Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list.
While new releases screech to a near-halt in the United States and Europe this week due to the approaching holiday, Japan will soon host a variety of anticipated titles. Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology, Seiken Densetsu 4, and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition have been generating a lot of interest among Japanese gamers for months now, and should bring in big money at retailers nationwide upon their release this week.
The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending December 23, 2006.
Games Released in the United States:
Xbox 360: - Rapala Tournament Fishing!
PlayStation Portable: - Bubble Bobble Evolution
PC: - Alexey's Dwice - Paws & Claws Pet School
Games Released in Europe:
Nintendo Wii: - Marvel: Ultimate Alliance - Open Season - Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Double Agent
Xbox 360: - Star Trek: Legacy
Nintendo DS: - Hamsterz - Star Trek: Tactical Assault
PC: - Star Trek: Legacy
Few publishers in the United States and Europe have new titles to show in the week leading up to Christmas, having already exhausted their supply of releases during the late November and early December rush. The remaining stragglers listed above consist mostly of last-minute licensed releases and titles that missed their original ship dates.
Next week should see a similar dearth of releases for both regions. More robust release lineups for the U.S. and the UK can be expected to resume in 2007.
Games Released in Japan:
Nintendo Wii: - Monster 4x4: World Circuit - Need for Speed Carbon
Xbox 360: - A Ressha de Gyouku HX - Lost Planet: Extreme Condition - Madden NFL 07 - Need for Speed Carbon - Sonic the Hedgehog
PlayStation 3: - Armored Core 4 - Need for Speed Carbon - Railfan - Sonic the Hedgehog
PlayStation 2: - Need for Speed Carbon - School Love! - Secret of Evangelion - Seiken Densetsu 4 - SNK Slot Panic Kyuuji - Tennis no Oji-Sama: DokiDoki Survival - Sanroku no Mystic
Nintendo DS: - Daredemo Kantan! Watanabe Akira no Tsume Shogi - Gakken Youten Rank Jun Series: Kagaku DS - Gakken Youten Rank Jun Series: Nippon no Rekishi DS - Hamster to Kurasou - Heisei Kyouiku Iinkai DS - Hiite Utaeru DS Guitar M-06 - Mahjong Haoh DS Special - Nazotte Oboeru Otona no Kanji Renshuu - Nounai Aesthe: IQ Suppli DS - Puzzle Series Vol. 9: Sudoku 2 Deluxe - Simple DS Series Vol. 9: Atama no Yokunaru - The Me no Training - Simple DS Series Vol. 10: The Doko Demo Kanji Quiz - Teku Teku Angel Pocket with DS Teku Teku Nikki: White & Ice Blue - Teku Teku Angel Pocket with DS Teku Teku Nikki: White & Precious Pink
PlayStation Portable: - Intelligent License 2 - Mahjong Haoh Portable: Jansou Battle - Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops - NBA Live 07 - Need for Speed Carbon: Own the City - Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology
PC: - Football Manager 2007 Japanese Version
Japan, meanwhile, is in the middle of one of the busiest times of the year for new video game releases, with more than three dozen new titles expected to premiere across a variety of platforms in the next several days.
Among these titles are a pair of significant RPG releases -- Namco's Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology and Square Enix's Seiken Densetsu 4 -- both of which are currently pulling in impressive preorder numbers. The PS3 and Xbox 360 will also receive a selection of highly anticipated releases this week, with Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Armored Core 4, and Sonic the Hedgehog being among the most popular titles gamers are currently looking forward to in Japan.
