Renowned game director Hideki Kamiya recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to advise players against playing the Wii version of Ōkami, emphatically stating that the HD version is the superior way to experience the game. His comments have sparked lively debate among fans, particularly concerning the merits of the Wii port. 
A fan recently asked Kamiya on X if they should switch from playing Ōkami HD on PC to the Wii version. Kamiya's response was blunt: "The Wii version isn't the original. I developed the PS2 version. If you're going to play it now, the HD version is the best choice. Personally, I don't want you to play the Wii version."
This response clearly lays out Kamiya's stance on the Wii port, positioning the HD version as the definitive modern way to play Ōkami. Ōkami HD first launched on PS3 in 2012, later making its way to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. It boasts higher resolutions and retains the original control scheme, offering an experience much closer to the PS2 original.
Originally developed by Capcom's Clover Studio with Kamiya at the helm, Ōkami first graced the PlayStation 2 in 2006, quickly becoming a classic. Two years later, US studio Ready at Dawn handled the Wii port, which famously swapped the PS2's left analog stick controls for the Wii Remote's pointer functionality to wield the game's Celestial Brush system. 
Unsurprisingly, the Wii port's development wasn't exactly smooth sailing. Ready at Dawn previously revealed that the team had to start "from scratch with no assets," even reverse-engineering the PS2 version to fully port it to the Wii. This meant that while the Wii version retained the core gameplay, its control scheme, adapted for the Wii Remote, became a point of contention.
Adding to its legacy, the Wii version of Ōkami also drew criticism for a rather infamous cover design blunder. The game's cover art famously featured an IGN watermark, a rookie mistake that forced Capcom to offer free cover replacements, cementing its place as a classic gaming anecdote. 