EA is promising that their new DS title, Henry Hatsworth, will be an "incredibly unique game," at least according to the game's Executive Producer Scott Walker. The title, inspired by the indie gaming scene, is being produced under EA's Casual Entertainment Label, developed by EA Tiburon, and stars the titular English adventurer-professor, Henry Hatsworth. EA believes that the game is set to attract a wide audience ranging from core gamers to more casual players of the DS.

The game is currently under the creative direction and design of Kyle Gray, an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon's Experimental Gameplay Project, the same project which yielded 2D Boy and their World of Goo project for WiiWare. The game began life as a flash project under the tentative name of Monkey Business and was showcased earlier this year at GDC.

Henry Hatsworth will feature more than 30 levels spanning five worlds and will include almost a dozen hidden levels, as well as the obligatory "outrageous world-ending bosses." The game will display two separate worlds: one on the top screen focused on action-platforming and one on the bottom screen focused on the more puzzle based portion of the game. The two worlds will have a cause-and-effect relationship, such as power-ups, health, and energy for the action world gained through completing puzzles in the puzzle world.

Henry Hatsworth is due for worldwide release on the DS early next year.

EA INTRODUCES HENRY HATSWORTH IN THE PUZZLING ADVENTURE FOR NINTENDO DS*

The Ultimate Fun, Quirky Game That Intertwines Platform and Puzzle Genres

LOS ANGELES, Calif., August 12, 2008 – Love puzzle games, but also love an adventure? Now you can have both in one game. The Casual Entertainment Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announces Henry Hatsworth in the Puzzling Adventure an exclusive Nintendo DS™ adventure-puzzle game that adds a new element of fun by combining the action of an adventure game with the challenge of a puzzle game all in one.

"We are excited to bring an indie-inspired new intellectual property to the EA Casual Entertainment Label with Henry Hatsworth that fuses together two styles of gameplay utilizing the two Nintendo DS screens like never before," said Robert Nashak, VP of EA Casual Studios. "The innovative elements of the game have the potential to appeal to both Nintendo enthusiasts and more casual Nintendo DS players."

Meet Henry Hatsworth, a quirky, light-hearted character who players will guide on their journey through a new style of gaming adventure on their Nintendo DS. In this two-in-one adventure, players will explore five exotic worlds, fight a variety of opponents, and venture through more than 30 levels, including nearly a dozen hidden levels while taking on outrageous world-ending bosses. The separate worlds on the two Nintendo DS screens have a cause and effect inter-relationship, and players choose when to switch between conquering the action-platform realm and mastering the increasingly challenging puzzle world. A wide variety of power-ups will help Hatsworth in both of these worlds. Players will complete puzzle combinations and defeat puzzle enemies in order to gain power ups, health, and energy to supercharge Hatsworth in his adventure.

"Henry Hatsworth is an incredibly unique game," said Scott Walker, Henry Hatsworth Executive Producer. "It’s a deep, challenging, and humorous game that you won’t want to put down."

Developed by a team at EA Tiburon in the EA Casual Entertainment Label, Henry Hatsworth is scheduled to be available worldwide early 2009. The game is not yet rated by the ESRB or PEGI. For game artwork, visit http://www.info.ea.com.

* working title