TGS 2005: Xenosaga I & II coming to Nintendo DS

According to the latest issue of Famitsu magazine, Namco will release remakes of Xenosaga Episode I and Episode II on the Nintendo DS as a compilation called Xenosaga I & II.

Like the original releases on the PlayStation 2, the game is being developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco. Unlike the originals, Xenosaga I & II will play with 2D graphics in an isometric view, with cute characters that resemble the first installment's art style rather than the more realistic look of Episode II. As a compilation, Xenosaga I & II follows along the storyline of the original PlayStation 2 games, but it will also include some new scripts.

Xenosaga I & II's turn-based battle system will be styled after Episode I and will feature the series' "boost" skill, where the player can force a character to move before it's actually his or her turn. Xenosaga I & II will also have a new system tentatively called "P.F.," although details on it haven't been disclosed yet.

Somewhat surprisingly for a DS game, Namco also says that Xenosaga I & II will feature cutscenes, which is one of the elements the Xenosaga series has been known for. Screenshots shared by the magazine show a computer-generated rendering of the Zohar and an anime shot of KOS-MOS.

Just like the recently announced Xenosaga Episode III for the PS2, Xenosaga I & II has not been given a firm release date from Namco yet. However, the game is expected to appear at the Tokyo Game Show this weekend in trailer form, so series fans shouldn't have to wait long to get a look at how the games handle the transfer to 2D.