EA reveals new details on DS lineup

Electronic Arts today issued a press release containing new information on its lineup of launch titles for the Nintendo DS, which will be released on November 21. GameSpot brought back hands-on impressions of all three games--Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, Madden NFL 2005, and The Urbz: Sims in the City--from Nintendo's Gamer's Summit this past weekend.

Adding to the information released at the summit, EA today provided some more details on each title. "Each of our games has been custom-designed for the Nintendo DS, guaranteeing a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience," said Frank Gibeau, EA's senior VP of North American marketing.

Madden NFL 2005 is "the deepest and most authentic handheld sports game ever," says today's release. Players will use the Nintendo DS' touch-screen input to select plays and call audibles at the line of scrimmage, then drag the stylus to kick off the ball. The lower touch screen will also show off the "field radar," which shows players the position of every player on the field. The "heart of the action" will be shown on the top screen.

The game will also feature wireless head-to-head play, authentic NFL uniforms for all 32 NFL teams, and portraits of each player. A full season mode will complement such unique gameplay options as the situation mode and the two-minute drill.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour will feature such golfing legends as Vijay Singh and Jack Nicklaus, in addition to Tiger himself. Five licensed courses and one fantasy course, all drawn from the console versions of the title, are available for play. The difference is in the swing meter--players will drag the stylus along a curve shown on the bottom screen to swing the club. PGA Tour will also feature wireless multiplayer, this time for up to four players at once.

The Urbz: Sims in the City, a spin-off of the extraordinarily popular PC game The Sims, will also launch alongside the Nintendo DS. While the console and Game Boy Advance versions of the title will launch earlier in the month, the DS version will contain numerous exclusive features, including 24 objects, a touch-screen menu system, five minigames, and exclusive characters--seven human, five animal.

All three titles are rated "E" for Everyone. In the months following the DS launch, EA will ship versions of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent and Need for Speed Underground for the handheld.