Ninja Gaiden DS emerges March '08

Ninja Gaiden 2, the proper sequel to the notoriously difficult action game appearing on the original Xbox, could emerge from the shadows on the Xbox 360 as late as the end of 2008. However, its portable counterpart, Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword, will be stalking the Nintendo DS far sooner than that. Tecmo announced today that a pint-size Ryu Hayabusa will work his signature ninjitsu on the DS in March 2008.

Despite Dragon Sword being a portable game, developer Team Ninja is promising a fully featured Ninja Gaiden experience. The game offers a wide array of Hayabusa's lethal moves, including the master ninja's flashy Izuna Drop and Cicada Slash as well as Ninpo magic. The game will also heavily employ the DS's touch screen, with players being able to control Hayabusa by tapping and slashing with the system's stylus.

For more on what Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has to offer, check out GameSpot's previous coverage. According to Tecmo marketing manager Yoh Watanabe, a demo for the game is currently available on the DS Download Station kiosks.

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword has not yet been rated or priced.