First Atlus U.S.A. now Tecmo is announcing the launch date for one of their DS titles. Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is scheduled to ship for Nintendo's handheld in March next year. Players will again be thrown into the shoes of Ninja Master Ryu Hayabusa and control the little guy on screen like never before.

Yes, unlike Atlus' Drone Tactics for the DS, this game's fact sheet makes a mentioning of the touchscreen controls too. Developed by Executive Producer Tomonobu Itagaki and the Team NINJA development studio, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword features beautifully rendered environments, fast Ninja Gaiden-style action, numerous enemies, and a new story, according to the report.

As for controls, various directional movements and taps with the DS stylus will activate Ryu Hayabusa to run, jump, attack, and cast Ninpo (Ninja Magic). Of course, there will be special attacks to perform but only if players get the button sequences right. Combinations of movements such as the "Izuna Drop" and the "Cicada Slash" are also mentioned within the report, so fans should keep an eye out for this one in Spring next year.

"Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword brings a new level of gaming action to the Nintendo DS," says Yoh Watanabe, Tecmo's Marketing Manager. "There's currently a demo available on the DS Download Station and I urge everyone to try it out and you'll know what I mean."

Remember, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword is currently being developed by Executive Producer Tomonobu Itagaki and the Team NINJA development studio, being scheduled to ship for the Nintendo DS in March 2008.

Tecmo is a big publisher of video games for next-gen consoles, handhelds and mobile including those manufactured by Microsoft, Sony Computer Entertainment America, and Nintendo. Tecmo is responsible for games such as Tecmo Bowl, the Ninja Gaiden and the Dead or Alive series, Fatal Frame, Monster Rancher, and Gallop Racer.