Ōkami for Wii

Great news for you Wii owners: Ōkami, one of the overlooked gems of the Playstation 2, is being ported to your system. One of my personal favorites, Ōkami is an adventure game not entirely unlike The Legend of Zelda in execution. However, what has made the game truly iconic are the unique graphics and the creative Celestial brush system.

Ōkami is done entirely in the style of a Japanese Suibokuga (Ink & Wash) painting, and is steeped in Japanese mythology as well. In continuing with this theme, the hero Amaterasu has access to a weapon called The Celestial Brush which allows her to stop time and use paintbrush strokes to draw in various effects. For instance, a straight line cuts objects in half and an arced bolt can control lightning. Furthermore, Amaterasu can banish colourless cursed zones and restore life by reviving the trees with her brush.

While critically acclaimed, Ōkami sold poorly, which may or may not have contributed to the closing of the terrific Clover Studio. It's nice to see the game get another shot at success for the game-starved Wii, especially considering how well the Wii control scheme will work with the Celestial Brush. So spread the word to your casual gaming, Wii owning friends: buy Ōkami!