Tecmo has announced that Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword for the Nintendo DS will be shipping to stores in March 2008. This hack-and-slash action game will give players a very different approach into the series with the touchscreen capabilities.

Dragon Sword is the latest iteration in the series and its introduction on the Nintendo DS handheld, featuring gorgeous rendered backgrounds, a new story and the traditional fast-paced action. This time around, Ryu Hayabusa’s combat moves are mapped onto the DS touchscreen and directional buttons which allow him to run, jump, attack and cast Ninpo. Also, certain move combinations will enable Ryu to perform fatal special attacks such as Izuna Drop and Cicada Slash which are traditional to the series.

Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword is developed by Executive Producer Tomonobu Itagaki and the Team Ninja development studio. Expect to slash some monsters and demons when the game ships out in March 2008.