Nintendo announced the release of their new title on the DS, Fossil Fighers.  In Fossil Fighters, you chisel, chip, brush and vacuum away pieces of rock from your fossil, so you can expose the creature underneath.  Once the creature is out, you can feed and train him to do battle with other fossils, in order to collect all of the creatures.

It seems very similar to Spectrobes and Pokemon, so if you are into that type of collect and fight type game, Fossil Fighters might be right up your alley.  Check the jump for more info on the game.

Can You Dig It? Fossil Fighters Brings Dino-Sized Fun to Nintendo DS
New Hand-Held Game Combines Fossil Fascination and Prehistoric Battles

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Dinosaurs may be long gone from the earth, but for owners of the portable Nintendo DS^TM and Nintendo DSi^TM systems, a new breed of prehistoric excitement is just now coming to life. With today’s release of the Fossil Fighters^TM video game, Nintendo is delivering a dino-sized gaming experience that fans of any age or background can pick up and enjoy.

Fossil Fighters invites players to enter a world in which fearsome creatures are hidden as fossils for players to collect, using the unique touch-screen controls of Nintendo DS. Players can clean, collect and battle their discoveries. The game features more than 100 dinosaur-like creatures called Vivosaurs, each of which can be revived and deployed in strategic turn-based battles. With fun tactical elements, vast environments to explore and a lighthearted storyline and characters, Fossil Fighters allows players to control and customize a team of Vivosaurs as they battle their way through the mysterious Vivosaur Island. Players can also connect over local wireless with friends to battle customized teams of Vivosaurs or trade their fossils.

“Dinosaurs are a source of endless fascination for the young and the young at heart,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Combining customization and social play, Fossil Fighters brings together the best elements of hand-held gaming for players of all ages.”

Using the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen, players can chip and drill away at each fossil they find. They can even blow into the Nintendo DS microphone to clear away dust. Once a fossil head is cleaned, the Vivosaur can be revived and used in battle. Other fossilized body parts can also be found and cleaned to imbue each Vivosaur with special powers. Players can create custom teams of three Vivosaurs, strategically selecting the best trio for each encounter.

For more information about Fossil Fighters, visit www.FossilFighters.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii^TM, Nintendo DS^TM and Nintendo DSi^TM systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System^TM, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy^TM, Game Boy Advance, Super NES^TM, Nintendo 64^TM and Nintendo GameCube^TM systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario^TM, Donkey Kong^TM, Metroid^TM, Zelda^TM and Pokémon^TM. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.