Finally, more information and new screenshots for the much awaited Valkyrie Profile: The Accused One for the Nintendo DS! While they're not much, they're certainly enough to fuel guesses and speculations about the upcoming game's gameplay system and storyline. Check out what we've got so far in the full article.

Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles is right around the corner, but if you're still not excited by Altair's incarnation on the Nintendo DS, at the full article are details that will leave you drooling. It's all about challenging Prince of Persia as the ultimate platforming side-scroller, and the assassin is looking good.

The guys at GamePro managed to get their hands on the sleek and sexy new DS Lite coming this August 21. Upon unboxing we can see how Nintendo chose to go with the Crimson and Jet Black combination: the result is just amazingly pretty.

Aside from coming bundled up with Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day, the Yin Yang DS Lite will come with a bonus carrying case that matches the handheld's color combination. The inside is pure matte black which gives it a sleek, conservative design that's cool on the eyes. The red of the cover just gives it a special kind of personality in itself. If you're one for aesthetics this is definitely a must have.

 
 

To see the rest of the unboxing, check out the full article after the Jump!

Heroes of Mana is edging ever closer to North America. Its release is so near that now that you can probably smell that fresh morning scent of the Mana Tree already. So, to prepare ourselves for the next adventure in the Seiken Densetsu universe, here's a bit of preview for the game.

It takes us for a spin of what to expect in this tactical strategy RPG title. From a retrospective look of the Square Enix franchise's previous installments, spin-offs, and remakes, this preview also runs through the various features and and story elements of Heroes of Mana.

Before getting Brownie Brown's game, make sure you keep tabs on how to work the battle system as well - it is the first RTS game in the Mana franchise, after all:

 

Crime fighting pretty much translates to Phoenix Wright when talking about video games, but another title aims to attract the mystery-loving fans. Nishimura Kyotaro, a Japanese writer known for winning Mystery Writers of Japan Prize in 1980 for The Terminal Man, is pulling up his sleeves once more to deliver us Kyoto Atami, Solitary Island of Murderous Traps on the DS.

Using the Stylus, players can investigate different areas by touching the most suspicious parts. Checking every nook and cranny is the only way to gather enough evidence, before concluding who the criminal is. Getting statements from witnesses and everyone involved will also play a major role in casting away the shroud of doubt often encountered when solving crimes.

No thanks to our inability to read Japanese, we can only sniff out so much. What we do know is that the game will hit the shelves come October 11. Check out these screens to give you a better idea of what this promising title is all about:

    

 

Several spin-offs following the much successful Contra trilogy have passed, and nothing came close. After repeated attempts to woo fans of the classic side-scroller, Konami finally decided to go back to its roots ala New Super Mario Bros. with Contra 4 for the DS. This means more than just doing the Konami code to gain 30 lives all over again, says 1UP as they got their hands on the game's initial stages.

On recreating the authentic experience, here's what Konami associate producer Tomm Hulett had to say:

New Super Mario Bros. is a huge inspiration for us. Nintendo looked back and created a game that was based on the original Super Mario, not Mario 3 or Mario 64, and made a game that feels like the original. That's exactly what we want to do here with Contra. We've gone back to Contra III for the controls, the weapon system, even the platforming, which is something that was lost in the later games.

That isn't to say we'll be getting a recycled package - by the looks of it, the game won't be losing in terms of flair and good animation. New gameplay elements are introduced too, such as the grappling hook, weapon combinations, and full utilization of dual screens.

1UP testifies that Contra 4 does indeed stays true to its roots. Control is supposed to be perfect, music will give a healthy amount of nostalgia, platforming, and combat are as hectic as the originals were back in 1992. Being able to hold a pair of weapons then combine the same types open up a plethora of new ways to dispatch the enemies.

Stages don't stray away from the tried and proven formula. The classic Contra jungle is there, as well as Contra III's auto-scrolling ocean level. "We wanted to start with familiar scenarios, gradually moving into more unique and interesting areas as the game progresses. So the later stages are totally different," said Hulett.

More screens after the jump!

 

With still a long wait ahead of us for the North American release of Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, we've decided to give you readers a little preview by way of firing up the Japanese version we were lucky enough to nab. While none of us over here can understand Japanese (and the game is pretty much heavy on the text side of things), we'll just run a finely-toothed comb over the gameplay bits, and see if Squeenix's latest venture into a new genre actually works or not.

The full preview after the jump!

Not too long ago, Square Enix announced (with the launch of its site) that a Final Fantasy IV remake was in the works. After showing you some mag scans, we've got more juicy info for all excited FF fans out there. IGN translated Famitsu's interview with director Takashi Tokita and producer Tomoya Asano to find out how the the remake is doing.

Tokita, the original game's event planner, revealed that only 1/4th of FFIV's full script was included in the Super Famicom version because of hardware limitations. This time around, he'll be doing some work around the scenarios he himself wrote: add and remove some parts to make sure the remake delivers the story it's supposed to deliver.

Not only the graphics will be remade, they're also working on ways to utilize the dual screens to make this classic more enjoyable. These would include:

• Help window (during battle) will be displayed larger on the second screen
• Bottom screen will be used for automapping when in dungeons
• Move your character to any part of the map by clicking on it with the Stylus
• Stylus-based minigames

Tokita also promises more replayability, giving players an incentive to relive the experience again after beating the game once. Seems like it won't be just an increase in difficulty, or carrying your levels and items to the next game. As if sidequests in FF games weren't enough, looks like Square Enix is deadset in making this remake "new, but it's FFIV".

Given that "Phantom Hourglass" popped up as the subtitle of Nintendo's planned Zelda game for the DS, it's already implied that this subtitle will hold a very special meaning in the game's plot story. That will be the topic of this day's news snippet, as last week's Famitsu magazine reveals more details for the Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.

The game starts off with Link and Tetra (from Wind Waker on the GameCube), as they stumble upon an abandoned ghost ship. The story picks up as Tetra is abducted, and Link is forced to rescue his old friend.

As for the matter of this game's namesake - the Phantom Hourglass - Famitsu detailed that a portion of this Zelda game will have Link swimming through an underwater shrine, which carries a curse that gradually eats away at Link's HP. Players can use the Phantom Hourglass to protect themselves from this curse, but only for a limited amount of time.

Refilling the hourglass is then a matter of touring the area's various islands, fighting assorted bosses, and collecting more "Sands of Time." That's all the details we have for the moment - stick around in case more information is revealed as Phantom Hourglass readies for its release in Japan, or if you want to take a gander at our collection of game screenshots.

After being the lead third-party publisher for Nintendo DS in 2006, THQ is breaking the trend with Drawn to Life: the company's first original property exclusive to the DS. The game promises to provide an unprecedented gameplay experience with its unique features.

 
The features include:

• Create your own heroes to travel numerous worlds
• Four different Hero forms including Flying Hero and Aquatic Hero
• Draw environmental elements that will aid hero to success
• Robust drawing tool contains different methods creation in addition to numerous colors, brush types and stamps
• Trade created heroes via Nintendo DS Wi-Fi

Expect Drawn to Life in full color this fall.