Upcoming DS games for April 2008

*sniff* Ahh, spring is in the air. When was the last time you saw beautiful green flowers like these? Anyway, April is just around the corner, blossoming flowers and allergens aplenty. Not so much on the DS, though; there are only a handful of titles to keep an eye out for during this month. We have a weird platformer, a promising RTS, an expanded dungeon crawler and a very unique RPG. Let’s take a deeper look at these titles, shipping for the Nintendo DS throughout April 2008:

Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! – April 15: Zombies have taken over the world as, um, ‘space thingys’ invade the planet; it’s up to a trio of undead teens to save the Earth. Using each character’s unique abilities, you will explore various town locations to exterminate the invaders. Interestingly enough, comic-style cut-scenes depict the progress of the story and use the ‘book-style’ sideways DS position to do so.

Rondo of Swords – April 15: This real-time strategy title aims to revolutionize the genre. Although it retains typical features of similar titles, such as character classes, leveling up and attack / defend weapon equipment, the way you combat enemies is clever and sounds promising. Instead of attacking one character at a time as it’s usually done, you must trace a path for each character to go through, damaging multiple enemies at once. You also have to consider the location of your party members; if they all cluster together, opponents can charge through your party with ease. No multiplayer aspects here, but a decent story and a unique battle system have us hyped.

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time / Darkness – April 20: The first Mystery Dungeon title featuring the many critters of Pokémon was a nice spin-off for the series. This time around, both versions are available on the DS, each with a small amount of exclusive Pocket Monsters. Wi-Fi Connection is introduced and allows for friends to rescue each other with ease, as well as having the ability to send and receive messages. Of course, more Pokémon are introduced, mostly from the latest versions Diamond and Pearl, and there’s a bit more emphasis on story on this sequel. Pre-order either title at participating stores and receive a neat collector’s guide with more info on the game.

The World Ends With You – April 22: This title is as unique as it gets. Formerly known as It’s a Wonderful World, this urban-themed RPG features side-scrolling, 2D missions with real-time combat. Fashion plays a big role in fights; your stats and skills vary depending on what clothes and accessories you wear. You can also collect pins and use them in pog-like battles, even over Wi-Fi. During combat, you will control two characters, one per screen, using both the stylus and either the D-pad or the system’s face buttons. Developed by Square-Enix, this title could very well be the big hit for the month.