There was going to be separate entries today for all the releases but there’s too many of them. (i.e. I’m too busy to produce a bunch of news posts.) Here we go, some releases for November 17, 2009:

• Left 4 Dead 2 (360, PC) from Valve Software and EA
• Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii) from Capcom
• Naruot Shippuden: Clash of Ninja Revolution 3 (Wii) from Tomy
• Princess and the Frog (DS, Wii) from Disney Interactive
• God of War Collection (PS3) from SCEA
• LittleBigPlanet (PSP) from SCEA
• Tony Hawk: Ride (360, PS3, Wii) from Activision
• Assassin’s Creed II (360, PS3) from Ubisoft
• Lego Indiana Jones 2 (360, PS3, Wii, DS, PSP) from LucasArts

It’s really easy to tell what time of year it is just by the pile of games hitting shelves lately.  Here’s your update for today, Tuesday, October 20, 2009:

• Borderlands (360, PS3; PC coming October 26)
• FIFA 10 (360, PS3)
• Astro Boy:  The Video Game (Wii, PS2, PSP, DS)
• Lips: Number One Hits (360)
• Tropico 3 (PC)
• Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars (PSP)
• MotorStorm Arctic Edge (PS2)
• Charm Girls Club (DS)
• Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo (Wii)

The moment Nintendo announced Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story and the basic premise was introduced — think “Fantastic Voyage” without the crazy ’60s sensibility — my mind immediately turned to what horrors we’d find in Bowser’s colon.  Well, I’m on the verge of finding out as the game hits retail today.

Sure, he’s a villain, but Bowser™ is one of the most beloved characters in Nintendo’s imaginative Mushroom Kingdom. Now, with today’s launch of the Mario & Luigi™: Bowser’s Inside Story game for the hand-held Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ video game systems, fans will get to know the cantankerous King Koopa inside and out — literally. The new game finds Mario™ and Luigi™ getting inhaled by Bowser, sending players straight to the belly of the beast for an outrageous hand-held adventure.
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With the anticipation of the 4th Quarter, I kind of forgot that The Bigs 2 was coming to DS, it’s first appearance on Nintendo’s handheld. So, when it was announced today that the game is now hitting retail, I knew there was only one way to atone for it: post this in the news!

The Bigs 2 is rated E for Everyone and sports a $19.99US price tag.

Utilizing the Nintendo DS stylus and touch screen functionalities, players will be able to hit monster home runs, throw blazing fastballs and make heroic defensive plays that keep the gameplay fresh and rewarding. Incredible power-ups will also be available in The BIGS 2, including the ability for players to crush Big Blast home runs and throw Big Heat fastballs past opposing batters. Along with the traditional Home Run Derby mode to test for power hitting skills, the hugely popular Home Run Pinball mode will be included as well. Fans can smack baseballs into Las Vegas windows, billboards and even parked taxicabs – the more targets that are hit, the higher the score.
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Nintendo announced today that the Metroid Prime Trilogy (Wii) and Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) are now available at retail.

I only have positive things to say about the Metroid Prime Trilogy. The added 16:9 support for the original Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube) makes the games look better than ever, but it’s the controls of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii) that really make the first two games feel new again. Retailing for $59.99CAN, it’s a solid deal for those that missed them the first time around.

As for Professor Layton, I haven’t been able to play any of it owed to the fact my wife has taken the game. I’ve heard several exclamations of “Ah ha!” as she plays so I’ll take that as a good sign. When I get my hands on it, expect a full review. Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box retails for $34.99CAN.

I thought this had already happened, but EA today confirms that Spore is headed to Nintendo’s game machines with Spore Hero (Wii) and Spore Hero Arena (DS). Here’s more info from the press release:

Maxis, an Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) studio, today announced that Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena will be available at North American retailers on Oct. 6 2009 and internationally on Oct. 9, 2009. Built from the ground up exclusively for the Wii™ and Nintendo DS™ platforms, Spore Hero and Spore Hero Arena introduce a new level of action-packed adventure and combat to the critically acclaimed Spore franchise.

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It’s not the first time that The Wizard of Oz has been re-imagined and I’m sure it won’t be the last, so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception The Wizard of Oz: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road receives. If it stays clear of the McFarlane Toys take on the classic tale — Dorothy was into bondage and Toto was a giant transluscent slug — there’s definitely a chance to appeal to a wide audience. Plus, it’s a Japanese take on a classic American tale — I always enjoy watching how these cross-culture machinations explode and/or blossom into something awesome and/or hideous.

Here’s word from the official press release:

Released as RIZ-ZOAWD by D3Publisher in Japan, THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road is an RPG inspired by the beloved tale of Dorothy and her magical journey through the Land of Oz, showing a unique new perspective on what happened after reaching the end of the Yellow Brick Road.

THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road presents an unorthodox yet accessible method of gameplay in a beautifully realized 3-dimensional Land of Oz with an original soundtrack. Utilizing the touch screen capabilities of the DS, all actions are completely controlled by the stylus, including Dorothy’s movement and speed which respond to the rotation of a large trackball on the bottom screen that is spun using the stylus. THE WIZARD OF OZ: Beyond the Yellow Brick Road also features turn-based battles from a first-person viewpoint, with multiple customization options allowing the game to recommend the best actions per turn for expedited play, or manual entry for more involved gameplay.

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It has been a long bumpy road for Ghostbusters, but it finally hits retail today! Here’s the brief from the press release:

NEW YORK, NY – June 16, 2009 – Atari, one of the world’s most recognized video game publishers, today announced that the highly anticipated, summer blockbuster title, Ghostbusters®: The Video Game is now available at retailers across North America.

Working closely with Sony Pictures Consumer Products and acclaimed development studios Terminal Reality and RedFly, Atari brings this completely all-new chapter of the blockbuster Ghostbusters saga to advanced gaming platforms coinciding with the 25th Anniversary celebration of the film’s original theatrical release. Ghostbusters: The Video Game, based on the smash hit motion picture franchise, is penned by original Ghostbusters writers and stars Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and reunites many of the original cast members. In addition, the game also launches today along with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment’s worldwide debut of the original motional picture on Blu-ray Disc™.

Featuring the unique blend of humor and fright that established Ghostbusters as a pop culture sensation, this new chapter of the blockbuster franchise is available at retailers across North America for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft ($59.99), Windows PC ($29.99), PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system ($59.99), PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system ($19.99), Wii™ ($39.99) and Nintendo DS™ ($29.99).
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With an E3 line-up that includes Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers, Order of War, Supreme Commander 2, Final Fantasy IIIX, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Square-Enix is going to have a large presence at E3 this year.  Looks like they’re going whole-hog on branching out from total reliance on Final Fantasy titles. (Supreme Commander 2? Wow!)  For a full rundown of their offerings, keep reading! (more…)

KOEI has announced that Warriors Orochi 2, Monster Racers, Warriors: Legend of Troy, and TRINITY: Souls of Zill o’ll will be on display at next weeks E3.  Continue reading for more details. (more…)

There’s been so many of these releases I’ve run out of interesting preambles!  The E3 line-up for Eidos will include: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Mini Ninjas, and Just Cause 2.  Continue for more details! (more…)

EA’s one of the biggest video game companies out there so it’s really no surprise that they’ll be presenting a massive line-up of titles at E3, many of which will be launching in Winter/Fall 2009, but a few are shipping in 2010 and a handful are shipping within the next two weeks.  Here’s the official line-up that’ll be shown at E3 either behind closed doors or on the show floor: ARMY OF TWO: THE 40th DAY, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Brütal Legend, Dante’s Inferno, Dead Space Extraction, Dragon Age: Origins, EA SPORTS Active, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis, FIFA 10, Fight Night Round 4, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, LITTLEST PET SHOP ONLINE, Madden NFL 10, Mass Effect 2, MySims Agents, NCAA Football 10, NHL 10, Need for Speed NITRO, Need for Speed SHIFT, Spore Hero, Spore Hero Arena, The Sims 3, Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 10, Battlefield 1943, and The Saboteur

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In what has become a flood of releases about E3 line-ups, Natsume adds to the gushing torrent with the following titles being announced (see below for more detail on each title): Adventures to Go (PSP), Animal Kingdom: Wildlife Expedition (Wii), Afrika (PS3), Cheer We Go! (DS), Harvest Moon: Animal Parade (Wii), Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming (DS), Harvest Moon: My Little Shop (WiiWare), Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands (DS), Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream (Wii), and Squishy Tank (DS).

Afrika finally coming to North America! (more…)

Just a week until E3 2009 begins and Sega has announced what they’ll be showing.  I like what I see included on the list, and the fact it’s compact with a definite concentration on 7 titles rather than a offering that rambles.

Aliens vs. Predator (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Windows PC) – Releases early 2010
The next-gen version of this benchmark multiplayer First-Person-Shooter franchise is coming with SEGA’s new Aliens vs. Predator game. From the developer of the series’ first title comes this next big event, with three unique species fighting for supremacy on the battlefield. Play as Predator, Marine and Alien in three radically different single-player experiences that intertwine to create a thrilling story. Jump into cinematic non-stop multiplayer action with a rollercoaster-ride of explosive firepower, horror, stealth and gory fang and claw combat.

Alpha Protocol (Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system, Windows PC) – Releases October 2009
Enter the world of international espionage in Obsidian Entertainment’s blockbuster new modern-day spy-RPG. Assuming the role of Michael Thorton, players must use their strength, skills and smarts to survive the rigors and dangers of being an international spy. Alpha Protocol takes players to locations around the world and arms them with a full arsenal of weapons and gadgets with which to complete any task at hand. The game also features fully customizable character attributes and a unique dialog system that tracks players’ responses in the game, dynamically changing missions and alliances as they progress through the game’s storyline.

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Overlord II has successfully flown under my radar so thankfully this one brought it to the front on my “To Check” list of games, especially because the Wii and DS are getting Overlord games.  Pre-order goodies are always welcomed by fans and, counting myself as one of them, these items are kinda cool: