Gamezone

Tecmo's "Ninja Gaiden" series has always been known for fast-paced and exciting gameplay and pushing the graphics of whatever console the current game is on. I was skeptical that Tecmo would be able to pull off a similar feat on the DS system, as it's not exactly a graphics powerhouse. Much like a ninja, Tecmo has stealthily created a game that lives up to its predecessors and takes advantage of both the DS touchscreen and built-in microphone.

The plot takes place six months after the events of "Ninja Gaiden: Dark Dragon Blade Incident" on the Xbox. The Japanese town of Hayabusa has been rebuilt after nearly being destroyed. The town ninja (and the character you play as), Ryu Hayabusa, finally has time to actually relax. Of course, to Ryu, relaxing means training a future kunoichi (a female ninja) named Momiji.

The evil Black Spider Ninja Clan refuses to let well enough alone, though. They kidnap Momiji in the hopes that Ryu will trade his mythical Dark Dragon Blade for her.

After defeating a throng of goons, Ryu obtains one of eight dragon stones. If all the stones are collected together, they will release an evil power greater than Ryu's own Dark Dragon Sword.

Like the "Brain Age" games, you hold the DS sideways like a book. The left screen is a map that shows your current location, the rest of the level and any save points you have come across (so that you can double back and re-save as needed; saving replenishes your health and the energy to cast magical spells); the right screen is where all the action is.

The game's controls are similar to "Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass" in that they are fairly intuitive and consist of touching, tapping and swiping the stylus on the touch screen.

I found things to be a little easier than I did with the previous Xbox title. For the most part, I was able to clear even the boss battles within an attempt or two. The few puzzles scattered around the game's 10 levels also don't offer much of a challenge, either.

If you're looking for a decent hack-and-slash title, "Dragon Sword" will unleash that beast.