LOS ANGELES, US - A CURVY new heroine that walks like a runway model but has ankle pistols and deadly hair is getting ready to make her mark in a videogame world packed with macho action heroes.

Sega on Thursday introduced to industry insiders Bayonetta, an animated witch that battles monsters disguised as halo-wearing angels in a world created by Platinum Games studio for the Japanese videogame pioneer.

'She is a dark hero,' Mr Yusuke Hashimoto of Platinum said as he demonstrated his team's creation in a private room at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. 'There are so many strong male characters; we wanted to create a strong female character.'

Bayonetta makes martial arts leaps and handstands, all the while firing pistols in her hands and on her feet. She uses magic to amplify and weave her hair into giant high-heel boots to kick enemies.

Her hair weaves into huge dragons or other beasts she can sit on more formidable foes, referred to as 'bosses' in videogame jargon.

'We will set the bar for the stylish genre,' said Mr Wyman Jung of Sega North America.

Mr Hashimoto declined to reveal the game's storyline, saying that is being kept secret until closer to its release next year. -- AFP