Muramasa: The Demon Blade -- Final Opinion.

That took a little longer than expected. It didn't help that I snuck in the Xbox Live versions of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, and Sonic & Knuckles in there while playing Muramasa. I've fully completed Muramasa with all one-hundred and eight swords and all six endings viewed. In my initial impression I stated how I wouldn't be surprised if Muramasa ended up being the best looking Wii title ever produced. Having completed the game I still feel that way. The game is as gorgeous as we're ever going to see on the system. I can't stress how good the game looks and how much better it looks in motion as the backgrounds just come alive with animation. The music is amazing in its updated traditional Japanese style and as in titles like Yakuza 2 and Shenmue 2, the Japanese voice work just brings with it a sense of place that's unparalled. The story is very traditional Japanese folkore. The aspect I was most worried about going in to Muramasa based on the general opinion of Princess Crown and Odin Sphere was the battle system. I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised as it turned out to be one of the most enjoyable battle systems I've experienced. It really clicked with me. Some people have complained that there isn't a skill progression in the characters. That never bothered me for a second. The characters start with every move they'll have available throughout the entire game. You'll level up your character's stats and that will allow for you to use stronger swords. Each sword comes with its own special art, essentially a magic attack. It's a very 16-bit feeling system of run, jump, and magic. Only updated with combos and deflecting enemy projectiles. The battle system is chaotic and fun. The game features some of the most fun I've had with boss battles in a long while. There wasn't a bad one in the bunch. I thoroughly enjoyed Muramasa and I'm truly interested to see what Vanillaware does next. I'm giving Muramasa: The Demon Blade a 9. Oh and one more thing, SEGA... take a look at this game, and show it up with a Shinobi title, please. Pretty please?