Konami today announced that its long-running Castlevania franchise is heading to the Nintendo DS. Tentatively (and originally) titled Castlevania DS, the game features an original storyline that continues the happenings from Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, which was released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance.

　　The game is set in 2036, one year after the conclusion of Aria of Sorrow. It sees hero Soma Cruz return once again to drive a stake through the heart of a mysterious cult's plans to resurrect the evil fanged one, Dracula. Cruz must make his way into the cult's stronghold, a life-size copy of Dracula's castle, and battle creatures of the dark.

　　And what would a DS game be without incorporating the DS's touch-screen and wireless capabilities? In Castlevania DS, gamers will have to connect symbols in the correct order using the stylus to open a magic seal, allowing Cruz to capture the magic of weakened enemies. Players can also acquire the souls of fallen foes and trade them wirelessly with other Castlevania DS users to boost Cruz's powers and abilities.

　　Castlevania DS is scheduled for a fall 2005 release in Europe and North America. GameSpot will have more details on the game as soon as they are announced.