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Shippin' Out May 19-23: Wii Fit, Age of Conan, Haze

By Tom Magrino, GameSpotPosted May 19, 2008 3:40 pm PT

Headliners join Penny Arcade Adventures on XBLA, SingStar on PS3, and Lost Planet redux on 360, PC.

Retailers and Nintendo may be at odds on when Wii Fit will actually land on store shelves, but one thing is certain: The $90 fitness simulator will be a hot commodity this week. Already a best-seller in Japan, the game offers more than 40 exercises that span muscle strengthening, aerobics, balance, and yoga. Though reviewers have questioned its actual health impact (GameSpot will be conducting its own informal study in the coming weeks, to be posted on the Wii Fit blog), Nintendo has touted the fact that the game tracks users' body mass index and other health indicators to provide a reliable target fitness age.

For the middle of May, the week has a number of other tidbits that may pique the interest of the gaming class. Funcom will release its long-awaited Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures for the PC. (An Xbox 360 version is slated to arrive later this year.) Funcom's oft-delayed M-for-Mature-rated massively multiplayer online role-playing game is set in Robert E. Howard's brutal universe, in which players can take on one of 12 roles in Conan's kingdom. According to Funcom, the game's collector's edition has completely sold out and will not be reissued.

Speaking of oft-delayed games, Ubisoft and Free Radical's Haze will descend on retailers this week. Originally slated to arrive for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in early 2007, the first-person shooter underwent a series of delays and platform changes, eventually settling on a May 20 release exclusively on the PlayStation 3. The M-rated game offers players a dystopian future world ruled by all-powerful megacorporations.

Also exclusively on the PlayStation 3 this week is the Sony Europe-developed SingStar. The first edition of SCEE's karaoke franchise to arrive on the publisher's current-generation console, SingStar offers a variety of licensed tracks and music videos for at-home sing-alongs, and Sony promises that more music will be available for download through the PlayStation Network and SingStore.

On the Xbox 360 and PC, Capcom will be revisiting its bug-swatting third-person shooter from early 2007 with Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition. A redux of the original, Colonies Edition offers new single and multiplayer modes, and the game's online component has received a robust suite of new weapons, maps, and playable characters.

On the downloadable front, Hothead Games' Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode One lands on Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday for 1,600 Microsoft points. The adventure game series based on Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins' popular gaming-industry webcomic will also be available for PC, Linux, and Mac through the budding entrepreneurs' online storefront, Greenhouse Interactive.

With Nintendo's WiiWare channel making its first rotation in the US last week, the publisher returns with a pair of new games: Hudson's vertical-scrolling shoot-'em-up Star Soldier R (800 Wii points, $8) and Konami's puzzle-action game Critter Round-Up (1,000 Wii points, $10). The stalwart Virtual Console also receives one addition from days gone by, Namco's Sky Kid (500 Wii points, $5), originally released on the NES in 1985.

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

MAY 19, 2008
Critter Round-Up (WiiWare)
Sky Kid (Wii VC)
Star Soldier R (WiiWare)
Theatre of War (PC)
UEFA EURO 2008 (X360, PS3, PS2, PSP)

MAY 20, 2008
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)
Dracula: Origin (PC)
Haze (PS3)
SingStar (PS3)
The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure (PC)

MAY 21, 2008
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness (X360, PC)
Wii Fit (Wii)

MAY 22, 2008
Sony had not revealed its weekly update as of press time.

MAY 23, 2008
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition (X360, PC)

79 Comments

  • tony2077ca

    Posted May 24, 2008 11:26 pm PT

    The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure anyone know what this is

  • trdrstv

    Posted May 22, 2008 2:13 pm PT

    @BoogieManZero
    Man I feel bad for Free Radical. I am an exclusive 360 owner but I didn't even want Haze to fail.... Hopefully they don't take it too hard, learn from their mistakes and put out another amazing TimeSplitters game in the near future.

    Dude, I would Kill for a TimeSplitters 3 on the Wii (yes the Wii, play Metroid Prime 3 and you'll understand)... I hope to hell they go and do that next....

  • peetowser

    Posted May 22, 2008 4:53 am PT

    Under 50k really?
    Wow that really is hard for Nintendo, I guess releasing a fitness game just as summer is starting isn't so smart huh? *sound of a forehead being slapped echoing in the distance*

    Trying to invoke initial launch shortages can control the damage sometimes, but geez, that's ordinary to say the least.

    Penny Arcade looks like fun, Haze i didn't care much for the demo, felt like Ubisoft did it and messed with a successful team. But after TimeSplitters I'll give 'em a chance and try it SP and online for the developpers, the story was kinda cool at least with the beserking teammates when they get shot in the Nectar tank LOL.

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted May 21, 2008 10:40 pm PT

    wii fit opening week in the US - under 50k sold.

  • DRXgamer93

    Posted May 21, 2008 5:56 pm PT

    Wii SUCKSSSKSKSKSKS 'nuff said its graphics are horrible and the games have quite possibly no though into them. i mean really how long does it take to think of a wii fit or some other sucky thing like that

  • pinkyfoo

    Posted May 21, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    Nintendo sucks and so does wii fit.

  • patriotsrule47

    Posted May 21, 2008 1:32 pm PT

    I keep getting hyped up for ps3 games but they keep dissapointing. Now I'm even starting to think MGS4 and Killzone 2 will dissapoint too. Right now I'm having alot more fun with my xbox. Yes I own both systems

  • dragonsama

    Posted May 21, 2008 6:43 am PT

    Penny - Arcade is finally out. this is the game of the week right here.

    and Haze looks to be a very good game. I won't call it the "halo killer" but is will be a very fun FPS.

  • Ranteal

    Posted May 21, 2008 12:39 am PT

    Sooooo tired of people talking about Halo. Those days are long gone people!!! This is the now, a time to walk with grape-skinned frogs and sing to the sun. Ra will see that soon, yogurt hills have no business in heaven!!!! Be gone foul music, lest my logo burn a hat box!!!

  • Ranteal

    Posted May 21, 2008 12:35 am PT

    Im so getting "Johnny Hammer vs The Flower-Eating Garden Babies" when it comes out. Those stupid babys aint gonna ruin my garden!!!

  • jop360

    Posted May 20, 2008 8:10 pm PT

    HAHAHHAHAA ....o wow. For people/Sony fan boys that tried to say this was going to knock down halo...Pfffft. I bought it and was looking forward to a great game...only to get disappointed. It was ok..."Could" have been a lot better....no to go trade it in.

  • MetalMan300

    Posted May 20, 2008 6:21 pm PT

    @ShadoweaverCode

    Haze = 6.0., not 7.5-8.5.

    Cant wait for lost planet.

  • Anti-Nerd_Gamer

    Posted May 20, 2008 5:55 pm PT

    Sry dude, but ur wrong too, its the 21st... cough...cough

  • footfoe2

    Posted May 20, 2008 4:21 pm PT

    Actually Haze comes out on the 22 in america. Man haze looks awesome i want it now!

  • delcidanddarth

    Posted May 20, 2008 2:29 pm PT

    Hahaha. GS is conducting it's own, "informal" study on the benefits of Wii fit? Is this happening between soda breaks while writing reviews? Why don't you guys leave scientific health studies to health professionals? I'm sure some sports science student will do the exact same thing, but with a better experimental setup and sound statistics vs. a watered-down "This editor felt lighter after a week on the balance board. This editor didn't."

  • TheVinster

    Posted May 20, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    Looking forward to Age of Conan if the review is good. Also started checking out Penny Arcade, just bought a point card for that (which will be 1,600 MS points ($20)). Tried to pre-order Wii Fit too late and couldn't, but the reviews have been average at best so far.

  • EnderSR388

    Posted May 20, 2008 1:06 pm PT

    We get that Penny Arcade crap instead of Bionic Commando Rearmed this week!? Great.

  • ClassicPlayer

    Posted May 20, 2008 12:58 pm PT

    Haze I'm not too sure about, but UEFA EURO 2008 I'll give a go at in a couple of weeks, and my friends will be suprised about Lost Planet Colonies. Seems like a decent week all in all.

  • hotdork70minus1

    Posted May 20, 2008 12:51 pm PT

    Halo wasn't bad at all, the problem is that there was too much expected of it. The HAZE demo say's it all anyway, IGN's review seemed right on as far as I could tell from the demo.

  • Rebelyell7 posted May 20, 2008 11:35 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Rebelyell7

    Posted May 20, 2008 11:35 am PT (hide)

    Well, halo was pretty bad, but that got hyped up the ass now didn't it

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