At Pink Godzilla, where part of our focus is on retro gaming, we play a lot of 2D games and would love to see developers apply the power of next-gen consoles to create new 2D gaming experiences. The Behemoth, with Alien Hominid and Castle Crashers, has been a company to do just that, but they are clearly the exception to the standard. With development costs of 3D titles rivaling Hollywood movie budgets, more developers and publishers seem more receptive to the idea of creating next-gen 2D games. This week, for instance, Famitsu reported on the announcement of two new 2D games in development: Shikigami no Shiro III for and Oboro Muramasa Youtouden.

Shikigami no Shiro III is the third installment of the popular arcade shooter, and is set for release on both the Xbox 360 and the Wii this December. The Wii-60 title is not just a straight port of the five arcade levels but will feature new content and modes. Moreover, the Xbox 360 version will support Xbox Live.

The second 2D game announced this week is Oboro Muramasa Youtouden for the Wii. Oboro is a 2D action RPG that makes full use of the Wii's interactive control scheme as you swing the Wii-mote to slash your sword in battle. Not many details about the game have been released but Oboro involves ninjas and swords, so it must be good. The game certainly looks beautiful in its 2D ninja glory. Let's hope the gameplay follows suit when Oboro Muramasa Youtouden is released sometime next year.