Samurai sword battles heading to Wii

Games publisher Koei has announced it is to release Samurai Warriors: Katana for the Wii on January 15, complete with controversial Wii Remote samurai sword battles.

A spokesman from Koei said of the game: "Samurai Warriors: Katana is based on the hugely popular Samurai Warriors series and delivers total arcade-style action right into your own home. Armed with your motion-sensitive Wii Remote, you’ll journey back in time to do battle as a lethal samurai warrior.

"On each mission, legendary samurai and allies will serve as your guide. Prevent pirates from invading your ships, rescue maidens from a burning castle, and explore mysterious caverns stalked by ninjas. These and many more challenging missions require quick reflexes, fast thinking, and precision marksmanship.

"On the battlefield ninja assassins will be poised to strike at your every turn, but with close-range and long-range weapons, you’ll be well equipped for your counterattack. Combat gets up close and personal with the classic samurai sword, spear, and mighty war hammer, but you can still target enemy soldiers in the distance using a bow and arrow, a gun, and even a cannon."

The brutal and graphic game will bring the famed Japanese warriors to the small screen, but with samurai swords often used as a weapon by real-life criminals the game is expected to come up against some criticism from anti-weapon campaigners.