Shippin' Out February 11-15: Lost Odyssey, Professor Layton

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted Feb 11, 2008 4:06 pm PT

Japanese RPG and puzzle-mystery games lead a wave of new releases including Wipeout Pulse for PSP, 360 Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.

With Valentine's Day coming up this Thursday, the cliché adage states that love is in the air. While that may be true at school dances across the country, it remains to be seen if gaming retailers' new release shelves will elicit similarly enamored reactions.

There's no telling which of this week's new games will catch Cupid's eye, but at least there's plenty to like, both in new software and hardware. This past Sunday saw the release of Nintendo's latest dual-tone DS Lite, the cobalt-and-black combo, while Harmonix's long-awaited unbundled Rock Band instruments are set to arrive a little later in the week.

As for games, perhaps the most anticipated title on the docket is Microsoft's Lost Odyssey. Developed by Final Fantasy producer Hironobu Sakaguchi and his Mistwalker Studios, Lost Odyssey is the second Sakaguchi effort on the Xbox 360, with the first being 2007's Blue Dragon. The game follows the immortal warrior Kaim across four discs of role-playing, suggesting an appropriately just-shy-of-eternal adventure.

For lighter Japanese fare, gamers can check out Professor Layton and the Curious Village. Developed by Level 5, Professor Layton is a mystery game that provides a puzzling twist on previous DS standouts like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk. Players guide the titular professor and his assistant as they try to unravel the mystery behind an eccentric baron's will.

A handful of other notable titles are set for release in stores this week, as Brash Entertainment follows up its debut game, Alvin and the Chipmunks, with an adaptation of the new teleportation-centric theatrical release, Jumper. Ubisoft's Dark Messiah of Might and Magic makes its long-awaited debut on the Xbox 360, while Conflict: Denied Ops is confirmed for a multiplatform launch and Wipeout Pulse will be released for the PlayStation Portable.

As for downloadable offerings, both the Wii Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade will see a pair of new releases. Nintendo's downloadable service welcomes the Super Nintendo version of Harvest Moon and the TurboGrafx-16 CD shooter Lords of Thunder, each selling for 800 Wii points ($8). Microsoft's service gets its customary Wednesday update with the arcade classic Discs of Tron for 400 Microsoft points ($5) and the turn-based strategy game Commanders: Attack of the Genos for 800 Microsoft points ($10).

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

FEBRUARY 11, 2008
Nintendo Cobalt DS Lite (released Sunday, February 10)
London Taxi Rush Hour (Wii)
Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS)
Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue (PS2)
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids (PS2)
Harvest Moon (Wii VC)
Lords of Thunder (Wii VC)

FEBRUARY 12, 2008
Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360)
Jumper (Wii, Xbox 360, PS2)
Conflict: Denied Ops (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements (Xbox 360)
Wipeout Pulse (PSP)
Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (PS2)
Dungeon Explorer: Warrior of the Ancient Arts (DS)
Chessmaster: The Art of Learning (PSP)
Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate (PC)
Pirateville (PC)
Rock Band stand-alone instruments (PS3, Xbox 360)

FEBRUARY 13, 2008
Commanders: Attack of the Genos (XBLA)
Discs of Tron (XBLA)
Sam & Max Episode 203: Night of the Raving Dead(PC downloadable)

FEBRUARY 14, 2008
No releases announced.

FEBRUARY 15, 2008
The Experiment (PC)

74 Comments

  • ExireHG

    Posted Feb 14, 2008 7:17 pm PT

    If your still getting the game, it must not be that large of a concern. Loading times don't say much against an epic seeming RPG. I wish it was mutli platform though. PS2 had all the RPG's, I wish Last Odyssey was on the PS3 as well.

  • merick365

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 11:55 am PT

    (savoyprime) yeah i agree

  • SavoyPrime

    Posted Feb 13, 2008 8:02 am PT

    I'm picking up Lost Odyssey, but the technical flaws concern me.

  • Digital-Hero

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:54 pm PT

    I liked Blue Dragon so I'm sure Lost Odyssey will be my taste. Can't wait, I've been following that game since 2005.

  • ghost867

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 3:23 pm PT

    I think Lost Odyssey will flop. The Dragon Quest rip off failed (Blue Dragon) and I honestly think the Final Fantasy rip off will fail as well (Lost Odyssey). Sorry, but I have no faith in this game. Just my opinion, don't hate me for it.

    Conflict: Denied Ops looks pretty mediocre, and so does Dark Messiah. Though I'm looking forward to Wipeout Pulse. I've always loved the Wipeout games, great series. That one I'd really recommend.

  • Dj_Lizz

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 1:59 pm PT

    I have lost ods since jan and what i can say it its **** tempo slow than FF!L O L .well seing the list of there is no PS3 EX for this month really developers needs to learn the system LOL

  • Taegre

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 11:43 am PT

    Egh, already so sorry I didn't preorder LO. Figured I'd be too broke to pick it up after buying this laptop here yesterday. Ah well, I'll pick it up at work and start playing the second I get home at 9

  • memnoch2099

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 9:54 am PT

    Already have Lost Odyssey and all i can say is WOOOT!! Asian Version was released back in January hehehehehehe. Its nothing like Blue Dragon and IMHO Mistwalker upped the bar this time around!

  • rkgambill

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 9:53 am PT

    I've been waiting for Lost Odyssey for quite some time. As soon as my preorder comes in I'm all over it.

  • LinconSixEcho

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 9:37 am PT

    I've been waiting for WipeOut Pulse for a year and can't wait to get my hands on it in a day. Custom skins, custom soundtracks and photo uploads! The reason why I am so excited is because when it comes to the PSP or even the Nintendo DS for that matter, I'm rarely getting games for them because there just aren't enough for my taste. Mario Party DS and Castlevania PSP were the last ones I purchased. IMO WipeOut Pure really used the full power of the PSP when it was first released and now the Liverpool studio is upping the bar.

  • 360player_eq12

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 9:30 am PT

    wow how many of those games are straight to bargain bin?

  • Sins-of-Mosin

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 8:35 am PT

    I heard Conflict: Denied Ops is a horrible game but with coop so maybe a try. Otherwise, I hope the two DS games are good.

  • Loucetios

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 8:27 am PT

    GunGriffin

    who needs twisted metal on the psp when its coming to the ps3 next year!!

  • GunGriffin

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 8:25 am PT

    Pluse baby! Finaly! Custom ship skins, photo mode, online 8 player raceing, and online stats/rankings! It don't get better than that on a handheld! I love my PSP! I'll agree though that Wipeout: HD on the PS3 will be even better, as well as Wipeout PS3. Now all we need is a new Twisted Metal game on the PSP, and some news about Secrete Agent Clank for the PSP as well. Man I love this system! If Sony would bundle both Pulse and Final Fantasy Crisis Core in the US with a 2 GB memory stick duo, and all the other stuff that comes with the PSP you can bet it would sell like mad!

  • HALCONAZUL

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:53 am PT

    Blue Dragon is my favorite RPG on 360
    i hope Lost Odyssey is as good as Blue Dragon

  • Kenji_Masamune

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:46 am PT

    Well see how Lost Odyssey does. It does look very promising (4 dvds o_O ), however if the sale numbers for Blue Dragon were any indication, it's not going to be good.

  • Loucetios

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:35 am PT

    Lost Odyssey looks good, 7.6 average review isn't bad but i've kinda turned away from full turned based rpgs unless they are Strategy Rpgs like FFT or Disgaea, btw wheres the news that lair's control scheme is getting an overhaul in a patch sometime this year?

  • Loucetios

    Posted Feb 12, 2008 7:31 am PT

    Wipeout Pulse whoot, now just gotta wait for Wipeout HD and Wipeout(ps3) (yes they are 2 different games) Futuristic racing FTW

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