New screens and information inside for the DS role-player now confirmed as heading to Europe later this year!

Rising Star Games have announced that Nintendo DS owners will get the chance to interface with an alien visitor this Autumn, in the form of Contact, a unique conceptual RPG from Rising Star Games' parent company, Marvelous Interactive Inc and cult development studio Grasshopper Manufacture.

Contact tells the story of a stranded alien professor and Terry, a young man accidentally caught up in the off-world scholar's plight. The story centres on a quest to find the scattered remnants of the professor's extra-terrestrial power-source, adding in a variety of sub-quests and an air of intrigue as shady, sinister parties are looking to find the scattered crystals for use in their own nefarious plans.

Complementing the plot are RPG mechanics of considerable depth, including real-time updating of statistics and abilities, as well as a wealth of items to discover and use. Levelling-up occurs as soon as the necessary experience has been gained, making for a dynamic, continuous play experience in keeping with the game's real-time combat systems.

Contact also features a unique split of graphical styles across the DS's two screens. On one display, there's a vibrant representation of earthly locales, complete with lush flora, fauna and other inhabitants. On the other screen, however, this look is contrasted by an austere pixel-art look for the portrayal of the professor, his lab and his alien hybrid pet.

The professor's unusual nature is not only defined by his visuals. He's entirely aware of the player and will talk to them directly, even commenting on Terry's progress. This breaking of the 'fourth wall' of videogames will raise questions about the professor's role, to the extent where the player will question the professor's morality and motives, possibly even questioning what Contact is. Is it 'just' a game, or is it something more?

Martin DeFries, COO, Rising Star Games enthuses: "Contact is a real step forward for the genre. Conceptually, it's on a different level to anything else on the DS and is truly the gem we hold in our 2006 portfolio."

More details will be revealed as Contact nears its early Autumn 2006 release. In the meantime, check out these three fresh screens:

Click for Screens (3 new)