When oeFun President Ian Dunlop first got his hands on a DS, he knew he just had to make a game for Nintendo's handheld. And he realizes that desire with Konductra, which will add to the number of puzzle games piling up for the DS. This Dunlop-directed/designed/programmed game, however, promises a different gaming experience with the omission of gravity prevalent in most tile games nowadays.

Sliced Gaming's Nick Schaedel sat with Dunlop and unearthed some info about the upcoming DS title. Asked why oeFun decided to make another puzzle game for Ninty's handheld, Dunlop shared that a puzzle game had really been playing around his head for quite some time now. When the DS came into the gaming scene offering different gameplay opportunities with the touch screen, Konductra came into play.

Development of Konductra began even before Dunlop was able to secure a publisher. When the developer finished work on Ion Storm, he decided to run his own company. And although he knew he needed funding to get the Konductra project moving, he still decided to push through with realizing the game using his own funds - he was under the impression that outside financial problem just might bring in unwanted influence on the game's output. He explains:

"I didn't really want anyone controlling my property. After all, if someone funds you then take a vested interest in how the game turns out and sometimes that relationship can cause unwanted friction. So... I skipped all that part and funded the game myself. I have a vision for where I want to take my company and it is a road that has risk marked on every sign post."

But that's not to say that Dunlop was thankful to have forged a relationship with O~3 Entertainment which is now funding Konductra. The oeFun President says that the publisher "has been great" for letting him get his way with how Konductra will play out.

Further into the interview, Dunlop described the process of making Konductra as "it's been an exciting journey to this point, but we're almost at the end." Schaedel was quick to catch on and asked the inevitable question "When is the game hitting our shelves?" Dunlop says he is not yet sure of the exact date but he did promise that he won't leave DS puzzle lovers hanging for too long.

A self-admitted Nintendo fan, Dunlop also revealed dreams of developing for Wii. He says he is 'absolutely' interested in making a game for Ninty's next-gen console 'if [he's] allowed'.

Check out Sliced Gaming's full interview with Ian Dunlop by clicking on the link below. If Dunlop's new insights got you interested about the game, you might want to check out the gameplay video available for download right here at QJ.

Download: [Konductra Gameplay Video]

If Polarium, Meteos, Zookeeper and Magnetica aren't enough to fulfill your portable puzzling needs, O~3 Entertainment's new title should be able to help you out very soon. Called Konductra and developed by independent game studio oeFun, the game will offer fast-paced puzzles relying on the DS Touch Screen. Players match colored tiles, create patterns using special conductors, and work to block opponent’s lines. When they destroy their own lines, they'll be sent to their opponent's screen.

Four different game modes will be provided, Task, Score, VS. CPU, and VS. Human. The last mode takes advantage of the DS' wireless features, allowing players to challenge people from all around the world as well as local friends.

Chris Jelinek, president of O~3 Entertainment, says about Konductra: 'Konductra’ is a game that is perfect for the entire family, and a must have for those long summer road trips. With simple, fun, addicting gameplay, ‘Konductra’ is one of those rare games that you’ll find yourself playing for hours and loving every minute.

The game will be heading to stores later this month.