Shippin' Out May 14-18: Shrek the Third

With Shrek the Third debuting in theaters this week, its expected multiplatform video game adaptations follow suit. Otherwise, the release drought continues on, with a few new Nintendo DS offerings, a rash of canon-worthy downloadable classics, and a few late-arrival ports also turning up this week.

It's not a blockbuster feature film these days unless a multiplatform, video game extravaganza accompanies it. As it did with Spider-Man 3 two weeks prior, Activision is bringing Shrek the Third to nearly every conceivable platform, with the noted exception being the PlayStation 3. And because nearly every platform has a different developer, it is possible there will be more versions of the game than iterations of the Shrek franchise.

Fitting nicely with Nintendo's prediction that it will sell 22 million portable units this year, the Nintendo DS is the one platform that's seen a steady stream of releases. This week continues that trend, with a trio of original games releasing for the handheld, including: Code Lyoko, an anime-inspired action adventure from The Game Factory; Etrian Odyssey, a turn-based role-playing game from Atlus; and Touch the Dead, a zombie-slaying shooter from developer Dream On.

The Wii sees several retro classics hitting its Virtual Console shelves this week, courtesy of its great-great-grandpappy the Nintendo Entertainment System. The NES versions of Tecmo's Ninja Gaiden and Namco's Pac-Man can now be added to Wii owners' virtual collections, landing at 500 Wii points ($5) apiece. Also arriving on the Virtual Console this week is Irem's Ninja Spirit, the Turbo Grafx-16 side-scroller from 1990. In other what's-old-is-new-again news, Resident Evil 4 finally makes its way to the PC, while MLB 07: The Show and Major League Baseball 2K7 round third and head for home on the PlayStation 3 and Game Boy Advance, respectively.

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

MAY 14, 2007
Ninja Gaiden (Wii)
Ninja Spirit (Wii)
Pac-Man (Wii)

MAY 15, 2007
Resident Evil 4 (PC)
Shrek the Third (360, Wii, PC, PS2, PSP, DS, GBA)
Art of Fighting Anthology (PS2)
Code Lyoko (DS)
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (PSP)
MLB 07: The Show (PS3)
Etrian Odyssey (DS)
Touch the Dead (DS)
FreeStyle Street Basketball (PC)

MAY 16, 2007
Taito Legends 2 (PC)
Soltrio Solitaire (360)
Aegis Wing (360)

MAY 17, 2007
Major League Baseball 2K7 (GBA)
Taito Legends Power-Up (PSP)