After I bought Okami sometimes in november last year, I finally found the time to play it yesterday. What I have seen already is great, I absolutely love the game this far - If just the painting wouldn't be...

I already had trouble to get that cherry at the beginning, but now I'm at the part where Susano has to train his sword abilities, and I have to help him destroy that puppet.

I just can't do it. Anybody else had the same problems and found out a way to solve them?

thanks in advance, fan.

I've done this already... Okay so when you're drawing the slashes are you using the A button or the (I think Z button)? I think with the Z button creating slashes is the best way...

try making them big slashes. my problem was i was only doing them about 1/4 the width of the screen, and most of the time it would not count them.

so try a big line almost as wide as the screen.

I usually do big slashes, and I tried both buttons, A and Z. thanks anyway, I'll try to only make big slashes now.

Is there a specific spot where I have to hit the puppet?

It was very finnicky for me as well. In the rest of the game, something vaguely resembling a straight line, of any length, can be registered as a cut. For some reason they require great precision in that one spot (and there are a few others later in the game that get finnicky like that too). Just keep plugging away with large slashes. I think they like the body of the scarecrow to be cut diagonally, but i could be wrong (i played that game way back in May)

I had the same problem but them I got used to it,try practicing with the trees and the rock because you will need that technique a lot during the game

ya, after i practiced with it a lot, i was able to do it almost effortlessly, which is a huge help all throughout the game.

A lot at first. It probably took me 10 minutes to destroy the rock in the begining of the game. All you need to do (if you dont like holding Z lik me) is draw the line quickly. I dont know if the game registered motion as well as IR, but it sure does feel like it.

I did it.

I still needed some attempts, and when I realised that I have to do it three times in a row without failing I first thought I'll never be able to achieve it.
However, I think I mastered the technique now, I could to it at the part with the bear fairly quickly and I used the technique successfully in fights a couple of times too.

So all that is left for me now it thanking you guys for the help and keep saying how amazing the game is, it really did nothing wrong yet I think.

Some tips for Okami. It seems difficult at first, but after a while you get really good at using the Wii Remote.

1. Use two buttons to do the straight lines. I think it's Z and A as some other folks mentioned. You might want to check the manual. After playing a while, you will probably be able to freehand all of your slashes without the aid of the straight line button. By the end of the game, I didn't need it.

2. Don't move your whole arm. Everything can be done by moving just your wrist. E.g., Draw bombs with a twirl of your wrist. Slashes can be done by flipping your wrist from left to right. Find the hand/arm position that feels the most natural for you and stick with it. As much as people find it to be really difficult at first, it becomes really natural as you play.

3. Make sure that there is no sunlight interfering with your Wii remote. It'll completely throw off the IR sensing. My entertainment system is right next to a large window, and I have to shut the blinds when playing games that make use of the Wii remote. Also, if you have a glass-topped TV stand (as I do), it becomes even more of a problem because it is reflective to the sensor bar (which is mounted on the bottom of my TV). You can put something like a towel on the glass surface during play to diffuse the IR reflection.