Shippin' Out Oct. 4-10: Wii Fit Plus, Spore Hero, NBA

Is it October already? Apparently, as the three-way face-off between 2K Sports, EA Sports, and Sony's pro-basketball franchises has arrived. Actually, it's more of a two-and-a-half-way face-off, since following the critical fouling of last year's NBA 09 The Inside on the PlayStation 3, NBA 10 The Inside is only being released on the PSP.

Fortunately, neither 2K nor EA is half-stepping its efforts, with both NBA 2K10 and NBA Live 10 hitting a variety of platforms. As outlined in GameSpot's exclusive first-look preview, NBA 2K10 boasts a variety of additions, including the single-player "My Player" mode that casts players as an up-and-coming hoopster and the create-a-draft option in Association mode. NBA Live 10 features upgraded animations, improved Dynamic DNA, and storylines based on real-life players' performance throughout a season.

For those who prefer real-life exercise, Wii Fit Plus goes on sale on Sunday. The new-and-improved version of the 2007 hit will add 15 new balance games, six additional strength-training exercises, and an option for players to customize their workout routines--a major criticism of the original. It will be available a la carte for $20 or as part of a $100 bundle with the Wii Balance Board.

Also arriving on the Wii is Spore Hero and its DS sibling, Spore Hero Arena. The all-new adventure will see players take control of a creature that crash-lands on a new planet and must deal with its quirky inhabitants in order to save the world. As the story-driven game progresses, players can upgrade their creatures with a number of brightly hued body parts.

Gamers looking for more mature titles have several options this week. For the itchy trigger finger crowd, there's Codemasters' Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, the latest installment in the Tom Clancy-like military tactical shooter series. For the sword-and-sorcery set, there's the PlayStation 3-exclusive role-playing game Demon's Souls from Atlus and From Software. Finally, for the "gorno" crowd, Konami is offering its film-inspired vivisection simulation Saw.

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

OCTOBER 4, 2009

Wii Fit Plus / Wii / Sports / Nintendo

OCTOBER 5, 2009

Fatale / PC / Adventure / Tale of Tales
Squeeballs Party / DS, Wii / Puzzle / Performance Designed Products

OCTOBER 6, 2009

A Witch's Tale / DS / Role-Playing / NIS America
Afrika / PS3 / Adventure / Natsume
Demon's Souls / PS3 / Role-Playing / Atlus Co.
Disney Sing It! Pop Hits / PS2, PS3 , Wii, X360 / Puzzle / Disney Interactive
Game Party 3 / Wii / Puzzle / Midway
Hands On! Tangrams / DS / Puzzle / Storm City Games
Imagine: Zookeeper / DS / Puzzle / Ubisoft
Naruto Shippuden: Legends: Akatsuki Rising / PSP / Adventure / Namco Bandai
NBA 10 The Inside / PSP / Sports / SCEA
NBA 2K10 / PS2, PS3, PSP, X360 / Sports / 2K Sports
NBA Live 10 / PS3, PSP, X360 / Sports / EA Sports
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising / PC, PS3, X360 / Action / Codemasters
Saw / PS3, X360 / Action / Konami
Spore Hero / Wii / Action / Electronic Arts
Spore Hero Arena / DS / Action / Electronic Arts
Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes / PC, DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360 / Action / LucasArts
The Biggest Loser / DS, Wii / Sports / THQ
The Sims 2: Best of Business Collection / PC / Simulation / Electronic Arts
Zenses Zen Garden / DS / Puzzle / Game Factory

OCTOBER 7, 2009

BioShock / MAC / Action / 2K Games
Lucidity / PC, X360 / Puzzle / LucasArts
South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play! / X360 / Strategy / Microsoft Game Studios

OCTOBER 8, 2009

Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta / PS3 / Role-Playing / Bethesda Softworks
Fallout 3: Point Lookout / PS3 / Role-Playing / Bethesda Softworks

OCTOBER 9, 2009

Cities XL / PC / Strategy / Monte Cristo Multimedia
MotorStorm Arctic Edge / PS2 / Driving / SCEA
Shimano Xtreme Fishing / Wii / Sports / Mastiff