Those of you with PS3's and Xbox 360's may have already experienced Assassin's Creed. Nintendo aficionados have not been forgotten entirely, however. GameLoft, the developer who helmed the DS version of Brothers in Arms, has taken the reins of this newest franchise for another handheld conversion. Altair's Chronicles is a Prince of Persia-style platformer which tells Altair's back story from before the events of the console game. Our white-cloaked hero is after the Chalice, a mysterious object that promises to unite the warring factions of the Fertile Crescent. In order to do that, though, Altair will battle countless Templar knights, scale impressive cityscapes, and disguise himself as the enemy to sneak through encampments.

In the graphics department, the game offers up fully 3D worlds and characters. Instead of the sandbox format of its console brethren, Altair's Chronicle is a far more linear platformer divided into separate levels. Story sequences are generally told in-game. Altair is able to pull off a huge variety of acrobatics as well as fairly complex battle maneuvers involving multiple weapon types. The touch screen is mostly used as a mini-map, although its unique qualities find its way into the gameplay via interesting pickpocket and interrogation minigames.

Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicle certainly looks the part and features many of the gameplay elements seen in its console counterpart. It's available now and NWR will have a review up shortly.