Game Releases for the Week of 11/12-11/18
It's the biggest week in console gaming history! Or at least, that's what Sony might have you believe. Dan here with this week's guide, and holy crapola, it's a big one. Over 120 games will be battling for your attention this week, including Sony's PS3 launch line-up, which while not overwhelmingly strong, contains one or two interesting-looking games for those of you who are planning on shelling out the cash for the next Playstation. Er, I mean, PLAYSTATION. I'm going to keep the descriptions short this week just because there's so much, but don't forget to check back next week: it's Wii time!
PS3
11/14 NHL 2K7 - It's a port of 2K Sports hockey game, which got good reviews when it was released on the 360. Unlike the 360 version however, for the PS3 you'll be shelling out $20 more.
11/14 NBA 2K7 - It's a port of 2K Sports basketball game, which got fairly good reviews when it was released on the 360. And like the NHL game, 2K has likewise jacked the price up on the 360 version. (Are we noticing a theme here?)
11/14 Genji: Days of the Blade - I will write this description without making a "massive damage" quip... I will write this description without making a "massive damage" quip... All joking aside, early previews say this is a fast action brawler with impressive visuals, crab or no crab.
11/15 Ridge Racer 7 - It's Ridge Racer, on the PS3. Reportedly if you're running this on a non-HD monitor, prepare to be under whelmed.
11/15 Call of Duty 3 - Like how CoD was there for the 360 launch, EA trots out its current most successful FPS for the PS3. Reviews of last weeks COD3 for the 360 are strong, if not great, and the PS3 adds support for the SixAxis, the PS3's answer to the motion-sensitive Wii.
11/15 Resistance: Fall of Man - If any game could be described as the launch title to get it would be this one, garnering massive amounts of hype, with some calling it the PS3's Halo. It's a FPS set in a dystopian future world with the requisite guns and vehicles. Of note is the impressive-sounding 40 person deathmatches over Sony's (free) online service. 40 players with no lag? If Insomniac can pull that off, color me impressed.
11/15 Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire - Giant mechs attack in Bandai's continuing series, which had a rocky start at early showings of this game but apparently has cleaned up nicely for release. Staying true to the Gundam universe, don't expect super fast mechs here: gameplay is slow, methodical, and tactical.
11/15 Madden NFL 07 - The game that arguably moved the most PS2's shows up at launch to bat for the PS3. Have the frat boys already picked it up for the 360? Will they balk about using the SixAxis's wonky motion control system?
11/15 Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 - Out last month for the 360, now for the PS3, don't expect much changed for the PS3 other than some basic support for the PS3 controllers motion sensing capabilities.
11/15 NBA 07 - Sony's own basketball game is of course present at launch, and despite the so-so reviews of this years PS2 version, the PS3 incarnation hopes to garner some attention with some innovative uses of the Sixaxis -- apparently you put the controller over your head to shoot free throws.
11/17 Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom - First appearing on the PSP, it's your basic Diablo-esque whack-em brawling action, all prettied up for the PS3 launch. Impressive grass and tree physics abound.
11/17 Need for Speed: Carbon - EA's successful racing franchise shows up for the PS3 at launch just like they did with Most Wanted last year for the 360, though the only difference this time is the PS3 version is late to the party: Carbon was released on Microsoft's console 2 weeks ago.
Xbox 360
11/14 WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 - It took over a year for the 360 to get a wrestling game, but as always, the WWE delivers with this next-gen version of last years 2006 game.
11/14 Dead or Alive Xtreme 2 - The improbable breast physics of the first game return for another round of volleyball action, with a bunch of new modes to play such as jet-skiing and dangerous-sounding "butt bumping competition".
11/15 Bionicle Heroes - Lego's Bionicle franchise gets a multi-platform release this week, with a 3rd person shooter that does not really tinker with the formula of the last Lego game, the wildy popular Lego Star Wars (this game is developed by the same people who brought us those two games).
11/15 Eragon - The only interesting thing about this up-and-coming franchise of books, movies, and games is that it was written by a 15 year old kid. The game, meanwhile, appears to be your typical 3rd person action title in the vein of the LOTR action games.
11/15 Sonic the Hedgehog - Sonic's purported reinvented design for the next-gen systems still plays a lot like the previous 3D Sonic games -- that being, a frenetic race through giant levels where one wrong move can send you flying off a platform and into the abyss below. (A demo is available on XBL)
PSP
11/14 Metal Slug Anthology - Includes 7 Metal Slug games: METAL SLUG, METAL SLUG 2, METAL SLUG X, METAL SLUG 3, METAL SLUG 4, METAL SLUG 5, and METAL SLUG 6. Considering how many quarters I waisted on these popular side-scrolling action games in the arcade, that, my friends, is a deal.
11/14 Star Trek: Tactical Assault - Not to be confused with the upcoming Legacy Star Trek game, the portable version nevertheless features similar 3D action, though without the Shatner.
11/14 Gitaroo Man Lives! - The innovative yet relatively unknown rhythm based game for the PS2 gets a port for Sony's handheld.
11/14 Xiaolin Showdown - Based on the cartoon, this is an action game with cartooney graphics (makes sense, doesn't it?).
11/14 Yu-Gi-Oh: GX Tag Force - Amazingly enough the first Yu-Gi-Oh game for the PSP, fans of the card battlin strategy game will be able to link up with 3 other players via Wifi (local only).
11/14 Eragon - See the 360 description.
11/14 Gunpey - Created by the late, great, Gumpei Yokoi on the Wonderswan, Q Entertainment (Lumines) has converted the puzzler to the handhelds. Gameplay is, as expected, innovative, involving moving blocks around to link up diagonal lines that then clear areas on the board.
11/14 NFL Street 3 - EA's "Street" franchise started with Basketball, then moved to Football with pretty much the same level of success, and is now upgraded for the PSP. New wireless modes offer online action and new mini-game modes offer PSP players more variety.
11/14 EA Replay - Now this one is neat.. What you've got here is 14 or so titles from EA's vaults: B.O.B., Budokan, Desert Strike, Jungle Strike, Haunting Starring Polterguy, Mutant League Football, Road Rash, Road Rash II, Road Rash III, Syndicate, Ultima: The Black Gate, Virtual Pinball, Wing Commander, and Wing Commander: Secret Missions. Wing Commander!!
11/14 Pocket Racers - Little-car racing game that sounds a heckuva lot like a Micromachines rip-off. But hey, it's cheap!
11/16 Mortal Kombat: Unchained - This one looks interesting: It's basically just your traditional Mortal Kombat action with none of the adventure-game shenanigans prevalent in recent console versions. It even has a Puzzle Fighter mode in there for when you get tired of ripping spines.
11/17 Sonic Rivals - Ahh, who needs the fancy 3D Sonic when 2D Sonic plays just as well? That seems to be the theory behind the PSP Sonic game (completely different than the console versions). Of note here is the title uses 3D to render the characters and levels but plays from a strict 2D perspective.
DS
11/14 Yoshi's Island DS - See game of the week, below
11/14 Eragon - See the 360 description
11/13 Happy Feet - VG version of the ridiculously curtsey CG penguin movie that will probably make a billion dollars when its released this week.
11/14 Spider-Man: Battle for New York - Players can control Spidey as well as the Green Goblin in this retelling of the Spider-Man origin story. Gameplay is inspired by the popular console version with a variety of web-based attacks and a comic-book look.
11/14 Charlotte's Web - A beloved childrens classic gets what will no doubt become a beloved video game. The handheld versions contains an adventure mode as well as many mini-games.
11/14 Final Fantasy III - Continuing the onslaught of FF games, this weeks offering is a remake of FF3, notable since the original never saw light o day in the US. Directed by one of the original designers of the NES game, it features impressive 3D graphics on the DS.
11/14 Bionicle Heroes - See the 360 description
11/14 Monster Bomber - Kiddie-friendly DS puzzle game that challenges players to hit colored monsters with colored bombs.
11/14 Disney's Chicken Little: Ace in Action - It's been some time since the movie, but Avalanche Software ("Tak") nevertheless brings fans this action title, based on the "movie within the movie" and features tank and vehicle-based gameplay.
11/14 Gunpey - See the PSP description.
11/14 Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 2 - Last year's original got poor reviews.
11/14 Asphalt: Urban GT 2 - Pretty nice graphics (for the DS) highlight this racing game, a sequel to 2004's poorly-reviewed title. A new engine and new developer hope to boost review scores a little.
11/14 Brain Boost: Beta Wave - English port of one of the many Brain Age knock-offs that quickly appeared in Japan following the released of that game, this one has 5 brain training games.
11/14 Brain Boost: Gamma Wave - Not to be confused with the pseudo-science in the above game, this one is just to help your brains Gamma Waves, which help problem solving and memory.
Xbox
11/14 Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 - Includes 1941, Avengers, Black Tiger, Block Block, Captain Commando, Eco Fighters, Knights of the Round, King of Dragons, Last Duel, Mega Twins, Magic Sword, Quiz and Dragons, Side Arms, The Speed Rambler, Street Fighter I, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Strider, Three Wonders, Tiger Road, and Varth. There ya go!
11/14 Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 4 - Someone must have forgotten to tell Konami about the 360, since here comes the next DDR game for the Xbox, complete with new 4-player action, 65 songs, and more downloadable from the original Xbox Live (that's still running?)
11/15 Xiaolin Showdown - See the PSP description.
11/15 Eragon - See the 360 description.
11/15 Bass Pro Trophy Fishing - As this page at Teamxbox.com so eloquently puts it, this is "a fishing game".
PS2
11/14 WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2007 - See the 360 description.
11/14 Happy Feet - See the DS description.
11/14 Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer - From the people who brought us State of Emergency comes this a game set in Native American mythology (hmm, Native American mythology seems popular this year), with 3rd person platforming action.
11/14 Shrek Smash 'n' Crash - Having already done the Shrek action game, Shrek platformer, and Shrek party game, obviously there was no other choice than make a wacky Shrek Kart racing game.
11/14 Eragon - See the 360 description.
11/14 NFL Street 3 - See the PSP description
11/14 Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles - A whole month has passed since the last Naruto game, so why not another? This one, surprise, appears to be another 3rd person action brawler.
11/14 Metal Slug Anthology - See the PSP description
11/14 Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 - See the Xbox description
11/14 Bionicle Heroes - See the 360 description.
11/15 Xiaolin Showdown - See the PSP description
11/15 Victorious Boxers 2: Fighting Spirit - Sequel to the Japanese-developed boxing that added some signature Japanese flair to the all-American sport of boxing. The new version adds a new mode where you can develop your own boxer and new branching storylines.
11/15 Horsez - Curtsey boxart? Check. Unnecessary usage of the letter z? Check.
PC
11/13 Medieval II: Total War - Follow-up to the amazingly popular Rome: Total War, this brings the series back to the medieval period while retaining the well-reviewed RTS action.
11/14 Eragon - See the 360 description.
11/14 Gothic III - Unpolished yet well-reviewed, the Gothic series has always treated fans to RPG excitement with an emphasis on action. Now in its third iteration, the new game promises more graphical flair and Oblivion-like gameplay.
GBA
11/14 Happy Feet - See the DS description.
11/14 Spider-Man: Battle for New York - See the DS description
11/14 Shrek Smash 'n' Crash - See the Xbox description
11/14 Eragon - See the 360 description.
11/14 Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis - Interesting: it's the original Sonic the Hedgehog, for the GBA.
11/14 Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2 - The original was released in August to mediocre reviews. The sequel, which is known as the popular Super Robot Wars series in Japan, promises to be more of the same.
11/14 Bionicle Heroes - See the 360 description.
Game of the Week:
Yoshi's Island 2, Nintendo DS, 11/14
Forget all the flashy graphics and screw all six cores of the PS3: Pretty much the only game I really want to play out of all of this crap this week is the sequel to one of the best SNES games ever, Yoshi's Island. Fans of the Mario franchise will obviously know the name: it was the 1995 Mario off-shoot that put Yoshi in the starring roll, throwing Baby Mario-escorting, dino-egg spitting, and platform jumping into the mix to create what some call the best 2D game ever. The second adventure promises to be similar to the original -- same basic gameplay, same egg-shooting mechanic. The only thing that worries me is the developer, in this case, Artoon, infamously known for a little Xbox game called "Blinx". That said, everything else is looking great.
Game I'm Playing:
I've been playing the 3-rings-of-red-light game! Yes, my 360 broke this week, and I am freakin' pissed. I was playing Splinter Cell, it froze, I restarted, and it never came back. While I wait for Xbox India to send me a replacement, all I can do is stare at my GoW disc and weep.
