Disney Announces Spectrobes DS Sequel

Officials from Disney Interactive have announced Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals, a new DS sequel to the original game which has now shipped more than 1 million units and was the best selling third party DS game in North America last year. The anime and Pokemon inspired franchise was the first original intellectual property from the revitalized Disney Interactive Studios and saw considerable success in Europe as well as North America. As with the original, the sequel will be developed by Kyoto, Japan based studio Jupiter Corp. and overseen by Disney Interactive Studios’ Tokyo office. The new game will feature a new story, a “new three-dimensional perspective”, new excavation and battle features, more creatures and an all-new online battle system. The sequel will also include DGamer, Disney Interactive Studios’ bespoke online game community system. The game is expected to be released in autumn 2008. “Spectrobes has become an international sensation,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing for Disney Interactive Studios. “By continuing to build on its enthralling story, unique gameplay features and memorable characters, Spectrobes: Beyond The Portals will continue to thrill fans. This second game is part of our plan to expand the series in the coming years.”