Shippin' Out October 16-22: Batman: Arkham City

The big release season continues unabated, and releases don't get much bigger than Batman: Arkham City. But the Caped Crusader isn't heading to retail alone. Professor Layton returns to the DS and Insomniac is launching the latest in the Ratchet & Clank series. Rocksmith has the music genre covered this week, and Xbox 360 players can now try their hand at ruling the virtual people of a fictional banana republic.

Rocksteady's Batman makes his return to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this holiday season with this week's release of Arkham City. Arkham City is a follow-up to 2009's Arkham Asylum, and it places Bats in the open world of the aforementioned municipal to face another batch of villains. Under the watchful eye of "warden" Dr. Hugo Strange, who knows Batman's secret identity, inmates of Arkham City are free to do anything they want short of attempting escape.

Those looking for a cooperative PlayStation 3 game may want to give Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One a look. The latest release in Insomniac's inventive platforming series, All 4 One puts players in the shoes of either Ratchet, Clank, Quark, or Dr. Nefariousin, or players can select all of them in co-op mode for up to four players.

Level-5 and Nintendo have teamed for another entry in the whimsical Professor Layton puzzle series for the Nintendo DS this week. The fourth entry in the series, Professor Layton and the Last Specter sheds a light on how the master puzzle-solver met his young assistant Luke.

Ubisoft is taking its latest stab at the rhythm-game genre with the real guitar-controlled Rocksmith. The game begins by teaching players the basics of guitar playing and ramps up in difficulty as a player learns more. It come with an input jack that is compatible with "most electric guitars," and players can strum along to some 50 different tunes.

Kalypso's Caribbean El Presidente simulator makes its way to the Xbox 360 after its late August release on PC. As in previous entries in the series, Tropico 4 puts players in the shoes of the beloved, or hated, dictator of Tropico Island. New features this time around include an expanded economic system and political options that pit the player against foreign powers.

For further details on the week's games, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16
Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure--X360, PS3, PC, Wii, 3DS, Mac--Activision

MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
National Geographic Challenge!--X360, PS3, Wii--UTV Ignition Games
Professor Layton and the Last Specter--DS--Nintendo

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18
1001 Touch Games--DS--Maximum Family Games
Batman: Arkham City--X360, PS3--Warner Bros. Interactive
Beat Hazard Ultra--PS3--Cold Beam Games
Ben 10: Galactic Racing--X360, PS3, Wii, DS--D3Publisher
Big Foot: Kinf of Crush--Wii--Southpeak Interactive
Double Rivals Attack Pack!--PSP--Sega
Double Super Hero Pack!--PSP--Sega
Everybody Dance--PS3--SCEA
Family Feud 2012 Edition--X360, Wii--Ubisoft
Gem Smashers--3DS, Wii--Crave
JASF: Jane's Advanced Strike Fighters--X360, PS3, PC--Maximum Family Games
Jewel Time Deluxe--DS--O-Games
Jimmie Johnson's Anything With an Engine--X360, PS3, Wii--Konami
Jungle Speed--Wii--Tommo
Max & the Magic Marker: Gold Edition--PS3--Pan Vision
Minute to Win It--X360--Zoo Games
Motion Explosion!--X360--Majesco
Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact--PSP--Namco Bandai
Okabu--PS3--SCEA
PowerUp Heroes--X360--Ubisoft
Pet Zombies--3DS--Majesco
Petz Puppies & Kittens--DS--Ubisoft
The Price is Right: Decades--PS3, Wii--Ubisoft
Rachet & Clank: All 4 One--PS3--SCEA
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken--PS3--Ratloop Asia
Rocksmith--X360, PS3--Ubisoft
Sledgehammer--X360--Maximum Family Games
Sing4: The Hits Edition--Wii--Crave
The Sims 3: Pets--X360, PS3, PC, Mac--EA
The Sims 3 Plus Pets--PC, Mac--EA
Tropico 4--X360--Kalypso

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19
Bass Pro Shops: The Hunt - Trophy Showdown--Wii--XS Games
Bass Pro Shops: The Strike - Tournament Edition--Wii--XS Games
Dungeon Defender--X360, PC--Reverb

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20
Cities XL 2012--PC--Focus Home Interactive
Cut the Rope--DS--Chillingo
Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge--X360--Mad Catz
Paper Wars: Cannon Fodder--Wii--iFun4all