Eidos to release 'new phenomenon' Soul Bubbles for DS

It's always good to hear a publisher being super-optimistic about one of its games, and Eidos is certainly being that about its new game Soul Bubbles, issuing a press release that uses the word 'phenomenon' not once, but twice.

Essentially, instead of referring to Soul Bubbles as a game it calls it a phenomenon – presumptuous, certainly, but you can't fault a bit of positivity this early on in the week.

Then again, Soul Bubbles certainly sounds quite different. In it, you play a shaman apprentice entrusted with saving lost souls and guiding them to safety. Protecting these souls is done by encasing them within a protective bubble.

But don't go off in a trance just yet because it seems their journey to the Gateway Cube that marks their exit from the world isn't a particularly safe one. Various hazards such as sticky surfaces, fires, traps and even frogs (looking at one of the screenshots) lie in their paths for the player to cunningly avoid.

Fortunately there are a range of ways to protect your souls. After drawing a suitably sized bubble around them using the touchscreen, these can then be deflated, cut up, joined with other bubbles and filled with water or gas. Different states will help get you past the various hazards on a map – it's just a case of working out which one to use.

The game features eight worlds encompassing a total of 40 levels that each challenge the shaman in a variety of ways.

"This will be THE new phenomenon on the Nintendo DS," said brand manager Ray Livingston, showing little regard for the use of capitals. "Every single person who has picked up this game has fallen in love with it instantly. We can't wait to introduce the world to Soul Bubbles."

It's a persuasive comment, but then it would be, wouldn't it?

A release date for the phenomenon Soul Bubbles has yet to be confirmed but once we know, so will you.