Shippin' Out 2/12-2/16: Ratchet & Clank PSP, Wii Play
Nintendo's new accessory bundle and PlayStation Portable offerings take center stage on the new-release shelves this week.
It's mostly quiet on the retail front of the next-gen console wars this week, as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 go without a single new release in stores. The lone next-gen shot fired at retail for the week comes in the form of Wii Play, Nintendo's $50 Wii Remote-and-minigames bundle.
While living-room loyalists look for an escalation of hostilities with next week's releases of Crackdown, Virtua Fighter 5, and Sonic and the Secret Rings, the PlayStation Portable is stealing the limelight this week.
Sony's handheld has five new games scheduled to ship for it this week, led by the portable debut of Ratchet & Clank. Developed by High Impact Games, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is the first title in the series not developed by Insomniac Games (which also developed the original Spyro the Dragon and PS3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man).
Backing Sony's dynamic duo on the PSP this week is a pair of movie-based PSP games, Rockstar Games' beat-'em-up The Warriors and Take-Two's Ghost Rider (also shipping for the PlayStation 2 and Game Boy Advance). Those interested in games with an international flavor to them can check out two PSP imports, Atlus' role-playing game Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner and Mastiff's action RPG Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure.
The PS2 is also receiving an import this week in the form of Natsume's adventure game Chulip, in which players improve their reputation to kiss the girl of their dreams. Over on the PC, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game EverQuest gets its 13th expansion with The Buried Sea, available as a $29.99 download from the Sony Station.
As for the week's downloadable retro offerings, Nintendo released Kid Icarus, Kirby's Adventure, and Ice Climber for the Wii on Monday, and Microsoft has Paperboy scheduled to arrive on the Xbox Live Marketplace Wednesday morning.
This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer information--actual dates may vary).
FEBRUARY 12, 2007
The Warriors (PSP)
Wii Play (Wii)
FEBRUARY 13, 2007
Backyard Baseball 2007 (PS2, PC)
Ghost Rider (PS2, PSP, GBA)
Monster Kingdom: Jewel Summoner (PSP)
Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure (PSP)
Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters (PSP)
Disney's Kim Possible: Global Gemini (DS)
F-24: Stealth Fighter (DS)
Secrets of the Ark: Broken Sword IV (PC)
EverQuest: The Buried Sea (PC)
Great Invasions (PC)
Monopoly Here and Now (PC)
Close Combat: Cross of Iron (PC)
FEBRUARY 14, 2007
Galactic Civilizations II: Dark Avatar (PC)
Chulip (PS2)
Paperboy (Xbox 360)
FEBRUARY 16, 2007
Alien Shooter: Vengeance (PC)
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