1UP Previews Okami on the Wii

1UP writes: "When the game was first shown three years ago, Okami's control scheme -- in which the player draws and paints in combat -- seemed highly original. Upon its release back in 2006 on PlayStation 2, the adventure game won awards for its artful combination of innovative gameplay and striking visual style. But now that the Wii's motion controls are entrenched in the vernacular of every gamer from groupie to Grandma, will Okami still wow us? And if it does, will the commercially unsuccessful game get a second chance to be the big success many fans hoped it would?

Based on our hands-on time with the game, the Wii port will be as much of an award-winner as the original when it hits Nintendo's box this spring. Using the game's Celestial Brush feels intuitive and simple. Playing Amaterasu, the white wolf imbued with mystical powers, you navigate your character and interact with many objects using the Nunchuk and Z button. Then, to break barrels or do melee attacks, you'll shake the Wii Remote. Holding the B button while pressing A and pointing the Wii Remote performs the painting motions that control your character's large arsenal of special attacks. It's a control scheme that is familiar -- anyone who's played a level in Super Mario Galaxy will have no trouble picking it up. Indeed, the Wii's motion controls seem like a natural fit for the game".