2026-09-08 · blog
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (2009) — every review praised the art, and the studio ran out of money making it
Episode 51 of “Today Is Release Day”: Muramasa: The Demon Blade, released in North America on September 8, 2009 — exactly seventeen years ago today. Sixteen people at Vanillaware drew this 2D action RPG by hand. The aggregate score was 81, and almost no reviewer failed to praise the art. It still sold only 35,000 copies in its first North American month, and by release the studio’s funds were gone. Then, in June 2026, a follow-up was announced.
