Do you have strong sea legs and a thirst for adventure? Do you enjoy battling sea monsters, fighting pirates, discovering buried treasure and performing feats of daring do on the High Seas? Well then, perhaps Pirates: Duels on the High Seas might be just the Nintendo DS game you are looking for! Oxygen Games is bringing the title to Europe this June and has unveiled the first details of the naval combat game.

In Pirates: Duels on the High Seas, players face a chance encounter with an old sea-dog, as well as coming across the legend of a fantastic treasure. This is the basic premise for what is being deemed by Oxygen as an epic adventure. In an era when Britannia ruled the waves and pirates terrorised the oceans, the legend of Blackbeard’s treasure and the Seven Keys has seen many a pirate to an early grave with their fabled curse and tales of agonising death for those that dare to pursue them. As expected, the game puts the gamer in a very tight situation, where they are faced by the prospect of death upon failure.

“Steel yourself to face foes that no captain has ever bested before and lived to tell the tale including the might of the Royal Navy, the legendary and deadly Kraken, a Witch Queen and Blackbeard himself. Collect weapons, recruit crewmen, amass great riches and journey through unchartered waters on your quest for the fabled Keys. Pirates: Duels on the High Seas is a fun and intuitive naval combat game transporting the player back to a golden age of adventure on the High Seas, encompassing naval battles, running blockades, battling sea monsters, encountering supernatural forces and discovering treasure. And with the WiiWare prequel game Pirates: Key of Dreams expanding on the story and also set for release in the summer, what more could any self-respecting sea dog wish for!”

Below are some of the game’s key features:

• 70 unique levels – 35 single player and 35 multiplayer & Skirmish levels;
• Single player ‘Story’ mode and ‘Skirmish’ mode with players battling 2-3 AI opponents;
• ‘Salty Sea Dog’ multiplayer mode for 2-4 players, single-cart or multi-cart;
• Three types of ship available to captain, each one representing a different difficulty setting;
• Seven locations across the globe to sail including Porto Bello in South America, Port Royal in the Caribbean, The Bermuda Triangle, the China Sea and the Persian Gulf;
• An array of cannon-blazing sea battles against a variety of enemies including rival pirates, the Spanish Navy, Blackbeard, The Kraken and a Chinese Dragon;
• Discover buried treasure allowing you to hire additional crew members and pay for ship repairs;
• Unearth enchanted Inca gold that creates a magical protective aura around your ship;
• Flotsam and Jetsam – assorted cargo that you can trade for gold;
• Classic ship weaponry – fight your sea battles using the tried and tested arsenal of a sea-faring pirate including cannons, sea mines, rockets and chain shot;
• Rescue castaways – four types of castaway to rescue in the game, each one improving the performance of your ship including ‘Lookout’, ‘Navigator’ and ‘Master Gunner’.

Stick around for further updates here on Nintendic…