Shippin' Out June 14-20: Ghostbusters, Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, Let's Tap

Now that the dust has settled after the flurry of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, there is a relative calm in the game industry. But there's something strange in the neighborhood, and gamers can expect to call up the long-awaited Ghostbusters game coming out on Tuesday. Dropped by Activision, the game was resuscitated by Atari and will be available for the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PSP, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo Wii. Players will run through the ghost-infested streets of Manhattan to recruit the original cast of the famous Ghostbusters team. With an array of whimsical electro-gadgets that would make Nikola Tesla's head spin, players will attempt to retake Manhattan from the grips of its spectral foes. Stay tuned to Gamespot for an upcoming review of the game.

This latest addition to the $2 billion-plus rhythm franchise will feature songs from pre-World Tour Guitar Hero games rearranged for use with a full band, including vocals and drums. The game will also include the Music Studio song creator, online play, and eight new venues, including the Grand Canyon, the Amazon, and the polar ice caps.

Tuesday will see the arrival of one of the more offbeat Wii titles, Sega's Let's Tap. Developed by Sonic the Hedgehog cocreator Yuji Naka's Prope studio, the game uses the Wii Remote in a novel way. Players set it on a flat surface--like the box it comes with--and then tap their fingers on that surface, using the vibrations to control onscreen actions. As outlined in GameSpot's hands-on preview, Let's Tap features obstacle-course races (Tap Runner), a DDR-inspired dance-off (Rhythm Tap), a Jenga-like game (Silent Blocks), and a jetpack game (Bubble Voyager).

For those seeking a game free of charge, the U.S. Army is deploying the third installment of America's Army, which the armed forces use as a recruiting tool. Coming out on Wednesday, the game has many improvements over its predecessor. As explained in GameSpot's hands-on preview, the upcoming game is easier to download and install, and the interface has more options. Players can now have multiple soldiers per account, meaning that a player can be both a medic and a sniper, for example. After completing various training exercises, players will become certified to use special weapons and equipment that can be used against online foes. Online matches can hold as many as 26 players.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

JUNE 14, 2009
No new releases scheduled.

JUNE 15, 2009
Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure!--WII--Action-- Square Enix
Eduardo the Samurai Toaster--WII--Action- Semnant Studios
Sushi Academy--DS--Action-- City Interactive

JUNE 16, 2009
Let's Tap--WII--Puzzle--Sega
Ghostbusters The Video Game--X360, PC, WII, PS3, PS2, PSP, DS --Action--Atari
Diva Girls: Divas on Ice--WII, DS--Sports--505 Games
Hurry Up Hedgehog!--DS--Action--Oxygen Interactive
Flower, Sun, and Rain--DS--Adventure--Xseed Games
Big League Sports: Summer--WII, DS--Sports--Activision
Roogoo Attack--DS--Puzzle--SouthPeak Games
Vertigo--WII--Driving--Playlogic
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits--WII, PS2, X360, PS3--Puzzle--Activision
Discovery Kids: Parrot Pals--DS--Puzzle--505 Games
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues--DS--Simulation--Legacy Interactive

JUNE 17, 2009
America's Army 3--PC--Action--U.S. Army
Dawn of Discovery--PC, DS--Simulation--Ubisoft
Rise of Flight: The First Great Air War--PC--Simulation--777 Studios
Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers--X360--Puzzle--Wizards of the Coast
Sword of the Stars: Argos Naval Yard--PC--Strategy--Lighthouse Interactive
Luna Online--PC--Role-Playing--gPotato

JUNE 18, 2009
No new releases scheduled.