Eidos's battleplans for Operation: Vietnam DS revealed

They say generals always end up re-fighting the last war, but when it comes to Operation: Vietnam, Eidos – and its US publisher Majesco – seems to have ignored the west's recent sandy adventures and reverted a couple of conflicts back.

Indeed, continuing the historical theme, the isometric/top-down squad-based shooter reminds us of classic old run-and-gun games such as Cannon Fodder and Commando, while we're hoping there could be something of Metal Slug in the mix, too.

Matt Nagy, of UK developer Coyote, isn't offended by such comparisons. "Hats off to Metal Slug and Cannon Fodder," he says. "Ours leans slightly towards a more serious game conveying a real-life story, but the focus is fun."

As for a basic description of Operation: Vietnam, he explains (and as the above screens show) the 3D world will play out on the DS's top screen, while the command-issuing menu and inventory is to be found on the touchscreen.

"You have four squad members: sniper, medic, heavy guns and normal," Nagy continues. "As the missions progress, success will depend on clever use of the talents of each. While we have created missions and strategic gameplay suited for particular squad members, we've also made the game forgiving enough to be enjoyable without you having to be too puzzle-minded. It's meant to be a blast."

The control method sees you taking charge of one of the four, with the rest of the squad automatically following you or obeying your commands (whether individually or collectively), such as stay put, follow, or attack.

"You can switch squad members at any time, or issue commands to them by buttons or the touchscreen," says Nagy. "We're using nice chunky icons so you can use your fingers making it much easier when you're under fire."

As for the theme, which sees you shot down behind enemy lines in the deadly jungles of Nam, Nagy says it made for a good setting and story.

"We haven't seen a game quite like this being made for the DS," he explains. "We think Operation Vietnam will help prove the genre and open up the market for this type of game. There's still a lot more technology to push in terms of 3D usage on DS.

"To us, this game shows the sort of products that can be successfully made on the handheld has been under-estimated."

The game won't be pushing all of the DS's hardware, however. For instance, no support for Wi-Fi multiplayer will be offered.

Operation: Vietnam is due for release sometime this autumn.