Adam Donovan Sessler is co-host of X-Play on G4 with Morgan Webb and, as of December 17, 2008, editor-in-chief of G4's game content for the network. He is the only remaining television personality from the G4's origin network ZDTV.-Background:Sessler was born in Berkeley, California...
and Morgan Webb
Morgan Webb
Morgan Ailis Webb is a co-host and senior segment producer of the G4 show X-Play, and host of the show G4 Underground...
later explained in a discussion that "just because a game gets Best Wii Game Of The Year, doesn't make it good." It was then stated that they only based their previous crowning of Best Wii Game on the basis that they had only played a small portion of the game. Play magazine praised Muramasa, stating "The art and animation throughout is so refined...the gameplay is intuitive and never grows old; the RPG elements are unique and superbly presented and the score is simply mesmerizing." 3xGamer noted that it had some of the most unique backgrounds and music, which combined to make a solid gaming experience.
The game was later released under Nintendo’s "Everyone’s Recommendation Selection" of budget titles.