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In the beginning of the game, Neku is given a special Pin that allows him to read the thoughts of the people around him. It is also in this state that Neku is able to see Noise (an unusual fusion of ghosts, animals and tribal art tattoos) and engage them in battle. In perhaps an RPG first, almost all enemy encounters are not only avoidable, but entirely optional altogether. Of course, it is to the players' extreme benefit to defeat as many Noise as they can in order to grow stronger and make it past bosses.

Pins are the fuel that runs The World Ends With You. These invaluable trinkets, which can be earned in a variety of ways, will grant Neku the ability to do everything from throw punches to cast ice pillars at his enemies (they're also the only means of obtaining cash). Worn Pins will grow stronger as you earn PP (Pin Points) and some even evolve into different Pins.

There are hundreds to collect in all, and it's easy to level them up since equipped Pins earn PP even while the DS is turned off. Thanks to the DS internal clock, you can literally not play this game for a week and come back to find five of your Pins have gained three levels. Pins are activated in battle using specified stylus strokes.

To say the enemy encounters in The World Ends With You are chaotic would be sugarcoating it. Make no mistake, no amount of game training will prepare you for fighting enemies with two characters on both DS screens in real time....at the same time. You're tasked with leading Neku around poking, swiping and drawing around Noise with the stylus on the bottom screen while simultaneously using your partner to fight the same Noise via a DDR-like minigame on the top screen.

If the thought of this sounds daunting, you're not alone. Fortunately it's very possible to master thanks to a forgiving risk-and-reward system, customizable controls and the ability to set your partner to autofight until you're comfortable with the setup. If you're willing to tough it out and learn the ropes, you'll be getting into battles for the hell of it in no time.

Another fun, but potentially daunting aspect of The World Ends With You is fashion. In place of the typical RPG armor are shirts, pants, hats and accessories. Your relationship with each shopkeeper in Shibuya and your characters' Bravery determines what clothes you can buy and wear. The more you buy from a particular shop, the more the shopkeeper will like you and offer you additional items and unlock their abilities. In addition to providing stat bonuses and granting battle abilities, every piece of clothing is labeled with a particular brand. Mirroring real life, different areas of Shibuya have different brands that are both in-style and "soooo last year."