Shippin' Out May 23-29: Super Mario Galaxy 2

The flow of big-name game debuts in May reaches a crescendo this week as Nintendo releases the sequel to GameSpot's 2007 Game of the Year, two high-profile combat racing games see multiplatform launches, and THQ's mixed-martial arts franchise officially gets annualized.

Yoshis are perfect as pets or meat!

Nintendo leads the week's releases both literally and figuratively with the Sunday launch of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Picking up where the critically adored original left off, Super Mario Galaxy 2 sees the return of Yoshi, a wealth of new power-up suits, and dozens of challenging new levels.

The Nintendo plumber's influence will be felt throughout the week, as Tuesday sees a one-two punch of combat racers that owe a debt to the seminal Super Nintendo spin-off Mario Kart. Activision's multiplatform racer Blur ditches the cuddly characters in favor of more realistic tracks, but there's no mistaking the assortment of power-ups and weapons strewn throughout the game's numerous courses.

Meanwhile, Sony brings the Little Big Planet motto of "play, create, share" to the genre with ModNation Racers for the PSP and PlayStation 3. As the motto suggests, ModNation lets players build and customize racetracks, racers, and vehicles, as well as share them with others using the PlayStation Network.

Finally, THQ rings the closing bell on the month's barrage of new releases with UFC Undisputed 2010. The publisher's first follow-up to last year's breakthrough hit will feature more than 100 league fighters, as well as commentary from ringside staples Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. THQ has also introduced a new sway and posture system to enhance a player's ability to defend and deliver coups-de-grace attacks, as well as incorporated new moves from the sambo, karate, and Greco-Roman wrestling disciplines.

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 Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later in the week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

May 23, 2010
Super Mario Galaxy 2--WII--Nintendo

May 24, 2010
Metal Torrent--DS--Nintendo
Art Style: light trax--WII--Nintendo
Manic Monkey Mayhem--WII--The Code Monkeys

May 25, 2010
Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force: Herbert's Revenge--DS--Disney Interactive
Dawn of Heroes--DS--Majesco Games
Backyard Sports: Sandlot Sluggers--X360, Wii, PC, DS--Atari
Tetris Party Deluxe--Wii, DS--Majesco Games
Witch's Wish--DS--Natsume
Blur--PS3, X360, PC--Activision Blizzard
UFC 2010 Undisputed--X360, PS3--THQ
ModNation Racers--PS3, PSP--SCEA
City Builder--WII--Virtual Play Inc.
Hexyz Force--PSP--Atlus Co.
Monster Frenzy--DS--Zoo Games
Little Bears--DS--Zoo Games
Sherlock Holmes: The Silver Earrings--WII--Dreamcatcher
Let's Paint--WII--Zoo Games
Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype--PS3--EastAsiaSoft
Pirates PlundArrr--WII--Majesco Games
Colour Cross--DS--Zoo Games

May 26, 2010
EVE Online: Tyrannis--PC--CCP