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Shippin' Out 2/12-2/16: Ratchet & Clank PSP, Wii Play

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

Nintendo's new accessory bundle and PlayStation Portable offerings take center stage on the new-release shelves this week.

It's mostly quiet on the retail front of the next-gen console wars this week, as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 go without a single new release in stores. The lone next-gen shot fired at retail for the week comes in the form of Wii Play, Nintendo's $50 Wii Remote-and-minigames bundle.

While living-room loyalists look for an escalation of hostilities with next week's releases of Crackdown, Virtua Fighter 5, and Sonic and the Secret Rings, the PlayStation Portable is stealing the limelight this week.

Sony's handheld has five new games scheduled to ship for it this week, led by the portable debut of Ratchet & Clank. Developed by High Impact Games, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is the first title in the series not developed by Insomniac Games (which also developed the original Spyro the Dragon and PS3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man).

Backing Sony's dynamic duo on the PSP this week is a pair of movie-based PSP games, Rockstar Games' beat-'em-up The Warriors and Take-Two's Ghost Rider (also shipping for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance). Those interested in games with an international flavor to them can check out two PSP imports, Atlus' role-playing game Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner and Mastiff's action RPG Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure.

The PS2 is also receiving an import this week in the form of Natsume's adventure game Chulip, in which players improve their reputation to kiss the girl of their dreams. Over on the PC, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game EverQuest gets its 13th expansion with The Buried Sea, available as a $29.99 download from the Sony Station.

As for the week's downloadable retro offerings, Nintendo released Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, and Ice Climber for the Wii on Monday, and Microsoft has Paperboy scheduled to arrive on the Xbox Live Marketplace Wednesday morning.

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

FEBRUARY 12, 2007
The Warriors (PSP)
Wii Play (Wii)
Kid Icarus (Wii)
Ice Climber (Wii)
Kirby's Adventure (Wii)

FEBRUARY 13, 2007
Backyard Baseball 2007 (PS2, PC)
Ghost Rider (PS2, PSP, GBA)
Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner (PSP)
Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (PSP)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP)
Disney's Kim Possible: Global Gemini (DS)
F-24: Stealth Fighter (DS)
Secrets of the Ark: Broken Sword IV (PC)
EverQuest: The Buried Sea (PC)
Great Invasions (PC)
Monopoly Here and Now (PC)
Close Combat: Cross of Iron (PC)
FEBRUARY 14, 2007
Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar (PC)
Chulip (PS2)
Paperboy (Xbox 360)

FEBRUARY 16, 2007
Alien Shooter: Vengeance (PC)

Brendan Sinclair
By Brendan Sinclair, Senior Editor

Brendan Sinclair has been a games journalist since 1999. His tastes are eclectic, though he has a definite affinity for games with arcade roots. He's Canadian, but has also been at home in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, and San Francisco.

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ToaInikaJaller 5 pts

Heres what is needed on the VC: -Super Smash bros -Mario KArt SNES -Mario 3

oscarVD 5 pts

ps3 is the best console the wii is just a pice of crap still i play it some times any way.

ShuuMutou 5 pts

Get Ratchet and Clank you people, great game so frustrating in battles with bosses. Go get it, buy it, not hire.

Alcotamaysees 5 pts

Geez, I can't believe there releasing a portable warriors game. That was released more than a year ago.

Kbs64 5 pts

Party at the Wii House!! haha.. now if only I could find a Wii...

theKSMM 34 pts

No downloadable games from Sony for the PlayStation 3. They really better get something going with the PlayStation Network. The sad thing is that with the PS3 and PSP, they probably have the the PS3 or the PSP would be incredible. They'd certainly have my business.

SavoyPrime 26 pts

Looks like the PSP will be having a decent week.

LivleyLegend 5 pts

so many good games coming out lately i want a PSP and ratchet and clank size matters

Chief_Kuuni 5 pts

good games coming out, can't wait

vix 5 pts

WOOO, Chulip! Finally! only after three years of pushing back the date...

LosDaddie 5 pts

Wii Play is a must-buy! Go, Wii60!!:D

g3kk0u 5 pts

~sigh~I guess I need to buy Crackdown for the Halo 3 beta...Bring on Viruta Fighter 5!

rocket144 5 pts

i hate psp... I had it for 2 years and sold every game i get.. : (

chrisdojo 5 pts

dang.....lots of goodies on feb 12!!!

zsc4 5 pts

Nothing encouraging for the 360.

rome0061 5 pts

What do you mean the PS2 engines are not compatible with PSP? Dur. Metal Gear's engine is directly from Snake Eater.

Slash_out 30 pts

Xoonaka But secondly, the DS is basically a GBA x2 as far as hardware goes, so any developer who made GBA titles already has a working DS engine to start with. PS2 engines don't work on PSP at all, so if you're making a PSP game you need to start the engine from scratch. --------- Don't get it wrong, but the DS is not a GBA x2. The DS is less powerfull than PSP. But it's stiff much more powerful than a GBA, and has different functionalities. One of the processor of the DS has 3D abilities, for one. i won't get into too much details isnce I don't remember them well. That said, the DS has two processor, working independently or in sync, it has a touch screen, and a few other fonctionalities. So don't ever mistake it for a Ds or give fake arguments like it's a GBA x2. The difficulty of programing on the DS and GBA is a lot more different than it was is between a PS2/PSP. You could make a comparaison between PS2/PSP and DS/N64.

SephirothSyZtem 5 pts

Sweet! kirby's adventure was one of the best nes games to ever come out. Good bye to you my $5.

GFofgaming 5 pts

Gonna get Rachet and Clank or warriors. I think i will go for Rachet.

Xoonaka 5 pts

[QUOTE]I do think its harder to make a DS game, if you think about it. Making it for two screens, using the touch-screen, graphical limitations (although, I dont mind the DS's graphics at all. Its portable, I want fancy graphics on home consoles). While, for the PSP, its like making a PS2 game, except different disk forum, and without a few buttons.[/QUOTE] Actually, development wise it's much harder to make a PSP game. For one, Nintendo is usually better in their SDK development. But secondly, the DS is basically a GBA x2 as far as hardware goes, so any developer who made GBA titles already has a working DS engine to start with. PS2 engines don't work on PSP at all, so if you're making a PSP game you need to start the engine from scratch.

compewtore 5 pts

Orasion_Seiz i am definitley picking up chulip.

interpolred 5 pts

I really want to play Kirby's Adventure!

BallGame 5 pts

MORE Wii VC GAMES! They need to be releasing 20 a week, especially if they are going to be releasing crappy ones. This week is pretty good though.

Uzburacuz9 5 pts

Ratchet and clank huh..its gonna have to wait. im too busy playing loco roco..this game is addictive!! lol

elektrixxx 5 pts

Finally, everyone's gonna realize that Wii Play isn't the gigantic game that everyone on the forum hypes it to be. Some people, are actually disappointed that the game, but they should've done their research.

Theclow 5 pts

'Everybody votes' what's that? A voting channel?

SMASHgaming 5 pts

Also if you have a Wii go to WiiWare and download Everybody Votes Channel for free!

GatoFeo 5 pts

Ratchet and Clank, seems popular... I outta try it out.

ocdog45 5 pts

all i want is wii play....and a nintendo wii as well

Stammalamma 5 pts

Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters looks sick-nasty-awesome! P-I-M-P

_great_waddles_ 5 pts

To Lumines: That may be true. But Id rather be cautious, as I have been since Insomniac sold Spyro. Enter the Dragonfly was a pretty bad game. To GunGriffin: I do think its harder to make a DS game, if you think about it. Making it for two screens, using the touch-screen, graphical limitations (although, I dont mind the DS's graphics at all. Its portable, I want fancy graphics on home consoles). While, for the PSP, its like making a PS2 game, except different disk forum, and without a few buttons. Or I think. I dont own a PSP, so, I dont know how it plays. To Oscar: Care to tell us how the Wii sucks? Must be all the innovation its putting in the gaming industry... *sarcasm*

lumines_god 5 pts

most of the people developing for high impact studios worked for insomniac. I also feel that a VC game should not be listed on the "shipping out" report.

GunGriffin 5 pts

I think it's funny that the DS only gets two games to the PSPs four. Not that the DS sucks or anything I just think the devs on the DS don't know how to make games for it yet. Any way I hope the new Pokemon game comes soon for DS owners, and I hope it's in 3D this time around. On the other hand I only have a PSP and a Xbox360. So this is a good week for me.

_great_waddles_ 5 pts

Although I dont own a PSP, and probably wont, atleast not for a while, I can say I think the New Ratchet and Clank is gonna, well, stink. And thats coming from a fan of the series. Look what happened with Spyro when Insomniac stopped backing it. Insomniac can make great games. I cant name one that wasn't fun to play (even though Im yet to play Resistance or their game/games before Spyro). However, I dont think it was wise for them to allow a game with Ratchet and Clank on it, since it could ruin its name. Im very skeptical for this game. I hope this game will do good for the Ratchet and Clank series, and, although Im a DS fan, the PSP

Gigatron 5 pts

Sweeeet! Kim Possible!!! Clearly the highlight of this week are the stellar Wii Virtual Console releases. Finally! The cult classic Kid Icarus has returned!!!!

b11051973 5 pts

I picked up Wii Play at Best Buy today. (needed second controller anyway) Got a reservation at Gamestop for Ratchet & Clank. Picking it up tomorrow. They also gave me a UMD demo for R&C. It played really well. I'm so hyped for the game.

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