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Star Wars: Lethal Alliance coming to PSP and DS

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Star Wars: Lethal Alliance coming to PSP and DS

Here at Pocket Gamer, we refer to Star Wars as the Teflon movie licence, because whatever gets thrown at it – from the terrible recent movie trilogy to the okay but ultimately disappointing PSP shooter Star Wars Battlefront II – never seems to stick.

People just can't help getting excited about a new game set in that galaxy that's never really far, far away.

For our part, we really do want to write "The Force is strong in this one" when we come to review the newly-announced Star Wars: Lethal Alliance, rather than the alternative reviewer's Star Wars cliché: "Unfortunately, it's turned to the Dark Side."

And as Ubisoft is developing the action-adventure game exclusively for handheld devices, we're cautiously optimistic.

Set to be released in 2006, Star Wars: Lethal Alliance takes place between the lamentable Episode III Revenge of the Sith and the shining Episode IV A New Hope.

You'll play both Twi'lek Rianna Saren and her security droid Zeeo, hired by the Rebel Alliance to infiltrate Imperial planets and fight your way through stormtroopers and the like to discover the location of the Death Star.

Somewhat worryingly, the initial press release lumps the PSP and DS features together, vaguely promising the game will take 'advantage of the unique capabilities of both the PSP system and Nintendo DS'.

Thus, without knowing the platform specifics, we're teased with talk of 'unique collaborative fighting' that combines the acrobatic ballistic skills of Twi'lek with the machine smarts of her droid, gameplay set in favourite locations from Coruscant and Tatooine to the Death Star and smuggler's hangout Mos Eisley, action ranging from holographic disguises to commandeering gun turrets, and a multiplayer mode that focusses on collaboration.

The icing on the cake – or the wet sponge, as we'll eventually discover – will be the chance to encounter favourite old Star Wars characters, such as Darth Vader, rebel floozy Princess Leia Organa, and former man of mystery Boba Fett.

Alright, we're excited. Again. Especially as the game should be out for Christmas (click 'Track It!' to be alerted of our review). But please don't make us cry into our Star Wars branded stockings, Ubisoft.