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Shippin' Out March 9-14: Smash Bros. Brawl, Condemned 2

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Mar 10, 2008 2:20 pm PT

Nintendo's delayed brawler finally arrives alongside Sega's atmospheric action sequel and a DS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.

This space is usually reserved to talk about the week's biggest upcoming releases, but this week's largest game is already out. Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii went on sale yesterday, following the Sunday release strategy Nintendo takes with many of its biggest products, including the DS Lite and Wii hardware launches. Although the Smash Bros. disc literally has too much game for some Wii systems to handle, the critical and commercial reception thus far has been exceedingly positive.

Smash Bros. is by no means the only anticipated game launching this week. Sega has the sequel to its Xbox 360-launch action game Condemned lined up; Condemned 2: Bloodshot will ship to retailers for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Bloodshot picks up a year after the first game left off, with players assuming the role of criminal-investigator-turned-homeless-drunk Ethan Thomas. As in the first game, the creepy action is focused on brutal melee attacks, typically with unorthodox weapons such as pipes and bricks.

Condemned is limited to Microsoft's and Sony's systems for now, but Sega also has something for Wii fans in the market for an M-for-Mature gaming experience. House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return combines both arcade sequels in the light-gun shooting franchise and adapts them to work with the Wii's motion-sensing controller.

Sports gamers have something to look forward to as well with the release of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 on the PS3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable. The latest installment in Konami's long-running soccer series (formerly known as Winning Eleven), Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 adds a few wrinkles to bring the franchise's sim-oriented gameplay more in line with the real deal, including the ability to have players take a dive to draw a foul.

Portable players get a few exclusive releases of their own this week. Square Enix brings the Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles series to the DS with Ring of Fates. PSP role-players won't go wanting, either, because Wild Arms XF brings the Sony-exclusive series to the handheld for the first time as a strategy RPG. Those looking for a little more action on the go can check out the shoot-'em-up Nanostray 2 for the DS.

In the downloadable arena, both the Wii Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade are welcoming a pair of games this week. Nintendo's online store sees a pair of imported 16-bit games, DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure for the Super Famicom (Super Nintendo) and Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu for the Sega Megadrive (Sega Genesis). In keeping with the heightened prices of previous Virtual Console localizations, both games will sell for 900 Wii points ($9). Meanwhile, Xbox Live Arcade will welcome the logic-puzzle game Brain Challenge for 800 Microsoft points ($10), and the casual puzzle game Bliss Island for 400 Microsoft points ($5).

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

MARCH 9, 2008 (Sunday)
Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

MARCH 10, 2008
Sudden Strike 3: Arms for Victory (PC)
DoReMi Fantasy: Milon's DokiDoki Adventure (Wii VC)
Puyo Puyo 2: Tsuu (Wii VC)

MARCH 11, 2008
Condemned 2: Bloodshot (Xbox 360, PS3)
House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return (Wii)
Insecticide (DS)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, PSP)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PS2)
Wild ARMs XF (PSP)
Imperium Romanum (PC)
Seven Kingdoms: Conquest (PC)
Nanostray 2 (DS)
Buzz! The Hollywood Quiz (PS2)
Buzz! Junior: RoboJam (PS2)
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates (DS)

MARCH 12, 2008
Brain Challenge (XBLA)
Bliss Island (XBLA)

MARCH 13, 2008
PlayStation Network release schedule not yet announced.

MARCH 14, 2008
No releases scheduled for today.

62 Comments

  • Inphure

    Posted Mar 14, 2008 8:32 am PT

    Is House of the Dead compatible with the Wii Zapper?

  • KittenToes

    Posted Mar 13, 2008 12:48 pm PT

    really looking forward to Condemned 2, and also Brawl looks awesome!!

  • bernie0

    Posted Mar 12, 2008 7:16 pm PT

    brawl is the best game i ever played

  • rayray345

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 10:08 pm PT

    Bliss Island looks freakin weird as f*@k!

  • AxL_2k7

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 7:31 pm PT

    Its something unusual, I think that this the first time that I ever seen a game been released in Mexico at the same time that in the US. If isn't the first time is the few ones that has "done" this. ^-^

  • lamprey263

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 4:25 pm PT

    there's some great games coming out in March, with SSBB just out, and Army of Two and Bully SE, and we've still Condemned 2 and Rainbow Six Vegas 2 to look forward to

    anyhow, another reason I desire not to ever get a PSP is the fact that the PSP games worth getting end up on the PS2. Silent Hill Origins made it to PS2 just the other week, Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror went from PSP to PS2, Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow will go from PSP to PS2 in a couple months, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories also went from PSP to PS2... now as we see here, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is going to the PS2. Though, the port I'm really looking forward to is the PS2 God of War: Chains of Olympus.

  • sonofabear17

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    damn I wish I had a Wii so I could pick up Brawl. And to all you people saying "Brawl is juat an updated version of meelee" no s%!*. Thats all any sequal is. They arent gonna completely change the gameplay, why fix whats not broken. They just add new stuff like online multiplayer and the level editor. Stop being fanboys its a good game so stop trying to bring it down.

  • HALCONAZUL

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 2:23 pm PT

    ok to all the fanboys...

    How many TRUE Mario, Zelda Pokemon etc games are made each year

    none they are most of the time 1 or 2 per generation

    maybe is the same formula... but if it not broken...why fix it?
    and how many Fifa, Madden Guitar Hero are verey year uh?

    Melee got released in 2001 and it is still playedthat was 7 years ago
    Brawl comes... and will be played until the next... in several years

  • XanderKage

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 12:27 pm PT

    God damn it, no PC for Condemned 2. I really liked the first one...

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 9:48 am PT

    nice condemned 2 is out, the first one was good

  • ashuncc2

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 9:21 am PT

    Eh, I'll wait for Vegas 2.

  • Mario_sonic_man

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 8:16 am PT

    why brawl why?

  • dmish82

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 6:31 am PT

    I hope Condemned 2 is good

  • Nineball2112

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 6:06 am PT

    I'm looking forward to picking up Bloodshot 2! This game should be sweet...

  • ferid84

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 5:36 am PT

    Why there is not PES2008 for PC WHY?!?!?!

    i feel 2008 will be a crappy year for pc unlike the 2007..

  • CrAzED_MOFO

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 4:30 am PT

    "Nintendo IS a great company but I am sick of the same old stuff over and over and over and over and over again. Brawl is a slightly updated Melee, thats all it is. Even fanboys I've talked admitted but still love it. Like I said, Condemned 2 is the true shining game of this week"

    Ah, I feel your pain. It's hard when you're trying to bash one set of people for buying the third sequel to a game, when you're busy buying the second sequel to a game.

    It's a heavy buden, no?

    He can bash on Super smash bros because even though they made 3 sequels its been out since the 90s as condemned released in 2005 big difference people have had time to play super smash bros more then they had condemned but i like metal gear thats even older

  • DonutTrooper

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 3:42 am PT

    Nothing like playing the iconic hero in Brawl who attacks more like a Metal Gear itself than the character being played.

  • sanjeev3

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 1:39 am PT

    I agree with pencilpusher, they keep re-releasing slightly improved versions of the game and getting a lot more than they deserve. This is why that one day, nintendo will go out of business. Some other gaming companies spend a good time making great games which are no doubt better than a lot of marios and the such and nintendo, though making a good, simple game, get a lot more publicity and money. The gameplay is good but they just cant keep going like this. They havnt really done much with themselves or playing the computer market fairly. I think if SSBB beats Spore for game of the year in 2008, then nintendo is really going too far, its a cheap win and spore is a new type of game which hasnt been done before or been rereleased with small improvements multiple times.

  • pencilpusher69

    Posted Mar 11, 2008 1:30 am PT

    09231991

    "Nintendo IS a great company but I am sick of the same old stuff over and over and over and over and over again. Brawl is a slightly updated Melee, thats all it is. Even fanboys I've talked admitted but still love it. Like I said, Condemned 2 is the true shining game of this week"

    Ah, I feel your pain. It's hard when you're trying to bash one set of people for buying the third sequel to a game, when you're busy buying the second sequel to a game.

    It's a heavy buden, no?

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