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Shippin' Out November 12-16: Super Mario Galaxy, Assassin's Creed, Crysis

Trio of games headlines crowded week alongside Kane & Lynch, new entries for Need for Speed, Area 51, WWE SmackDown, Rayman Raving Rabbids.

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Weeks like this one are a cruel reminder that people have unlimited wants, but painfully limited means to achieve them. There are more than 50 new games expected to arrive at retailers this week, with new installments from some of the biggest franchises in gaming, and a few of this year's most anticipated new intellectual properties.

If any game can be said to headline this week's releases, it would have to be Super Mario Galaxy. With the GameCube and the Nintendo 64 hosting only a single proper Mario game each, new console excursions for Nintendo's platforming plumber have been rare in the last decade.

However, Mario will still have to fight for his sales figures. This week, the Wii will also see the release of Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (also for the DS), Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles, and Geometry Wars Galaxies.

Huge new releases on multiple platforms may also cut into Super Mario Galaxy's sales, as gamers could easily blow a budget picking up Assassin's Creed, Kane & Lynch, WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008, Beowulf, BlackSite: Area 51, and Need for Speed ProStreet.

On the PC front, Crysis makes its long-awaited debut, while SimCity Societies offers developer Tilted Mill's take on the long-running city management game. Portable systems aren't being left out either, as DS owners will finally get to play id Software's Orcs & Elves, Contra 4, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Portable welcomes releases like Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops Plus, Sonic Rivals 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command.

The week's downloadable releases will have a hard time keeping up with the sales of their retail counterparts. On the Virtual Console, Nintendo is offering the NES game Volleyball for 500 Wii points ($5), Super Nintendo shooter Axelay for 800 Wii points ($8), and the horizontally scrolling NeoGeo action game Blue's Journey for 900 Wii points ($9). Over on the Xbox Live Arcade, Microsoft will release its 100th game for the service this Wednesday, as Activision's Shrek-N-Roll and THQ's Screwjumper launch worldwide (except for Korea and Japan). Each game will sell for 800 Microsoft points ($10).

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

NOVEMBER 12, 2007
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii)
BlackSite: Area 51 (PC, Xbox 360)
Need for Speed ProStreet (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, DS, PS2)
Orcs & Elves (DS)
SimCity Societies (PC)
WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, Wii, PS2, DS)
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (PC)
Boogie (PS2)
Beowulf (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Cars Mater-National (Wii)
Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: Imagination Invaders (DS)
Ultimate Mortal Kombat (DS)
Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command (PSP)
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis (Wii)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 (Wii)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (PSP)
Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (DS)
Smarty Pants (Wii)
Volleyball (Wii Virtual Console)
Axelay (Wii Virtual Console)
Blue's Journey (Wii Virtual Console)

NOVEMBER 13, 2007
Assassin's Creed (PS3, Xbox 360)
Crysis
Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 (Wii, DS)
Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP)
Contra 4 (DS)
Geometry Wars: Galaxies (Wii)
Fire Pro Wrestling Returns (PS2)
Tomb Raider: Anniversary (Wii)
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (PS2)
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (PSP)
Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (Wii)
Jenga World Tour (DS)
Cooking Mama 2: Dinner With Friends (DS)
The King of Fighters XI (PS2)
Petz: Dogz 2 (PS2, DS, PC, Wii)
Petz: Catz 2 (DS, PS2, Wii, PC)
Petz: Horsez 2 (DS, PS2, Wii, PC)
Petz: Hamsterz Life 2 (DS)
Baby Pals (DS)
Next Life (PC)
Soldier of Fortune: Payback (Xbox 360, PC)
Dancing with the Stars (PS2)
Imagine Fashion Designer (PC)
Monster Jam (PS2)
EverQuest II Rise of Kunark (PC)
EverQuest Secrets of Faydwer (PC)

NOVEMBER 14, 2007
Shrek-N-Roll (Xbox Live Arcade)
Screwjumper! (Xbox Live Arcade)

NOVEMBER 15, 2007
Word Jong (DS)
America's Army: True Soldiers (Xbox 360)
Left Behind: Eternal Forces Expansion Pack (PC)
Super Fruit Fall (DS)
Ghost in the Sheet (PC)

NOVEMBER 16, 2007
Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity (Wii)

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