AU Shippin' Out October 8-October 12: Project Gotham Racing 4, The Legend of Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass

It's been a big couple of weeks for Xbox 360 owners and it's about to get bigger with the release of Project Gotham Racing 4. One of the big new additions to the roster is motorcycles, and gamers can finally find out who really rules the roost--cars or motorcycles. Developer Bizarre Creations has implemented an advanced weather system that changes how the track handles, depending on the elements. Project Gotham Racing 4 is also the latest game work with the official Xbox 360 steering wheel; the title comes out on the October 11.

One of the most anticipated handheld games of the year--The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass--comes out on Thursday. It picks up where The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker left off as Link and Tetra are in search of a mysterious ghost ship. During the chase, the ghost ship disappears and Link ends up in the ocean. He is soon washed ashore and must make contact with Tetra again. Players use the stylus to get Link to both move and interact with the environment. For more information on the game--including the review--check out GameSpot's extensive The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass launch centre.

It was only announced last Saturday, but that hasn't stopped Sony from rushing the latest model PlayStation 3 to retailers around Australia. The new unit ships with a 40GB PlayStation 3 console, one Sixaxis controller, two USB ports--down from the four found on the 60GB model--and lacks a multimedia card reader. The new SKU goes on sale this Thursday for A$699.95 ($629), $200 less than its 60GB counterpart.

This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer and Publisher information--actual dates may vary).

October 8, 2007
No releases scheduled.

October 9, 2007
No releases scheduled.

October 10, 2007
Spider-man: Friend or Foe (PS2, PC, DS, 360, Wii)
Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP)

October 11, 2007
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation: Hard Evidence (360, PC)
CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder (PS2)
NHL 08 (PS2)
Skate (PS3)
NBA Live 08 (PS3)
Project Gotham Racing 4 (360)
MotoGP 07 (PC)
Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East (PC)
Cookie & Cream (DS)
Tarr Chronicles (PC)
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)

October 12, 2007
Nervous Brickdown (DS)
Cake Mania (DS)
My Best Friends - Cats And Dogs (DS)
The New York Times Crosswords (DS)
Prism: Light the Way (DS)
Toondoku (DS)
Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force (PSP)