Tecmo making new action game for PSP

According to the latest issue of Famitsu, Tecmo is making a new action puzzle game for the PSP, which will be titled "Karakuri" (Gimmicks). The game is slated for release in the fall in Japan.

Karakuri is being developed by Fatal Frame series producer Keisuke Kikuchi, but the game is nothing like the frightening franchise that has scared Xbox and PlayStation 2 gamers. Karakuri features cute superdeformed-styled graphics that will appeal to younger audiences. The player takes the role of a boy named Nut and walks around with a group of eight small white robots called juckkles. The objective of the game is to solve the various puzzles and traps that Nut and his robots encounter.

The juckkles follow Nut around wherever he goes, somewhat similar to Nintendo's Pikmin, but in a more orderly fashion. The player can command them to line up into three different formations, allowing the robots to perform different actions that can be used to solve puzzles and beat up enemies. The default formation is a straight line right behind Nut, but they can also be ordered into a circular formation or a horizontal formation with Nut in the center.

In the default straight-line formation, the robots can be used as a bridge or a ladder. Since they're holding each other, they can also be used as a long whip to attack enemies. The juckkles can also transform into a large powerful robot under certain conditions, which is convenient when battling strong enemies.

According to Famitsu, Karakuri is currently 15 percent complete in development.