Even a staggering global economy can't keep Pokemon down. Singled out as one of the few bright spots in Nintendo's flagging first-quarter financial report late last month, Pokemon Platinum has proven to be a top seller since launching on the DS in March. The handheld title was second only to Wii Fit in non-PC US retail game sales through the first half of the year, according to The NPD Group, adding an additional 116,000 units to its tally in July.

                                                                                                               

With Nintendo pegging Pokemon Platinum's global sales at 5.66 million, the publisher announced today it would be following on from that success with two new Pokemon titles for the DS and DSi. Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver will be available in the US and Europe in spring 2010. Traditionally, Nintendo releases near-identical editions of the same Pokemon game under slightly different names, encouraging players to exchange captured monsters between versions.

HeartGold and SoulSilver are a throwback to Pokemon Gold and Silver, which were released stateside for the Game Boy Color in 2000, as they take place in the same geographic region known as Johto. Nintendo offered few specific details on the game, saying only that the two versions would feature new graphics, sounds, and touch-screen controls. The publisher also noted that dozens of previously released Pokemon would make their return in the games.