The Nintendo DS doesn’t seem to be lacking in the RPG department and if the reports on Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood are any indication of what to expect from SEGA’s upcoming game, there could be another solid RPG to add to the list.

Unless you live under a rock there’s no way that you missed the news that Sonic’s DS RPG outing is being developed by BioWare, and right from the gate BioWare is utilizing every bit of their trademark gameplay in its development. For starters, the game will have the branching conversations that often appear BioWare RPGs. This will be handled by a system of icons. You’ll have 4 different icons representing Sonic’s different responses. A regular Sonic will give you a neutral response, a smirking icon will represent a smart-alec response, a question mark will lead him to dig a little deeper into the conversation, and lastly ellipses will make the Blue Blur ponder the subject at hand.

Different responses in different situations will open up different side quests, and what would a BioWare game be without a romantic sub-plot? Yup, it’s in there. Although there’s no word yet on the sex make-out scene.

Battles will follow traditional RPG format, they are initiated by random encounters, turn-based, and you can enhance or defend attacks with timed stylus inputs. You’ll receive skill points as you gain experience and you can use these rewards to power up your characters (a la Mass Effect).

Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood has been described as a cross between Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars and Mass Effect (what a combo). That alone has elevated this from a must play to a must buy for me. The game will be available in Fall ‘08, so now all we have to do is wait for it.