Mr. Universal's Blog

The 2006 shuttering of Capcom's acclaimed developer Clover Studio signaled for many that possible sequels for many of their most popular titles would be put in question. Chief among them was the Japanese influenced adventure Okami, which featured gorgeous watercolor-inspired visuals, Zelda-style gameplay, and unique calligraphy gameplay that helped make the game such a cult classic on the PlayStation 2. A port for the Nintendo Wii helped the game reach a larger audience, but sales were not impressive and the hope of ever seeing further adventures of the canine-manifesting Amaterasu were in doubt.

Online rumors and supposed leaks claimed that Capcom was interested in revisiting the franchise, and now a recent snapshot from the latest issue of Japan's biggest gaming magazine Famitsu (cleaned and enhanced above) seems to confirm what many thought impossible - a new Okami game is coming, and it's for the Nintendo DS and its called Okamiden.

The first look at the next game in the Okami franchise looks to retain the original PS2/Wii release's unique watercolor design, as well as the fully 3D level design that helped make the original such a cult classic. No word yet if Okamiden will also retain the artistic brushstrokes (most notable in its Wii incarnation), but given the inherent touchscreen capabilities of the DS hardware, this seems like a given.

While the Famitsu article doesn't give too much information on the upcoming Nintendo DS title, look for Okamiden to hit sometime in 2010.