Nintendo's SpaceWorld 2001 has been host to some exciting news over the past couple of days, and now the company is promising more groundbreaking gaming with From Software's Rune. Nintendo is promising the game's Card Action system will redefine what people think about card games.

Rune features over 100 cards, spread throughout the game world, which the player must search for. The cards hold the key to unlocking the legendary creatures, whose aid must be enlisted to figure out why the world is slowly dying, besieged by a mysterious black fog. Rune's world is fairly extensive, encompassing five kingdoms where myth and dreams come to life.

Each monster will possess a unique personality, affecting how that creature behaves when fighting, thinking, and supporting the player. The battle system is based around summoning these creatures in conjunction with each other for some very dynamic effects, which vary depending upon the number of different cards possessed by the player. With the wide variety of cards that exist, Rune will provide an exciting and constantly changing experience. To top things off, there is also a Story Mode, in which a heavy emphasis on experience allows players to upgrade Creature cards to become stronger through the Class Change system. Finally, there will also be a Versus Mode, allowing friends to face off against each other with their creatures.

Rune is currently slated for release in Japan sometime this winter, with a price tentatively listed as 6800 yen, or roughly $56 US. No North American release has been confirmed at this point, but Agetec is reportedly negotiating to localize the title, so the possibility is good that the game will be ported.