Tomb Raider swings onto Zodiac

Eidos' Tomb Raider franchise is set to make its way to yet another platform, with Tapwave's Zodiac handheld consoles the latest destination for the series' pneumatic heroine, Lara Croft.

Tapwave has signed an agreement with Eidos which will see a new Tomb Raider title being published for the system in spring 2005, using a custom-built 3D engine and taking full advantage of the Zodiac's 3D graphics chips.

"We have been very impressed by the Zodiac and Tapwave's understanding of what makes a good Tomb Raider game," according to Eidos' director of new media and online technologies, Simon Protheroe. "Tomb Raider for the Zodiac will be a valuable new addition to the franchise."

Launched in the UK earlier this year through an exclusive agreement with the Dixons group of retail stores, the Tapwave Zodiac consoles offer a fully functional PalmOS based personal organiser as well as a powerful handheld games console.

Titles available for the system already include the likes of Doom II, Duke Nukem Mobile, Tony Hawks Pro Skater 4 and SpyHunter, while upcoming games include Madden NFL 2005, Neverwinter Nights, and Street Hoops.

"Like the Zodiac, Tomb Raider is truly multimedia," enthused Byron Connell, one of the founders of Tapwave and senior VP of marketing at the firm. "Tomb Raider began life as a game, and evolved into two movies, a couple of original soundtracks and several books - four formats, among many, the Zodiac handles with style. We're delighted to be working with Eidos on a Zodiac version of Tomb Raider, and we're confident it will be one of the best handheld incarnations to date."