Shippin' Out August 27-31: Metroid 3, Warhawk, Tiger Woods, Blue Dragon, Stuntman
Quintet of heavy hitters join Dynasty Warriors: Gundam and downloadables such as Super Puzzle Fighter II and Ghouls 'n Ghosts; Guild Wars and Medieval II expansions also due.
Following the debut of critical darling BioShock, the wallet-walloping release schedule of late 2007 is going into overdrive this week. Although Midway has confirmed to GameSpot that Stranglehold now won't arrive until next Tuesday alongside Electronic Arts' similarly delayed Medal of Honor: Airborne, the pre-Labor Day slate is sporting a quarter of must-have titles.
At the top of every Nintendo-lover's shopping list is Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Heroine Samus Aran's non-Virtual Console debut on the Wii is being billed as the conclusion of her console adventures, following 2002's Metroid Prime and 2004's Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for the GameCube. The game's release is the culmination of Nintendo's "Month of Metroid" PR onslaught, which also saw reworked versions of classics Metroid (NES) and Super Metroid (SNES) released on the Wii.
"Now, an entirely new audience can experience this amazing first-person adventure," said senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications George Harrison, who apparently is still employed at Nintendo of America. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is rated T for Teen and retails for $49.99.
Those who find slinky exoskeleton-clad interstellar adventurers unappealing have several other options. Sony is releasing its much-ballyhooed first-party PlayStation 3 exclusive Warhawk, a reimagining of the 1995 PlayStation classic. As in the original, air combat will feature prominently in the new, online-multiplayer-only game, which will also feature ground forces. The T-for-Teen-rated game will be available for download at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday via the PlayStation store for $39.99 or on Blu-ray Disc starting tomorrow for $59.99.
North American Xbox 360s will also get their own exclusive this week in the form of Blue Dragon, which was released in Japan last December. Designed by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, the role-playing game will feature cartoon-style graphics and a fantasy setting, and will have players summon creatures to fight their foes for them.
Without question, the week's biggest multiplatform release is Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08. EA Sports' annual golf game is typically a major seller, with an E for Everyone rating allowing it a broad, all-ages audience. The 360 and PS3 versions of the game will retail for $59.99, the DS version for $29.99, and the PC, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable editions for $39.99.
Besides the aforementioned quartet, many other games arrive at retailers this week. PC gamers will get the Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms and Guild Wars: Eye of the North expansion packs, as well as Ultima Online: Kingdom Reborn, the revamped version of the classic online role-playing game. Stuntman Ignition, THQ's first attempt at reviving the driving franchise it bought in 2006, arrives on the PS2 and 360, while Wild Arms 5 shoots up the PS2. (A PS3 edition of Stuntman is due out next month.) Also of note is Koei's unprecedented series crossover Dynasty Warriors: Gundam for the 360 and PS3.
Last but not least, the 360 and PS3 will also welcome the same downloadable game in the form of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Also, the NES actioner Super C (500 Nintendo points), the SNES RPG Breath of Fire II (800 points), and Genesis classic Ghouls 'n Ghosts (800 points) became available for the Wii's Virtual Console today.
This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer information--actual dates may vary).
AUGUST 27, 2007
AUGUST 28, 2007
AUGUST 29, 2007
AUGUST 30, 2007
AUGUST 31, 2007
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
Join the conversation