Muramasa: The Demon Blade 2009

Is it still worth playing?

Vanillaware's 2009 action role playing game for the Wii, set in Japan's Edo period. Conflicts rage over the Demon Blades, samurai swords that bring tragedy and madness upon their wielders. You play two protagonists: Momohime, possessed by the spirit of the vengeful rōnin Jinkuro Izuna, and Kisuke, an amnesiac ninja on the run. It is a 2D side scroller set on the island of Honshu, with hand drawn environments reminiscent of Japanese artwork of the period, and you can enter towns to buy items and accept quests. You can cook meals for temporary boosts. Combat has avoidable random encounters and scripted fights in a fixed arena against enemies drawn from Japanese folklore, and continuous attacks trigger combos. The journey still has a look of its own, drawn by hand and inspired by Japanese art.