Death Jr 2: Root to Evil

Konami has announced the popular Death, Jr. character will be making a return to PSP (PlayStation Portable) in the Winter of 2006, and will be taking his unique macabre humour to Nintendo DS at the same time.

Konami will be releasing two new games developed by Backbone Entertainment, a division of Foundation 9 Entertainment, starring the black-clad son of the Grim Reaper, with Death, Jr. 2: Root of Evil marking his return to PSP and Death, Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom marking his debut for Nintendo DS. Both games have been designed with the capabilities of the host format in mind, reuniting Death, Jr. with his unusual coven of friends – and introducing new hazards for the friends to meet together.

Both games centre on the adventures of DJ: just your average, everyday kid who happens to be the son of the Grim Reaper. Supported by a cast of fellow outcasts, DJ is constantly getting into scrapes and must unleash some furious scythe and gun action to get out of them. In Death, Jr. 2: Root of Evil for PSP, DJ and his friends are charged with stopping a powerful spirit.

Players now have the option to control either DJ or his goth friend Pandora, and team up using the handheld’s wireless systems, for cooperative play in an all-new story that takes them into a conflict against an army of evil toys, robotic llamas, mutant security guards, and an evil waffle restaurant. Both characters have individual moves and weaponry, as they explore open-ended levels such as a Toy Graveyard, an abandoned Military Base, a saw mill, and the River Styx.

Death, Jr. 2: Root of Evil expands upon its platform-based foundation with all-new upgradeable weapons such as the Flaming TP Launcher, Pandora's Tommy Gun, the enhanced C4 Hamster Mark II and even more outrageous melee attacks. Players will also enjoy an improved camera system, enhanced controls, complex enemy AI, High Dynamic Range Lighting, and a totally new class of weapons that feature lobbed attacks to rain damage down on their hapless enemies.

For their first Nintendo DS adventure, DJ and his pals attempt to get out of another mess after they unwittingly unleash the all-powerful, all-evil Moloch when a school science fair experiment goes horribly wrong.

Death, Jr. and the Science Fair of Doom delivers an action-packed platforming experience as players explore the worst science fair imaginable. Using the touch pad, players perform scythe attack combos, draw gestures to trigger massive special attacks and even switch between Death, Jr. and Pandora as they progress through the game. As the two characters make their way through a crazy world of science projects gone wrong, they must also collect souls to unlock weapon and power upgrades. A number of special mini-games, making use of the local wireless connection, also add to the fun.