February 21^st, 2006 (1:49pm) - Clover Studios: You may not know them, but you should know who "Viewtiful Joe" is by now! In 2004, after making one of the highest critically-acclaimed games this generation, Clover Studios announced their plans for Okami on the Playstation 2.

Okami is a stylish action game based on Japanese folklore and presented in a traditional Japanese art style. Players will assume the role of Amaterasu, a sun god who takes the form of a wolf on Earth. Artistic ability isn’t limited to Okami’s graphics, as gamers will use the PS2’s controller to perform "brush strokes" to battle enemies and solve puzzles.

At the recent Gamer’s Day Conference, Clover Studios president Atsushi Inaba presented Okami, as a game "based on an action shell, with elements of role-playing and adventure all mixed together, but accessible to all kinds of people." Recalling the demo that was promoted at last year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo, Inaba said that demo "was not even a 10th of what the game will be."

To bolster the game’s depth, he admitted that "it’s no big secret that Capcom is good at making action titles...so in an action framework, we’ve added an adventure element and a deep story, to make the game feel like a full experience."

Inaba went into some detail about the "celestial brush," the mechanic that lets gamers direct the movement of game characters and also affect the gameworld--"to draw a line that transforms into a vine, to draw water in the direction of a fire to put out that fire, to attack enemies and solve puzzles, to create wind."

Inaba said the Clover team was nearing completion of the title. His parting words: "We’re doing our best to make sure it’s a great game, and we hope you feel the same."

Gamers following this little gem will be pleased to know Capcom’s preparing for a Summer 2006 release in the United States: Those who don’t know, now’s the time to view some screens, check out the trailers and begin to wet your pants in anticipation and promote the game as if you knew about it all along!

To the forums!