Hardcore Okami Nuzlocke: Spice up your game (Spoilers for newbies)

[Viktor]

Just posting a lil thread here to both help keep tabs on my own nuzlocke and to offer up the idea to anyone else who wants to give it a shot.

I'll start by saying that if you don't know what a Nuzlocke is, it's a term for upping the difficulty and adding a type of permadeath into a game-- typically Pokemon-- and restricting certain things that would typically make the game easier.

Since I've played Okami yearly since it first dropped on the ps2, I decided to create my own version of a Nuzlocke for my first ever PC run through.

The Rules

Let's start off with the basics: You die, you're no longer participating. While you don't have to go as extreme as Pokemon, like throwing the entire run away, in my personal run the rules will no longer apply if a death occurs. I'll keep playing the game as normal instead since I "failed" my run.

New Game+ is banned by default. The only way to participate is via a fresh new game with no past upgrades carrying over.

Item Use

Holy Bones
Holy bones are not allowed to be used in any capacity, in or out of battle. Your only way to heal for this Nuzlocke is at Origin Mirrors or by picking up enemy drops.

Steel Soul/Fist Sake
Banned. You are not allowed to up your defense/attack power.

Inkfinity Stones
Banned. You are not allowed to overrule your number of ink pots via Inkfinity Stones at any point in time.

Exorcism/Vengeance Slips
Banned. You are not allowed to use either slips to aid in combat.

OPTIONAL: You can choose to allot yourself ONE S exorcism slip to use per boss fight if you want.

Traveler's/Godly Charm
You are allowed to buy them as some are required to give to NPCs, but you are not allowed to use them for yourself. The only way to boost your Godhood is by landing perfect combos on enemies.

Gold Dust
You are allowed to use a single Gold Dust on your (starter) weapon of choice to make up for being stuck at Tier 1.

Mermaid Coin
Player choice. I will probably use Mermaid Springs at least once.

Golden Peach
Banned from use. If you do allow use of Astral Pouch you must fill it naturally.

Praise Upgrades

Health
To make the game more difficult, I have banned the upgrading of solar energy/HP via praise. The only way to boost your HP is by collecting sun fragments. This means Ammy is capped at 3 hp for early-game and only has the potential of 8 max hp IF you go through the extra trouble of getting all of the fragments.


Ink
Ink, however, you're allowed to upgrade. This is what you'll be hoarding Praise for most often, as more Ink = more brush strokes = less grueling fights.


Astral Pouch
You are not allowed to upgrade the Astral Pouch. You get 1 pouch only, and it's your personal call if being saved by your Astral Pouch counts toward a run failing or not.

In my personal run, I'm banning the use of the Astral Pouch entirely and counting the resurrection animation as a Death.


Wallet
Since progression hinges on upgrading your wallet to get the double jump, this is something else you're free to sink Praise into.

Weapons

You are restricted to first-tier weapons only. You are not allowed to use any sub weapon but Reflectors, as they all do the same thing (block) and aren't a direct weapon. You can only use the Tier 2 reflector as a sub weapon.

The only time you are allowed to progress past the first tier item is after Amaterasu obtains the Solar Flare reflector. From that point on, you must use it until endgame.

OPTIONAL
My personal Hardcore Nuzlocke restricts me to the starter Reflector ONLY. I'm not allowed to use Rosary or Glaives because they're considered damage upgrades.

Dojo Training

Golden Fury/Brown Rage
These are disallowed for the Nuzlocke.

Fleetfoot
This is allowed and recommended.

4 Winds, 5 Winds, Wailing Mirror
Reflector Dojo Techniques are ALLOWED. I'm personally not sure if I'll use Wailing Mirror in my run as it boosts dmg when x2 reflectors are equipped, however.

Holy Falcon/Counter Dodge
Optional; Player decision as they add slight damage impact upon dodging and double jumping. Will probably get them in my own run as they are late game anyway.

Hardhead, Digging Champ
Allowed as they don't "improve" damage output and can be used to access Bandit Spiders and Devil Gate Challenges, if you REALLY want to make your run Hardcore.

Demon Fangs + Holy Artifacts

Acquisition
As GF/BR are banned, your only means of acquiring Demon Fangs is through Floral Finishers. This uses 1 pot of ink per fang (on lower tier enemies), so be careful not to use all of your ink!

Golden Lucky Cat
GLC is allowed as your only method of healing in combat are by enemy drops.

Peace Bell
Banned as it has an impact on combat situations.

Wood Mat
Banned. Wood Mat would allow healing at any time, thus it's not allowed for this Nuzlocke.

Fog Pot
Allowed.

Golden Ink Pot
Allowed.

Thief's Glove
Banned, as it can be used to 1-shot enemies.

Water Tablet
Allowed.

String of Beads
Honestly if you're able to go through the trouble of getting all 100 stray beads in a nuzlocke you should be allowed to use it LOL

Misc Points

No fleeing combat
If you're unlucky enough to get stalked down by a demon scroll at night or bump into one, you're not allowed to break the barrier and flee. You MUST fight.

"Boss" Fights
If you opt to use 1 Exorcism Slip S per boss, be aware that only the BIG BOSSES count. "Miniboss" encounters i.e Waka, Tube Foxes, Oki, Nagi, Dog Fights etc do not count, whereas Spider Queen, Crimson Helm, Orochi x3, Blight, Ninetails, Twin Demons, Yami (Final Form Only) count. Bandit Spiders are a "maybe".

Night-Into-Day Skips
It is encouraged that you avoid "skipping" night time dangers of Demon Scrolls pursuing you. There's gotta be some danger after all as this game doesn't have constant random encounters like turn based RPGS such as Pokemon.



And finally:

What Counts As Death

"Death" can mean plenty of different things depending on the player and their own set of Nuzlocke rules.

If you choose to use the Astral Pouch in your Nuzlocke, you're allowed to be saved by it ONCE. If you "die" again and get resurrected by the Astral Pouch twice, your run is over.

Drowning or situations that cause Ammy to "blackout" are not deaths. Fainting in a Cursed Zone, getting eaten by the Water Dragon, etc. are not deaths. If you are not met with an Astral Pouch cutscene or a Death/Game Over screen, your run is safe.

[SunnyVilla]

I like this idea! I always enjoy a good nuzlocke challenge. You should suggest this to someone like Gamechamp3000, he is always doing "impossible" runs in games. I just wonder, would it be feasible to do the entire run without equipping a sub weapon in the first place?

[Viktor]

Originally posted by SunnyVilla:

I like this idea! I always enjoy a good nuzlocke challenge. You should suggest this to someone like Gamechamp3000, he is always doing "impossible" runs in games. I just wonder, would it be feasible to do the entire run without equipping a sub weapon in the first place?

Oh for sure. The game lets you back out and exit the pause menu when Issun first prompts you to try out the Rosary sub weapon-- I was without a sub weapon until I got the second Reflector from the first real boss.

So far it's been a really fun way to play! Been making an effort to get as many floral finishers as I can so I can get the water tablet/ink pot/etc. I've got enough for the pot and I'm not even at the Crimson Helm yet. :'D

Also not skipping nights and not having the peace bell equipped really makes me realize just how many battle encounters I've passed up with normal gameplay over the past decade I've owned Okami haha. If you try the nuzlocke you should totally post any interesting bits or end results here!

[Lewfy (Kumo Nuki)]

given the resurgence of okami 2 happening, i say this will be fun to try as a warm up. regardless, it will give some time to hold as we wait.