At first, we stressed over the dual screen combat, but there are rewards for mastering it. Click for more screens...

The portable gaming scene has had its fair share of excellent role-playing games over the years, but it has never seen anything like The World Ends With You.

While clearly falling into several standard role-playing conventions, it distinguishes itself in a number of original ways. The most obvious is the setting. Instead of throwing you into yet another fantasy or post-apocalyptic sci-fi realm, this one takes place in modern day Tokyo, within the confines of the famous Shibuya district. You'll take on the role of Neku Sakuraba, a reluctant hero heavily influenced by the Emo scene who is thrust into "the Game" against his will. Playing alongside his giddy and annoyingly cute partner, Shiki Masaki, they must race against time to defeat the Noise in the UnderGround (UG) realm or risk being erased.

If it sounds a bit convoluted, that's because it is. The story gradually unfolds via lengthy conversations Neku and Shiki have with other key players, as well as Reapers, those who run the game and initiate the challenges. The gameplay is repetitious, though enjoyable, and will have you balancing your time between exploration and conversation, and battling the Noise. The game world is not terribly large, but it is gorgeously rendered in multi-layered 2-D backdrops. The art style is over the top, with a healthy dose of modern artistic flare, but it greatly increases, in a good way, the bizarreness of the game world. All of the characters you'll meet along the way are unique and memorable, and the character designs by famed Tetsuya Nomura are fantastic.

This unique and vibrant world, with city streets teaming with people, sets the stage for the equally cool battle system. Some might even argue that it's too original for its own good. The combat utilizes both DS screens, with Shiki at the top and Neku at the bottom. They both fight the same enemies at the same time, but are doing so in different zones. That being the case, you'll control both characters simultaneously. With Shiki, you'll use DDR-style button presses to execute combos, while with Neku you'll perform powerful moves with the stylus. Neku will collect pins throughout the course of the game, each with their own properties or special attacks. Strategically equipping the right pins for battle is key, and part of the fun.

At first, combat is fiercely difficult, which is why the game will actually default to having Shiki controlled by artificial intelligence. However, once you get used to switching quickly between the two, you can control both of them and ring up some amazing combos for extra damage, and in the process boost your stats. As you defeat enough of the Noise, the Reapers will take down invisible walls and let you to continue to progress through the city and advance the story.

This is a game that speaks volumes about culture, and you'll get plenty of it through the game's dialog. While occasionally coming across as hokey, it is generally witty and well written, and you'll come to care about the characters as they mature. Being essentially a tale of finding oneself, there's plenty of emotionally compelling content that many people will identify with. It does help, though, having one of the best soundtracks we've ever heard on a DS game, with multiple songs that will stick in your head.

The World Ends With You is a game like no other. While squarely falling into the RPG camp, with your usual list of item collection, constant battles and enough dialog to fill a book, its setting and ambiance are one of a kind, its real-time combat system is fresh and engaging and it even throws in a few trivial multiplayer options to boot. It lacks neither style nor substance. While it can become repetitive, it also rewards you with extra experience points for taking breaks. All in all, this is one DS game that you should check out.