DS Point Blank site launches

Gunbullet is a Bandai Namco gun-controller franchise with a long history in the arcades and on the PlayStation; it's also known in the US as Point Blank. The publisher announced the DS version in March, and according to the Web site, the game will launch in Japan on May 18 with a retail price of 3,800 yen (about $32), and a convoluted name: "Right Brain Expert: Gunbullet-Trainer."

The game will allow two-person head-to-head play with just one cartridge, and as previously announced, the stylus and touch screen will be the primary control mechanism. The site also features a number of screenshots, suggesting that gameplay won't stray too far from the successful formula Namco established on other platforms.

Bandai Namco's efforts to position the game as a "brain trainer" show just how strong this craze is in the Japanese market right now. The company describes the game's genre as "right-brain shooting," and has even procured an endorsement from a Japanese university professor, who is featured on the game's Web site proclaiming the importance of "right-brain training" and how playing Point Blank on the DS can improve right-brain thinking.

Obviously, Nintendo's efforts to promote the mental benefits of its Brain Age game have been successful, and it looks like Bandai Namco is well-positioned to piggyback on the trend that Nintendo started. US gamers will probably just be happy to know that this classic franchise is coming to a current-gen portable console.