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Shippin' Out 9/11-9/15: Hockey, Lego Star Wars, Mario Hoops

By Tim Surette, GameSpotPosted Sep 12, 2006 12:30 pm PT

NHL 07 and NHL 2K7 face off, Legos take on Episodes IV-VI, and Mario brings his game to the DS.

It was definitely game time this past weekend as millions of Americans gathered around their television sets to get a look at their local football teams kick off the NFL season. The lull between NFL games won't be too painful for gamers, however, as plenty of new releases will available between now and the next helping of chicken wings.

Gamers can go from chucking pigskin to throwing octopi this week, with two new hockey releases preparing to cash in on the beginning of the professional hockey season in early October. Electronic Arts is releasing NHL 07 for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC, and PlayStation Portable, and 2K Sports is shipping out NHL 2K7 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox (a PlayStation 2 version is due later this month).

Right on the tail of the onset of hockey's pro season is the beginning of the NBA season, but it appears only one company is ready to dribble out a basketball game. With EA and 2K Sports set to release their games toward the end of the month, Nintendo is stepping up with Mario Hoops 3 on 3 for the Nintendo DS. However, instead of lanky millionaires throwing balls through hoops, the characters on the court are familiar faces from Nintendo's catalog, including Mario, Donkey Kong, and Princess Peach.

Also releasing this week is LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Game Boy Advance, DS, PSP, and PC. As the title suggests, the game takes on the first three Star Wars movies from the 1970s and 1980s, with a universe built out of the famous children's building blocks.

On the opposite spectrum of action games is THQ's Company of Heroes, a visceral PC real-time strategy game set during World War II. The well-reviewed game puts players smack-dab in the middle of the Allies' push into Nazi-controlled Europe and offers a multiplayer mode for up to eight combatants.

Offbeat games are also in season this week, with two of the stranger offerings making their way to US shores from Japan. Atlus localized the eerie PS2 action game Rule of Rose, and Majesco has imported the wacky DS culinary puzzle game, Cooking Mama.

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

SEPTEMBER 11, 2006
Hoyle Puzzle and Board Games 2007 (PC)
Backyard Baseball 2007 (PC)
Mario Hoops 3 on 3 (DS)
Hoyle Casino 2007 (PC)
Hoyle Card Games 2007 (PC)
Fuel (Xbox)

SEPTEMBER 12, 2006
LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy (X360, Xbox, PS2, GC, GBA, DS, PSP, PC)
Joint Task Force (PC)
NHL 07 (X360, Xbox, PS2, PC, PSP )
NHL 2K7 (X360, Xbox)
Rule of Rose (PS2)
Cooking Mama (DS)
Harvest Moon DS (DS)
Faces of War (PC)
Mega Man ZX (DS)
Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales (PC)
Blitzkrieg: Green Devils (PC)
ProStroke Golf - World Tour 2007 (Xbox)
Bounty Hounds (PSP)
Disney's Little Einsteins (GBA)
The Cheetah Girls (GBA)
My Little Pony: Crystal Princess Runaway Rainbow (GBA)
One Piece: Pirates Carnival (GC, PS2)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (PC)
Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. (PSP)
MechAssault: Phantom War (DS)
IGPX: Immortal Grand Prix (PS2)
Bomberman (PSP)

SEPTEMBER 13, 2006
Scramble (X360--via Xbox Live Marketplace)

SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
Company of Heroes (PC)
Great Invasions (PC)

SEPTEMBER 15, 2006
Galaxy of Games 5000 (PC)

37 Comments

  • _Sam_

    Posted Sep 14, 2006 4:48 pm PT

    I didn't love the first lego star wars, but I was compelled to beat it in about a day

  • Alcotamaysees

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 8:01 pm PT

    Nothing really that interesting.

  • SoraTheExtreme

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 4:48 pm PT

    thebuft: yeah cause EA's hockeygames has never been all alike *ironic overkill*

  • wildsoul0509

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 4:05 pm PT

    Mario bros. always have a sport videogame, now is turn of the DS to have one. that's great!

  • thebuft

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 3:58 pm PT

    good week for gamers bit i also agree with hotdork70minus1
    "Sad to say but 2k is pretty pathetic this year around. They just slapped last years game in more gloss."

  • hotdork70minus1

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 8:22 am PT

    Sad to say but 2k is pretty pathetic this year around. They just slapped last years game in more gloss.

    I am loving the new NHL 07 controls in this demo and it's about time some one changed them for the better. The game seems much more fluid and I can't wait to play the full version.

  • LordAndrew

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 7:56 am PT

    I don't think anyone wants to buy Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales anyway.

  • alexistheshitbe

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 6:27 am PT

    did the 360 version of NHL 2K7 get pushed back along with the ps2 version? as of september 12, it still hasn't hit store shelves and one guy at EB games said it had glitches that needed to be fixed so it may be another week or two until it comes out.

  • Gamepro2421

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 5:48 am PT

    finallly, some more good games on the DS, Starfox (i know that came out like a week ago but still this month) hoops, Harvest moon, Mega man, Lego II and cooking mama...yes boys and girls...cooking mama. So which one should i trade in my New Super Mario Bros. for? i'm thinkin either Harvest Moon, Hoops, or Starfox....any thoughts?

  • DarkJedi8_basic

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 4:06 am PT

    Just a heads up that Age of Pirates: Caribbean Tales is STARFORCE protected. Do NOT buy.

  • SoraTheExtreme

    Posted Sep 13, 2006 3:53 am PT

    SavoyPrime
    yeah, the first LEGO StarWars was awsome, made the story even better than the movies (ep. 1,2,3 are kinda crappy) I can't wait to see Luke, Solo and Leia blast away in blocks=)=)

  • boxcarracer565

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 9:45 pm PT

    PiMacleod_basic
    "bungie milking halo" ??? theres only been 2 halo games (soon 2 b three) and they sold like crazy. your retarded.

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 7:57 pm PT

    I'm gonna check out Lego Star Wars II.

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 5:50 pm PT

    i want lego star wars II!

  • Ryosagi

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 5:48 pm PT

    Cooking Mama FTW!!!

  • FallenAngel

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 5:05 pm PT

    Rule of Rose...Wheeee!!

  • SoraTheExtreme

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 5:03 pm PT

    I did'nt mean that you cannot re-use but to take a character and just milk title after title where you place the character out of place. Like Mariosports games or like Sonic The Riders... but I must admit that Mario Golf/Tennis Advance is great games (but that's mostly for the RPGstyle storymode and that Mario ain't the star of the show)

    Sadly Mario has'nt starred in a true Mario-game since Super Mario World... the 3D crap just did'nt make it in my eyes. But I have'nt gotten my hands on New SMB yet and I've heard alot of good things from friends about it.

  • Jebril

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 5:00 pm PT

    "you want 5 Mario games that are bad?
    Mario 64 DS
    Mario Baseball
    Mario Strikers
    Paper Mario 2
    Mario Party 4-7"

    Ok Mario 64 DS (8.4) is definetly not bad and neither is Paper Mario Thousand Years Door, (got a 9.2 gamespot), no Mario game has ever earned the "Bad" or "Poor" grading on gamespot and as a fact most have earned great or superb, it's rare where you will see fair for a mario game and those happen pretty much only on Mario Parties. Unlike Sega which milks Sonic but gets "Bad" and "Poor" gradings on gamespot quite a number of time.

  • wildsoul0509

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 4:50 pm PT

    i gonna buy mario hoops 3-on3

  • King_Dodongo

    Posted Sep 12, 2006 4:49 pm PT

    i'm waiting for harvest moon, mechassault and mario hoops!

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