THIS WEEK’S RELEASES: NOVEMBER 19TH – NOVEMBER 25TH
It's a rare week when I can look at my "most anticipated" list down on the left and notice that all five titles on it are releasing in the same week… this is that week.
The final holiday push is in full swing now, and most of the remaining "A-List" titles will be finding their way to retail this week. While there are a ton of titles that could claim the coveted "Latenite's Pick of the Week" only one can find the everlasting fame and glory that title imparts. This week, that title is… (drum roll, please) Rock Band.
Sure, the genre isn't new, and it's a game that many will feel they've played before, but there's just something about Rock Band that is too tempting to resist. Maybe it's the chance to play the drums, maybe it's the fact that the guitar is a little larger than a ukulele, maybe it's just the thought of playing with friends or maybe, just maybe, it's the fact that in one of it's forms, it comes in a giant box, but Rock Band has that certain something that's going to set it apart from the rest.
Now, Electronic Arts has made no secret of the fact that they expect there to be serious shortages of the bundled version of the game, so if you haven't pre-ordered yet and do plan on getting the game before 2008, you may want to do so now, or at the very least, be ready to hit your local mass merchant on day one. According to some sources, once that initial supply of bundles are gone, there will not be a re-supply before the new year. What I'm saying is this – grab it now or face disappointment.
With that out of the way, let's move on to this week's highlights;
- Geometry Wars: Galaxies (WII)
- Bizarre Creations' twin-stick darling gets a full fledged sequel on the Wii – and it even includes a port of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved!
- Mass Effect (360)
- BioWare's epic sci-fi trilogy kicks off as you take the role of Commander Shepard and attempt to save the galaxy from the forces of a renegade alien army and an ancient menace.
- Rock Band (360 & PS3)
- The band is back together! Grab some friends and get ready to rock the night away!
- Soul Calibur Legends (WII)
- First off, I refuse to call this one Soulcalibur Legends. It's just not going to happen, ok? Secondly, am I the only one who thinks nothing good will come from this adventure game offshoot of Namco's classic weapon-based fighting series?
- Trauma Center: New Blood (WII)
- Don't touch the sides… oh wait, wrong game. The Trauma Center series jumps to the big screen as it makes it's debut on the Wii.
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3)
- See? you don't need great legs and a nice rack to search for treasure! Join Nathan Drake in the search for El Dorado. Depending on where you look, this one is already in stores.
- Unreal Tournament III (PC)
- Epic's premiere shooter comes back for another round, and I for one could not be more disappointed. Not because the game isn't going to be good, but because there's just no way my PC can handle it. Good stuff.
- Wii Zapper (with Link's Crossbow Training) (WII)
- Okay, so the game itself is really more of a tech-demo for the Wii Zapper, but it's still a peripheral that comes with a game.
Be sure to check out the below list for all the titles you can expect to find at retail this week.
- AMF Bowling Pinbusters (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Avatar: The Burning Earth (360) – 11/20/2007
- Baby Pals (DS) – 11/20/2007
- Cabela's Monster Bass (PS2) – 11/20/2007
- College Hoops 2K8 (360) – 11/20/2007
- College Hoops 2K8 (PS2) – 11/20/2007
- College Hoops 2K8 (PS3) – 11/20/2007
- CSI: Dark Motives (DS) – 11/20/2007
- Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS) – 11/21/2007
- Geometry Wars: Galaxies (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Ghost Squad (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Godzilla Unleashed (PS2) – 11/21/2007
- Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (DS) – 11/21/2007
- History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (PC) – 11/21/2007
- History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (PS2) – 11/20/2007
- Imagine: Fashion Designer (PC) – 11/20/2007
- John Deere: Harvest in the Heartland (DS) – 11/21/2007
- Luxor: Pharaoh's Challenge (PS2) – 11/21/2007
- Mario Party (DS) – 11/20/2007
- Mass Effect (360) – 11/21/2007
- Mass Effect (Limited Edition) (360) – 11/21/2007
- Medal of Honor: Airborne (PS3) – 11/20/2007
- Monster Jam (WII) – 11/20/2007
- Petz: Dogz 2 (PS2) – 11/24/2007
- Petz: Hamsterz Life 2 (DS) – 11/24/2007
- Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus (PC) – 11/21/2007
- Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus (PS2) – 11/21/2007
- Rock Band (360) – 11/21/2007
- Rock Band (PS3) – 11/21/2007
- Rock Band (Bundle) (360) – 11/21/2007
- Rock Band (Bundle) (PS3) – 11/21/2007
- Sega Rally Revo (PC) – 11/20/2007
- Showtime Championship Boxing (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Soldier of Fortune: Pay Back (PS3) – 11/20/2007
- Soul Calibur Legends (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Star Trek: Conquest (PS2) – 11/21/2007
- Star Trek: Conquest (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Strawberry Shortcake: The Four Seasons Cake (DS) – 11/21/2007
- Time Crisis 4 (with Guncon) (PS3) – 11/20/2007
- Timeshift (PS3) – 11/20/2007
- Trauma Center: New Blood (WII) – 11/21/2007
- Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3) – Released
- Unreal Tournament III (PC) – 11/20/2007
- Unreal Tournament III (Collector's Edition) (PC) – 11/20/2007
- Wii Zapper (With Link's Crossbow Training) – 11/20/07
Please keep in mind these are only estimated release dates and could change at any time.
