THQ picks up Dropcast for a September release

Puzzle games lacking online functionality are a hard sell these days, but as Puzzle Quest has proven, if you can deliver something with a new spin and addictive mechanics, people will still flock to your title.

Mikoishi's Dropcast, possibly the first DS game developed by a Singapore studio, is trying its best to make up for its missing online support with its distinct gothic/cartoon style and a lot of character. As the story goes, Ingrid, an eccentric young girl, has brought her cadaverous stuffed animals to life and has taught them an array of destructive spells.

Dropcast offers two different modes, Ingrid's Curse, which is a mix of Tetris and Collapse utilizing both screens, and Battle Royale, which fuses puzzle and battle mechanics for "cut-throat head-to-head puzzle combat." Here's a quick list of additional features:

• "Book-style" gameplay

• 8 playable characters

• 24 "devastating" spells to use and abuse

• Single-cart download play for up to four players

THQ will be shipping this one out to U.S. stores on September 22nd. If you're at all interested in the game, make sure to visit the official site, as it's already teeming with information and downloadable knickknacks -- mobile backgrounds, screensavers, and even a 2008 wallpaper set! Unfortunately, the only gameplay trailer available at the site is terribly uninteresting, but we'll wait for more video before writing this one off.
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