While the PC adventure game Undercover: Operation Wintersun takes British scientist Dr. John Russell on a wild chase for a German nuclear bomb in the middle of WWII, Russell makes the jump to the Nintendo DS. In the prequel Undercover: Dual Motives he investigates a British research facility in classic adventure gaming style. New screenshots and artwork give insight into the handheld point & click romp and its innovative gameplay.

Dual Motives is peppered with inventive puzzles and minigames that take advantage of the capabilities of the Nintendo handheld. In one, Russell tries to gain access to a laboratory. But gaining the attention of deaf Professor Cutter demands an extraordinary solution: Russell assembles a blowgun to shoot little paper projectiles at the Professor, who is immersed in his work. Now it’s up to the player to direct the blowgun with stylus and touchscreen and take aim at the moving target, as well as fire the projectiles with a well-dosed blast of air into the DS microphone.

Most of the time though, the player will control the two playable characters ­ Russell and secretary Audrey ­ switching between them at will with the press of a button. In order to solve the game’s puzzles he will have to apply their respective abilities and coordinate their actions.

In the new shots, Russell is exploring the exterior of the former factory grounds that have been turned into an elite research facility, while Audrey is investigating the propulsion labs, one of the three main laboratories of the site. The player directs the character through these locations in classic point & click style with the DS stylus.

New artwork from Dual Motives introduces us to new and old characters in the DS game: While Col. Travers will be familiar to some from the PC adventure game Undercover: Operation Wintersun, his two subordinates ­ Agents Miller and McAllistair ­ are new to the franchise. Closely guarding the sensitive parts of the facility, they block Russell’s way more than once in Dual Motives. Here again, the game’s clever puzzle mechanics come into play: While Russell runs into these obstacles when trying to explore these top secret areas, Audrey can gain entry due to her status as secretary of the facility’s director.

Undercover: Dual Motives, already available in Germany, is scheduled for release in 2008.