"The World Ends With You" for DS

The fashion conscious Japanese set a life and death struggle inside a shopping mall. The game, The World Ends with You, entails food, fashion and cell phones. Released in Japan in 2007, it did not reach the states until April 2008.

The game begins with "the chosen dead" being brought to "the Underground." You get to play Neku, a 15-year-old teenager who finds himself transported in "The Reapers Game." The game allows you to interact with other players, swap cool stuff, and team up against the bad guys. You have one week to solve seven challenges; failure means elimination. You must keep an eye out for bad guys called "the Noise." These critters really want to do you harm. The only way they can be defeated is a two-sided attack, so you better try and make some friends while you are here.

As you make headway, you will discover "pins." These odd things give you the ability to do some really cool stuff. You can read minds, throw big stuff like cars around, and even erupt a volcano. The split screen of the DS is what really tricks out this game. That is where you keep track of your partner; you really need this when you take on the bad guys. Characters like the Composer and the Conductor, are Reapers. It’s their job to stop you from completing your challenges. Characters like the Producer and the final Game Master, can make this a bit confusing to follow sometimes. It is truly worth the time to learn how. The World Ends with You also provides some insight into life lessons and gives you the chance to learn some stuff you can use in this world.