Project Hacker opens its website for everyone to explore. The website gives us a look at the characters involved in the game as well as the story that you're lured into. It also finally gives us a look at the interface of the game and how your hacking will commence.

Unlike most games, Project Hacker will give you an OS (not an actual one, just for the game) wherein most of your communications and gameplay will happen. As a member of GIS, you are given an OS with access to almost anything. You have a web browser where you can store bookmarks of sites that contain clues. You also have a mail client that lets you check your mail from your friends.

Another interesting aspect of the game is that you can write memos within the game. The memo area gives you an opportunity to write down or solve clues for your game. Hence, if you find an interesting clue that will help you in your hack, the memo pad allows you to take note of these clues for the game.

Here's one intriguing game that plays to the strength of the Nintendo DS. The upcoming Project Hacker Kakusei may resemble another hacking title called Uplink, but games like these are always welcome in my DS world. In the game, you play the role of detective Satoru who is affiliated with an organization called the GIS. With that intro, it's quite apparent that you'd be cracking locks, hacking computers, and guessing passwords to break into systems. It's the perfect game to unleash the hacker in you.

Project Hacker Kakusei is produced by Nintendo and developed by Red Entertainment. It's due out on July 13 in Japan and if English localization is up to speed, we can expect the game to reach American shores soon after. I always live in hope, but for now, it's best to consider it as a Japan-exclusive.

A TV commercial of the game has popped up on the net and watching it just makes me appreciate the DS even more. With lots of stylus action, 2D anime artwork, and Phoenix Wright-ish gameplay, Project Hacker Kakusei going to be a hit among brainiacs. Oh, by the way, if you can read Japanese, you can pre-order a copy for $48.90 at Play Asia. Just thought I'd mention that.

Japanese DS magazine, Nintendo Dream, have published details and pictures for 12 forthcoming DS games. The scans below show off the game's details, however they are in Japanese. They are definitely worth a look just for the screenshots, game graphics and art.

Bomberman Land DS:

Brave Story DS:

There's 10 more games covered in the Full Article, check it out!

It seems that the popular trend in DS games lately are detective games. Is Project Hacker betting on following Phoenix Wright's success? Well, unlike Phoenix Wright, this game will not work on solving cases by using evidences, but rather it intends to stop hacking by using cryptic investigation. Famitsu gives us more details on how you, as Satoru, stop some internet crimes.

For this game, you will be often be 'online' to stop some hacks. In order to stop hacks, you will solve cryptic puzzles that the viruses have. Once you manage to solve the puzzle in time, you stop the internet hack and you've cleared the stage. The game also involves setting up a firewall against an incoming virus.

The game also promises that the virus will respond to you in real time, as though the hacker is actually viewing your activities. Hence, one wrong move can cost a lot to you. More so, you are also going to get your clues from the people you converse with. In the given illustration above, in order to unlock the elevator, you have to solve the hint that your aid, Rina, will give you.

The Famitsu article also gives us a set of new characters. Misuzu Sekushi is the chief of the investigation headquarters. She's primarily your boss. Kei Minami works with you as she works in the GIS analytical room. She will be your aid as well in solving crimes. She's also an cult otaku. Valdes is the assistant of Sekushi. He's great with computers but also has the muscle and the power to get into a fight. Lastly is Ookouchi Toshiki, the head of the police department. These are the characters that you would often encounter during the game, teaching you bit by bit on how to get that hacker.

New Nintendo Dream scans have been floating around and here we have one of Project Hacker. The game appears to be coming along very nicely.

It looks very much like Trauma Center and Phoenix Wright in graphical style and even concept. In the game you will be investigating cyber-crime by applying your hacking skills as Satoru (the guy in the orange jacket) with your partner Rina.

With the large computer focus, you can bet you'll be putting your stylus to good use. Hopefully a publisher (Atlus?) will pick it up for a North American and PAL release.

Red Entertainment, developing there very first game for the Nintendo DS have announced in the latest issue of Famitsu that the project is receiving a name change.

The game, Project Hacker (previously known as Detect Hack) is an adventure game in which you play as a detective called Satoru, who investigates internet-based crimes. In addition, throughout your journey you partner up with another character called Rina and both together take on challenges such as Puzzles, which are solved by interacting with the stylus.

It's been confirmed that the game will be reaching Japanese shores sometime this year, and possibly North American release to follow later.