If you've seen the trailer for Nanostray, the E3 build of the game offers no surprises.

The 3-D effects are as impressive as ever; the action is just as hectic; and the overall

look of the game hasn't changed. You do, however, gain a new appreciation for it when

you actually have it in your hands.

My one concern about the game was that it would be difficult to switch weapons using the touch screen. I'm happy to report that this isn't a problem at all. The weapon buttons are lined up on the right side of the touchscreen, meaning that it's very easy to move your thumb from the buttons to the touchscreen and back again. You have a primary and secondary weapon, and you can get bonuses for not using one or the other (the secondary weapon is generally the more powerful of the two, but it's not useful in all situations).

Nanostray's graphics are excellent, really showing off what the DS can do, despite the

fact that it's a first-generation game. There are always a lot of enemies on the screen at once, and even though there was a little bit of slow-down it never interfered with gameplay. There's apparently a multiplayer co-op mode, but the Majesco rep told me that they yanked it from the build at the last minute because it wasn't running well. Hopefully the slow-down that I saw falls into the same "early build problem" category, and will be straightened out in the final build.

Controls are extremely responsive and accurate. I tried it on "Normal" difficulty,

and the action is perfectly paced such that I never felt like I was overwhelmed but I was always busy. I made it to a hulking red battleship boss that emerged from underwater. It takes up the entire screen and routinely turns around in a full circle, forcing me to move along with it while constantly under fire. Once I figured out the most effective secondary weapon to use, I was able to beat it, but barely. What I quickly realized was that finding the most effective secondary weapon is part of the fun.

Nanostray ships in July and will feature eight levels of action. It's looking like a very promising shooter, and I can't wait to get my hands on the final version.