Parents' Guide to

Okamiden

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Adventure where you paint to play, but with some violence.

Game Nintendo DS 2011
Okamiden Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Okamiden Game: Screenshot #1
  • Okamiden Game: Screenshot #2
  • Okamiden Game: Screenshot #3

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What’s It About?

Taking place a few months after the events of Okami, Capcom's critically celebrated adventure for PlayStation 2 and Nintendo Wii, OKAMIDEN takes players on an epic quest with Chibiterasu, a young sun god and descendant of the mystical Amaterasu wolf from the first game. As with its predecessor, players must paint the world with a "celestial brush," such as drawing a bridge (to traverse rapid rivers), slashing a horizontal line through rocks and trees (to bypass the obstacles), and cutting through an enemy (with a paint stroke across its body). The young pup and his human friends must defeat evil in the land of Nippon, restore color to the world, and help the townsfolk with their individual issues.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (3):

Okamiden is an enjoyable adventure about a young god and a wolf pup, who works with his friends to protect the land of Nippon from a menacing force. Using the stylus pen or a fingertip you'll wield a "celestial brush" to paint onto the world, bypass obstacles, manipulate elements (like fire, wind, and water), and battle forces of darkness as you go from town to town to perform missions for the townsfolk.

Perhaps inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, the game cleverly fuses combat with puzzle solving and puts a lot of emphasis on how and when you draw on the screen with your magical brush to complete the task at hand. The attractive "cel-shaded" visuals are inspired by traditional Japanese watercolor art. At 20-odd hours to complete, Okamiden offers a lot of bang for the buck, though the fetch missions can get repetitive after a while. But it's still a charming third-person adventure that's well worth the price of admission.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this game takes advantage of the touchscreen more so than most other Nintendo DS titles. Does this add to the charm of the game, because you're drawing on the screen and using the stylus like a weapon (such as chopping down a tree)?

  • Do games with enhanced control, such as "touch," translate to a deeper, more engaging experience? Could this be one of the reasons why iPod touch games are becoming increasingly popular?

  • What is the impact of the violence in this game?

Game Details

  • Platform: Nintendo DS
  • Available online?: Not available online
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release date: March 15, 2011
  • Genre: Action/Adventure
  • ESRB rating: E10+ for Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

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