Muramasa review

[Zeus]

Another one of the casual titles for the Wii Sine loves so much

http://wii.ign.com/articles/102/1021608p1.html

[Don]

I have a hard time taking a game seriously when it looks like the developer couldn't even be bothered to translate stuff to another language. It looks like some of cheap attempt to try to sell stuff to guys who insist on playing import games when they cannot possibly understand it because that's the original way.

It kind of reminds me back when I took French and the teacher showed some movie in French without the subtitles and expected any of us to actually get what's going on. And at least here we're supposed to be trying to undrestand the language in question as opposed to just watching a movie.

[Julius Seeker]

I was hoping this one would turn out well. Same association of people who brought about Rune Factory Frontier and Little King's Story.

[Kupek]

I have a hard time taking a game seriously when it looks like the developer couldn't even be bothered to translate stuff to another language. It looks like some of cheap attempt to try to sell stuff to guys who insist on playing import games when they cannot possibly understand it because that's the original way.

From what I've seen, everything but the voice acting was localized. Seeing as how Vanillaware is a relatively small development studio, I don't see that as a "cheap attempt" to pander to Western Japan-o-philes. Instead, it seems to be a pragmatic decision to reduce the cost and time of the English localization. Considering that the game probably won't sell too many copies here, they probably couldn't justify the cost of English voice actors.

And Seek, I have no idea what you're talking about. Vanillaware is most well known for Odin's Sphere and Princess Crown.

[Zeus]

Grimgrimoire was a pretty popular title for Vanillaware as well...for the 4 people that played it.

This is a pretty big hardcore title for the Wii. It's basically a Metroidvania game with samurais and a weapon-making system. Bozon at IGN raves about it and it's doing decent overall on reviews (although RPGFan and Edge didn't think it was too hot). Figured some people here who haven't played their Wii in a bit (other than maybe Punch Out or the Metriod Prime Trilogy) may want to give 'er a shot.

As for the Japanese, don't most of us just put the subtitles on anyways? Is this really an issue? As long as the game plays great I don't see it as even being a factor

[M'k'n'zy]

I have all of their games, have loved em.

I am going to be picking this up tomorrow hopefully

[Don]

It sure looks like the item displayed on the screen are in Japanese unless the screenshot was the Japanese version, in that case it's the reviewer's fault for showing some antiquated screenshots. I was under the impression that a reviewer is supposed to use screnshots from the correct version of the game. I can live with voice overs because it probably costs a nontrivial amount of money + time to find some people who doesn't suck at it, but I don't see that as somehow adding anything to the game.

As for Zeus, you'll be surprised to find people who prefer to listen to something they cannot possibly understand is a very decidedly minority amongst, well, anything.

[Chris]

after hands on time today.....THE GAME IS FUCKING AWESOME!

[Zeus]

As for Zeus, you'll be surprised to find people who prefer to listen to something they cannot possibly understand is a very decidedly minority amongst, well, anything.

Do you prefer a dubbed or subbed anime?

I will agree that if you look at the masses, most would prefer a dub over a sub. But the audience for a game like this? Not so much. This game isn't for the average Wii owner who would reject a game for having subs, it's for the hardcore Wii owner or one with access with his/her parents' Wii.

[SineSwiper]

after hands on time today.....THE GAME IS FUCKING AWESOME!

Heh, I noticed you've said that a lot at PAX. I guess all of the awesome games come out on X-Mas?

[Julius Seeker]

Subtitles are usually the result of cost cutting; it costs money to find actors, a script writer to write a script to fit the mouth movements, or new animators to draw them.

I also disagree that this game was made for people who prefer subtitles; there is no logical correlation between people who have a preference for side scrolling games and people who prefer to read while listening to a language they don't understand, to listening to a language they do understand.

And Seek, I have no idea what you're talking about. Vanillaware is most well known for Odin's Sphere and Princess Crown.

The game is produced and published by Marvelous Entertainment; the same people who produced and published Rune Factory Frontier and Little King's Story.

[Mental]

You know, incredibly, I didn't like Odin Sphere, and I thought I would love it. But I'm still very, very interested in this game.

Don, I think Kupek is right. I'd rather see subtitles than bad voice acting, and I'd definitely rather see subtitles than to see a company waste a whole lot of money on voice acting they could have better spent on other aspects of development. Sometimes I really think your default stance is too highly critical, especially since, like I've said before, you talk a lot about how bad this or that or the other thing in game design is, but you have no experience with it yourself. And you refuse to try to gain any such experience that might show you how and why the exclusion of a very expensive and time-consuming feature like voice acting differs from genuine corner-cutting and expediency.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, probably to deaf ears: you have the skills to try to make a hobby game of some kind. You need to do that if you want to keep complaining about why developers don't do this and that and the other lavish thing. Complaining about production values all the time comes off as peanut-gallery status due to the fact that you constantly underestimate how hard it is and how much work it is to make even the smallest of commercial games - at least it comes off that way to me. Without meaning to start a fight, I really think that if you tried this at least once, you would be able to understand the industry better, and you'd be happier for it too.

[M'k'n'zy]

I just picked my copy of this up but have to go to work, I'll check it out tonight when I get home.