Marvelous' new DS RPG

Clearly concerned that we haven't seen a new unlikely-heroes-go-off-to-fight-evil game in the last two or three minutes, Marvelous Interactive and Image Epoch have rushed to the rescue with a new unlikely-heroes-go-off-to-fight-evil game for the Nintendo DS.

Announced in Famitsu just recently (with IGN translating the interesting bits), Luminous Arc is about Alf and his brother Tio, who were raised in some sort of convent called Ever Garden, and who have been enlisted to sort out the forces of evil.

Alf and Tio's world is looked after by the eponymous Luminous organisation, who normally ensure peace and cakes for all, but following the death of a former leader all hell's broken loose and monsters abounds. There's also a nasty witch messing with people.

In order to sort her and her minions out, Alf and Tio journey around a world map visiting places to chat with NPCs, buy items and weapons from shops and engage in turn-based battles. The battle sysem's only roughly defined so far, but you'll be able to group similar characters together in battle for strategic benefits, while the order of turns will be dictated by each character's speed values. You'll control their movement on the battle grid with the stylus.

Marvelous also notes that the game, which is due out this winter in Japan, will feature characters by Shibano Kaito and sound production by Yasunori Mitsuda, whose name you may recall from his work on best-game-ever Secret of Mana and second-best-game-ever Chrono Trigger (or Mario Party, depending on whether you deserve to live).

If anything Luminous related happens on the Western front, we'll let you know.