Vampire hunting never looked so good!

Konami and the Nintendo DS seem destined for each other - at least whenever the world needs a new Castlevania, anyway.  After years building on the foundations set forth by the quintessential entry in the vampire-whipping franchise Symphony of the Night, the post-3D handheld efforts that began life on the Gameboy Advance have settled in quite nicely on the dual-screened wunderkind, and as long as they keep bringing in the cash, it looks like we're in for even more salty-whipped action for years to come.

Recently announced alongside other Konami visions at this year's Gamer's Night 08, the recently confirmed Casltevania: Order of Ecclesia continues the odd-naming mechanism the franchise is known for, and the third for Nintendo's DS platform.  But the newest will introduce a few surprises that should fit in nicely with the game's rabid fan-base.  Largely gone (thank you) is the adolescent anime-inspired artwork from the past few releases and in its place is the more graphically intense, Symphony-inspired and considerably more mature styled renderings.  A big improvement, if you ask me, as it helps reconnect the series to its illustrious illustrative past and discards the largely ambivalent, bland OAV style.  The game will also feature plenty of girl-power, as for the first time in Castlevania history the main protagonist will be the female and aptly named Shenoa.  Insert "ladies with whips" jokes right here, because I know that's what you're all thinking.

Because you asked for it (or even if you didn't), here's some press-release loving to get you by on those cold, stormy nights:

"We have always felt that the Castlevania franchise has been an excellent fit on Nintendo DS, and based on the popularity of the DS classics, Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin, our fans agree," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "We fully expect Order of Ecclesia to ignite the fan base once again as it combines the classic Castlevania gameplay with an all-new combat system and outdoor environments."

In Order of Ecclesia players take the role of a member of the Ecclesia, an organization that has sworn to defeat the evil forces of Dracula. By using the new Glyph attack system, players can unleash more than 100 different combinations to battle Dracula’s minions throughout 20 explorable areas. Utilizing the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection™, players can choose to compete head-to-head, or trade items and equipment they have found while exploring the environments. Multiple endings that can be unlocked depending on how they player completes the game adds even more replay value to the game with plenty of addictive exploration, combat and items to discover.

Score another victory for gender-neutrality, as it can't possibly be as sexist as Nintendo's own Princess Peach hormone-riddled DS game.  As long as they keep the side-scrolling action intact, I'm all for whatever changes the eccentric Iga Igarashi and his crazy team have in store.  Miraculously, they've kept this franchise alive far longer than most of its early competitors, and having survived the horrors of some truly questionable 3D experiments, have proven that 2D has a place in the modern history of gaming.  If Indiana Jones helped make whips cool, then Castlevania will no doubt make 'em sexy.  Bring it on!

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia returns from the dead this Fall!