Shippin' Out: SF II' Hyper Fighting, Dungeon Siege II, Safecracker

July 31, 2006 3:17PM PDT

By Patrick Caldwell

Microsoft makes good on Xbox Live Wednesdays gaming with classic Street Fighter II, Gas Powered Games cranks out a Dungeon Siege II expansion, and THQ attempts back-to-back movie-to-game hits.

Most release weeks feature brand-new games filled to the brim with new features, new titles, and, well, new everything--at least on the surface. A couple of leading titles this week, however, are breaking that convention.

The most recent Tony Hawk game, American Wasteland, has been inducted into the best-sellers hall of fame for the Sony PlayStation 2. The latest iteration of Tony Hawk skateboarding combines a standard PS2 budget-priced Greatest Hits game with the original American Wasteland collector's edition. Released in October 2005, the collector's edition was a $60 version of American Wasteland that included two classic levels and skateboarders, a making-of documentary, and concept art.

Meanwhile, after a long wait and multiple delays, Capcom's online-enabled take on a 14-year-old classic fighting game will finally become a reality this hump day. Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting will sell for $10 as the fourth entry in Microsoft's Xbox Live Wednesday campaign on Xbox Live Arcade.

Also on Wednesday, The Adventure Company--best known for publishing modern adventure classics such as Syberia--will test the puzzle-solving skills of adventure gamers. Safecracker: The Ultimate Puzzle Adventure is a budget-priced PC title, developed by Kheops Studio, in which players must search for a deceased billionaire's fortune, hidden somewhere in one of 35 safes littered throughout a mansion. For more on Safecracker, check out GameSpot's Electronic Entertainment Expo 2006 coverage.

Tuesday will see the release of most of the week's titles, including one from a popular children's movie license. Publisher THQ scored a hit with its game adaptations of Pixar's film Cars across all game platforms, and investors and analysts rewarded the company after its first-quarter earnings report last Thursday. THQ hopes to break the bank once again with another film tie-in this week when it releases game versions of Nickelodeon's animated movie Barnyard for the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Game Boy Advance.

Gas Powered Games and Microsoft's first--and perhaps final--expansion pack to their action role-playing game Dungeon Siege II is hitting stores Tuesday. Dubbed Broken World, the PC expansion includes a new single-player campaign and a new race--plus a wrap-up to the game's storyline. Check out GameSpot's most recent coverage of Broken World for more information.

This week's new releases are listed below. The list is taken from retailer information, so actual dates may vary. Contact your local retailer for availability.

JULY 31
Atlantis Quest (PC)
Big Oil: Build an Oil Empire (PC)
Combat Mission Anthology (PC)
Super KO Boxing (Mobile)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland Enhanced Greatest Hits (PS2)

AUGUST 1
Barnyard (PS2, GC, GBA)
Battleground Europe: World War II Online (PC, Mac)
Dungeon Siege II: Broken World (PC)
FlatOut 2 (PS2, Xbox, PC)
Mage Knight: Apocalypse (PC)
Mahjong Towers Eternity (PC)
Poker Superstars II (PC)
Super Monkey Ball Adventure (PS2, GC, PSP)
VeggieTales: Larry Boy and the Bad Apple (PS2, GBA)