Golden Sun: Dark Dawn

6 ^th October 2010 – Nintendo today announces the long-awaited release of Golden Sun: Dark Dawn , which launches exclusively on the Nintendo DS family of consoles across Europe on 10 ^th December 2010.

Action adventure and role playing fans – whether they played the original Golden Sun games or not – will delight in the game’s strong storyline, intriguing plot twists, beautiful 3D graphics and exciting new gameplay features.

The Golden Sun series is based on adventure, exploration of the world of Weyard and the use of ‘Psynergy’ – a form of elemental magic that harnesses the power of earth, wind, water and fire – to defeat enemies and solve puzzles.  In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, the world of Weyard has changed considerably since the last adventure.  Continents have shifted, new countries have emerged and new species have evolved.

And Weyard is under peril from a new threat. Psynergy Vortexes are spreading across the world, sucking the elemental Psynergy from both the land and power-wielding Adepts alike.

In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, a new generation of heroes must cross a chaotic world that is succumbing to a new evil, solving puzzles, discovering valuable treasures and encountering dangerous creatures along the way.

You’ll take on the role of Matthew, the new protagonist in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn.  Matthew - a Venus Adept like his father, Isaac, the protagonist from the first Golden Sun – is joined by Terrell, a Mars Adept (and son of Garet, Isaac's closest companion from the first two games) and Karis, a female Jupiter Adept. Other characters will join the adventure during the game, along with many Djinn – mysterious elemental creatures that support you in battle.

Collecting Djinn forms a core element of the game as they can be set to any Adept and used to boost statistics by varying amounts – so you’ll need to think strategically about how they use the Djinn they collect. Djinn from the first two games will return along with brand new Djinn to discover, which will be welcome news to fans of the series.

As well as the luscious 3D graphics, new gameplay features include the ability to respond with different emotional reactions to various scenarios in the game, with your choice of emotion having an impact on the replies you receive from other characters you meet.  If you choose a “gutsy” reply for Matthew during a tense moment, other characters may get annoyed that you’re not taking the situation seriously.  Choose an “angry” reply, though, and you might find that they respond confrontationally in turn…

A new Weapon Mastery feature allows characters to gain expertise with specific weapons by using them more frequently and you can also now combine your team’s powers to advance through the story.  New Psynergies are available to characters, adding new depth to puzzles, and an optional Touch Screen command system allows for intuitive gameplay, enabling certain Psynergies to be directed using the Touch Screen and stylus.  Golden Sun: Dark Dawn also contains a comprehensive encyclopaedia, allowing the player to become fully immersed in the mythology of Golden Sun.

So get ready to brighten up your life this winter and immerse yourself in another world with Golden Sun: Dark Dawn , launching exclusively on Nintendo DS family of consoles on 10 ^th December 2010.

~ Ends ~

For further information, please contact Nintendo Press Office Team at Bell Pottinger

T: 0207 861 2868

E: nintendo@bell-pottinger.co.uk