Well, that went over like a lead balloon.

It appears that most gamers consider Okamiden to be a full sequel to Okami. My mistake was attempting to argue semantics as to what exactly a sequel is. Well, it appears that didn't work, so I'll assume that the similarities outweigh the differences and agree with you.

I think what we may be running into is that graphics power, hard drive space, and the affordability of large, high-definition monitors and screens has given us the impression that gaming can only get more powerful. Which means we don't get it when a game, or worse, a sequel, comes out looking and sounding LESS impressive than its predecessors.

This occurs to such an extent that we are often surprised by the low capabilities of older games, even those we loved when we were younger. I've experienced this syndrome myself when running Age of Empires 2. What? You call that a building? It looks like a cardboard box to me.

Since Moore's Law claims computing power doubles every eighteen months, this is not a reversible trend. But it does mean that ports of older games usually have improved performance, and sequels virtually always include new storylines and abilities that overwhelmingly outweigh what was cut. And gamers have been conditioned to believe this without exception.

Which is why I was initially skeptical that Okamiden was coming out for the DS. I've seen some impressive things come to handheld systems, but usually they were first-time productions or sequels to older handheld games. Okamiden has a huge challenge ahead of it if it is expected to be as awe-inspiring as the original.

Personally, I think it will succeed. I mean, it's not as if Okamiden has terrible graphics, it's just that the screen is so small it's difficult to get a panoramic view. Possibly this will work towards its benefit as Capcom focuses on the game mechanics instead of attempting to make the game look just as good.

After all, a lot of people are convinced that gameplay and story are the most important aspects of a new title, even more so than graphics. It's why sales of the 480p Wii continue, albeit at a slower rate, while the HD PS3 generates multiple titles that look good but flare out after two hours of play. A "downgrade" to the DS will be accepted, even welcomed, if the story remains as good as it was. Okami was an excellent adventure game with good visuals to boot. If I wanted just the visuals, I'd use PowerPoint. If the confusion at not having thirty inches of landscape can be overcome, there's no reason the sequel shouldn't sell.

Smaller and less powerful doesn't mean bad. I'm certain Chibiterasu agrees with that.