New Prince of Persia Announced for the Nintendo DS

Ubisoft is sending word that its Prince of Persia franchise is receiving a new member, in the form of a Nintendo DS exclusive game, called Prince of Persia: The Fallen King. Development duties for the title will be handled by the Casablanca studio of Ubisoft, which has recently received a significant upgrade and started training people in 3D animation and level design.

The official word is that the game is set outside the continuity of the previously announced re-boot of the Prince of Persia franchise. It seeks to offer a new story with different challenges that will fill in the holes of the title that console gamers will receive during fall. The developers mention that the background of the new game will be a "deserted kingdom that seemingly offers sanctuary" from the widespread destruction that seems to engulf the land. There, the Prince finds the Magus, a creature that has been affected by the corrupting forces. Mysterious circumstances force the Prince to ally himself to the Magus and fight against mysterious enemies that threaten the existence of the kingdom.

As always with DS games, Ubisoft is saying that the unique control scheme of the Nintendo DS will be put to good use as the stylus is meant for "extraordinary acrobatic and combat action". The single player element of the game will feature both the Prince and the Magus as playable characters, as the gamer needs to "fight, solve puzzles and utilize his magical powers to make your way through the corrupted land".

Taking into account the time of the announcement, it is unlikely that Prince of Persia: The Fallen King will make it to the market at the same time as the other Prince of Persia release planned for this year. We expect the Nintendo DS title to reach gamers sometime at the beginning of 2009.