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The Fall release bonanza continues on strong this week, with several big games coming out.

Super Mario Galaxy (Wii) Mario needs no introduction. This is his first big outing on the Wii, and it is most assuredly a paragon of gaming excellence. No Wii owner should be without it.

Assassin’s Creed (PS3, 360) Ubisoft’s next big franchise? The game throws you into the middle of the third crusade, at the end of the 12^th century, as an Assassin who likes to get his parkour on while investigating and finally putting the hit on his targets. Reviews have been remarkably split on this one, ranging from 10/10 to 6/10. At least it looks cool.

Contra 4 (DS) Yes, you read that right. Contra. 15 years or so later, the Super Nintendo’s Contra III: The Alien War finally gets a real sequel. Forget all the failed 3D nonsense with the Contra name slapped onto it that has come out over the years since, this is the real deal. Developer Wayforward Studios are reverent scholars of the series, and have come up with a DS game that, not only lives up to its name, but also comes up with a sensible solution to the classic DS problem of how to use the second screen. They just make the levels twice as tall, and give you a grappling hook to quickly get to the top screen! That’s awesome, and now I’m ready to kick some alien ass.

Kane & Lynch: Dead Men (PS3, 360) IO Interactive are the guys behind the extremely well done Hitman series, and this is their latest offering. The titular Kane and Lynch are a couple of ex-con, straight-out-of-a-Tarantino-film types, no doubt out for revenge and/or a briefcase full of cash. If this sounds like a bad action movie to you, then you’re probably not far off judging from the reception the game has gotten so far. Still, there is something to be said for bad action movies, and by extension, bad action movie games. Rent it first, though.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus (PSP) Plus is not a sequel to, but rather an expansion of last year’s Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. It adds a mission generator that randomly assembles mission stages from a pool of resources, and an online play mode. Fans of the original game might be interested. Not a bad deal, at $20.

Need For Speed: ProStreet (PS3, 360, Wii, PS2) This year’s Need For Speed curiously eschews illegal street racing for the noticeably lamer legal alternative. The series has historically been shallow racing fun, in contrast to the incredible depth of something like Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport.

Orcs & Elves (DS) This first-person RPG originally appeared on cell phones. It was coded by Doom’s John Carmack himself, over 4 days. If you’re looking for something simplistic and a little retro, perhaps, you might want to give it a look.

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles (Wii) Take the entire Resident Evil series’ narrative over its first three entries, and spin it into a lightgun game, and you get Umbrella Chronicles for the Wii. If you liked House of the Dead, you’ll love this.

It’s a great day for DVD releases, especially because so much of what’s getting released I haven’t had the chance to see.  Looks like I’ll be working the Netflix cue on overtime in the coming winter months, especially with the darker days and writer’s strike of doom all but ending nightly television as we know it.  Can you smell my hyperbole?

As for this week’s big releases …

Ratatouille: Another year another Pixar movie which raises the bar for animation.  How they don’t win the Oscar every year is simple beyond my mind’s comprehension.

I Know Pronounce You Chuck and Larry: Another year, another retarded movie from Adam Sandler.  Sigh.  He disappoints me so.

Sicko: Michael Moore’s “controversial” documentary about the US healthcare system.  This one comes with some extended interviews and featurettes.

Deck the Halls: Another year another retarded Christmas movie, this time Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito are competing neighbors.

Reissues and other awesomely good sets.

The Coen Brothers Movie Collection: This one contains the classics, “Raising Arizona,” “Fargo,” “Miller’s Crossing,” “Barton Fink” and “Blood Simple.”  Even without any serious extras all of these movies need to be in your collection.

Chinatown - Special Collector’s Edition: I love this movie to pieces, in fact it might be my favorite movie ever made.  It works on so many levels.  I’ve even got a framed Italian one-sheet for this movie that is a work of art unto itself. Star Jack Nicholson recently sat down with MTV and he has some great stories about this movie.

Flight of the Concords - Season 1: I don’t have HBO, so I missed this entire phenomenon.  I’ve seen the guys in concert specials, so I know how funny and off-beat they can be.  Can’t wait to dig into this set at some point soon.

James Bond Ultimate Collector’s Set: Have you got $300 to pony up for every single Bond movie, from DR. NO to CASINO ROYALE?  This baby screams Christmas present and it even comes with 21 discs of bonus features for each movie.

Help!: The Beatles classic is released with lots of cool extras, including a making-of documentary, a deleted scene, memories from the cast and crew and more. You can also purchase a “deluxe edition” that comes with a reproduction of the script and a fancy book.

Plus, there are a shit ton of television seasons ranging from Seinfeld to Wings to The Cosby Show out today as well.  Head on over here to see a complete list of new releases.

This is a big time of year for game releases, and I am here to point out some of the more deserving titles.  I’m sure there will be more of note than I see, so feel free to make your own additions to my list in the comments section.

Guitar Hero III (360, PS3, Wii, PS2) - Bringing the noise this week is Activision’s 3rd installment in the popular Guitar Hero franchise.  New to this edition is the Les Paul styled guitar controller with improved fret buttons, bundled with the game disc, and wireless on all versions except the Xbox 360, which inexplicably comes with a wired guitar controller. The set list this go-around includes both Guns ‘n’ Roses and Metallica, so I think that covers just about everyone.

John Woo’s Stranglehold (PS3) - The martial-arts and gunplay action fest finally makes its way around to Sony’s machine.  Pick up the collector’s edition and get the HD version of Hard Boiled on the same Blu-Ray disc.

The Simpsons Game (360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS) - Normally games based on licensed properties are not worth anyone’s time, but I have heard surprisingly good things about this one.  If you are a big fan of the show and know enough about gaming cliches (in order to get a lot of the game’s humor), you might want to check this out.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360, PS3, DS) - In a year without BioShock, Halo 3, or The Orange Box, this would be without a doubt the FPS to get.  Which is not to say the game lacks luster.  Not at all.  COD4 has some of the best visuals around, and the multiplayer experience promises to give even the Master Chief a run for his money.  I have it on good authority that this game is “freakin’ sweet.”  Note that this only applies to the game as runs on the 360 and PS3.

Virtua Fighter 5 Online (360) - Fighting game franchises don’t get more hardcore than Virtua Fighter.  If you are a serious study, willing to put in hours and hours and hours (and hours) to learn the hundereds of moves and combos available to each character, then you might be competent enough to venture online for the first time in the series’s history and not be owned relentlessly.

Manhunt 2 (Wii, PS2, PSP) - The game finally sees release this month, after being slapped with an “Adults Only” rating by the ESRB back in June, and subsequently being denied license to publish the game on any major platform.  Developer Rockstar (of Grand Theft Auto fame) has reworked the gore and violence present herein to be granted a “Mature” rating instead.  Notable more for pushing the envelope in terms of controversy than decent game play, this is as serviceable a stealth action game as it may be.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (DS) - JRPG fans take note.  Spin-offs of the much-loved-in-Japan Dragon Quest series have a very good track record, and this game in particular has made a very good name for itself since being released in Japan.  Only for the DS gamer with lots of time to lose.

Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP) - The strategy-rpg series gets another quality entry.  The genre is really taking off on Sony’s portable, with Jeanne d’Arc and Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions also recently having come out.

Silent Hill Origins (PSP) - A prequel to the first Silent Hill game, and just as chilling.  Horror fans will have a good excuse to put on the headphones, close the curtains, and curl up on the couch with their PSPs.

Rather than fill a list with each and every game slated to be released each week, I’d like to shine a more finely tuned spotlight on a few more notable titles. Without further ado:

–> Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is being released for PC this week. See my post earlier in this blog for more info on this crazy fun game.

–> Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation releases this week on the Xbox 360. This series has always been about arcade-y fighter jet dog-fighting mixed with nice visuals and a nonsensical narrative, and has always been quite fun.

–> Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles takes the two most highly regarded entries in the long-running whip-wielding/vampire slaying action series, Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night, and bundles them together in this PSP release. Rondo of Blood never saw a western release in its true form, and this package not only includes the classic 16-bit version, but a fully remade version featuring fully polygonal “2.5D” graphics. This is where it’s at for console old-schoolers this week.

–> Clive Barker’s Jericho is out this week, but by all accounts it’s a stinker, so caveat emptor. Those into the survival-horror genre might get the most out of it. It’s on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

–> Conan, of barbarian fame, gets an action game on the PS3 and Xbox 360 this week, but it is not to be confused with the promising-looking upcoming MMO title.

–> Eye of Judgment is an interesting game, being a PS3-based collectible card game, played either wholly on the console, or using actual cards on an actual game map, via the PS3’s camera accessory. The game is reputedly very good and preventing cheating, as players scan their physical cards using the camera before playing.

–> Front Mission comes out for the DS this week. If you are a fan of strategy-RPGs, check this out. It is a re-release of the first entry in a great SRPG series, and one of the few to make it out of Japan.

–> Mega Man ZX Advent is out on the DS this week, and takes the old blue bomber to some new places, introducing Metroid-like exploration to the action series for the first time.

–> Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trials and Tribulations also sees release on the DS this week. This is the third entry in the popular Ace Attorney series, featuring cartoony trials and investigations. The series is known for it’s comedic writing and inventive gameplay, which is more about thoroughness than twitch action.

–> Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction comes out for the PS3 this week, after having it’s release date shifted around a few times. Fans of 3D action-platformers should celebrate, as this is the newest, and first of the new console generation, in this well-liked series.

–> Tomb Raider Anniversary is slated to hit the Xbox 360 this week, and for those who don’t know, the game is a remake of the very first Tomb Raider, which was an amazing and awesome game in its day. All reports say that Anniversary does a good job of upholding it’s good name, and the PS2 version which saw release earlier this year was certainly very good.

–> Zack and Wiki comes to the Wii this week, which should be good news for Wii owners looking for a 3D adventure game. I hear good things.

A double dose of the upcoming releases, covering this week and last! What to look out for this (two week period)!

* The Orange Box is a compilation of 5 games, including Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2 Episodes One and Two (each of which are seperate games from the original Half-Life 2), Team Fortress 2, and Portal. All of these games are of the utmost quality, and this is one hell of a deal for FPS fans. The Half-Life series’s narrative campaign sees three installments here, but Episode Two is the main draw, as it is the newest, and the versions of the other two games are re-releases.

Team Fortress 2 is a team-based multiplayer-only killfest where players choose from one of nine character classes to join the fray as, and has been getting rave reviews. Capping the collection off is Portal, an intriguing puzzle game played from the first person perspective using a gun-like device that can create wormholes. The player navigates three-dimensional puzzles by designating entrances and exits to these wormholes, and using them as insta-warps to transport himself to places otherwise unreachable. Quite hard to explain; it is best if it is seen in motion.

* Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is an interesting melding of a typical fantasy roleplaying game quest with a puzzle game in the vein of Bejeweled. The puzzles serve as the means of battling enemies that appear in the quest, and as you go along, your character gains experience, gold, and spells and abilities to influence the outcome of the puzzle battles along the way.

* Playstation 3 RPG fans will want to check out Folklore, and PSP owners will finally get their hands on the long-awaited remake of 1997’s strategy masterpiece Final Fantasy Tactics, which sports an all-new and surprisingly archaic period-English translation, along with stylish animated cutscenes.

* Are you a fan of early ’90s Neo-Geo 2D Fighters? Well, the place to be this week is on the Wii’s Virtual Console, which sees Art of Fighting, Fatal Fury, and World Heroes all in one place, and for much less than the hundreds of dollars the home verstions of those games used to cost!

Full list of games for each console after the jump. MORE »

What to look out for this week!

–> It’s NBA week! Basketball fans will have their pick of the litter this week, as three major franchises all release their newest entries. Choose from NBA Live 2008 (EA Sports), NBA 08 (Sony) or you guessed it NBA 2K8 (2K Sports).

–> Excellent week to be a Nintendo fan, with both the newest Legend of Zelda game popping up on DS (look for the stylus-exclusive control scheme to be much-copied) and a couple of excellent titles on the Wii’s Virtual Console. Also, don’t miss Sin & Punishment, the much acclaimed and previously Japan-exclusive N64 game that westerners have waited 7 years to play. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels also makes an appearance. Remember how our Mario 2 was all weird and not like the others in the series? That’s because it wasn’t really Mario 2! The Lost Levels came out in Japan as Super Mario Bros. 2, but the game was deemed both too challenging and too graphically unattractive by 1988 to be released as Mario 2 in the west.

–>Playstation 1 era fan favorite Crash Bandicoot is back with his new adventure in Crash of the Titans, coming for multiple systems this time. If you’re into the mascot 3D action-y platform-y collect-y genre, you could definitely do worse. In the same vein, there is a new Spyro the Dragon game coming out this week. It would be safe to assume that both games play fairly well and will be decent fun. I can’t say the same for Spider-Man: Friend or Foe, however—caveat emptor.

–>The new Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow for PSP is reputedly one of the best in the series thus far, which started on PS1, then eventually found its way to both the PS2 and PSP. Combined with the previous PSP Syphon Filter and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, this gives the PSP a burgeoning spy-action genre.

Playstation 3

• NBA 2K8
• NBA 08
• NBA Live 08

Xbox 360

• Crash of the Titans
• FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage
• NBA 2K8
• NBA Live 08
• Project Gotham Racing 4
• Spider-Man: Friend or Foe

Nintendo Wii

• Balls of Fury
• Crash of the Titans
• Dave Mirra BMX Challenge
• NBA Live 08
• Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
• MLB Power Pros
• Sin & Punishment (VC)
• Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (VC)

Playstation 2

• Crash of the Titans
• NBA 2K8
• NBA Live 08
• Spider-Man Friend or Foe
• The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night
• MLB Power Pros

Nintendo DS

• Nintendo DS Lite (Crimson & Black)
• Arctic Tale
• Crayola Treasure Adventures
• Kuropoto Cool Cool Stars
• The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
• Race Driver: Create & Race
• Backyard Football
• Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol (available only at Wal-Mart)
• Crash of the Titans
• Holly Hobbie & Friends
• The Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Nights
• Master Jin Jin’s IQ Challenge
• Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
• Paws & Claws: Dogs & Cats Best Friends

PSP

• Hot Pixel
• NBA 08
• NBA Live 08
• Spider-Man: Friend or Foe
• Syphon Filter: Logan’s Shadow

In addition physical console releases, each of the current generation systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo feature downloadable titles for their respective online networks, which are marked in good ole parenthesis.  Remember to look both ways before connecting.

What to look out for this week!

–> This week is all about Halo 3. It’s the culmination of the massively popular Xbox (and now 360) shooter franchise, and is guaranteed to be the biggest launch of the year. This week is otherwise fairly dead, no doubt a conscious decision on the part of many publishers to keep their games from being overshadowed by the Halo 3 juggernaut.

–> It is surprising then, that EA chose this week to release skate. for the PS3 this week. The title has been getting some very positive buzz; it’s a new take on the skateboarding genre, focusing more on realistic skateboard physics than the outlandish stunts one is able to pull off in a Tony Hawk branded skating game.

–> Elsewhere we have a lot of licensed and kiddie fare, but it would be remiss to overlook Soul Nomad & The World Eaters for the PS2. This is a strategy role playing game in the vein of Jeanne D’Arc, though much more complex. Fans of the genre should take note.

In addition physical console releases, each of the current generation systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo feature downloadable titles for their respective online networks. Releases for one of these platforms listed below will be marked:

• PSN – Playstation Network (Playstation 3)
• XBLA – Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360)
• VC – Virtual Console (Wii)

As always, this is not a comprehensive list, as other titles for these three “virtual platforms” can appear at any time, with little to no warning. Remember to look both ways before connecting to the server.

Playstation 3

• skate.
• NBA 08
• World Series of Poker 2008

Xbox 360

• Halo 3 (Standard, Limited, and Legndary Editions)
• CSI: Hard Evidence
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• World Series of Poker 2008

Nintendo Wii

• Bratz: The Movie
• Balls of Fury
• Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party (Dance Pad Bundle)
• Dragon Blade: Wrath of Fire
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• Legend of Hero Tonma (VC)

Playstation 2

• Bratz: The Movie
• Jackass: The Game
• CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder
• Dance Dance Revolution Supernova 2 (Dance Pad Bundle)
• Hot Wheels: Beat That!
• NBA 08
• Soul Nomad & The World Eaters
• World Series of Poker 2008

Nintendo DS

• Math Play
• Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf
• Spelling Challenges and more!
• Animal Genius
• Backyard Basketball
• Backyard Hockey
• Crayola Treasure Adventures
• Race Driver: Create & Race
• Kuropoto Cool Cool Stars
• Arctic Tale
• Battleship-Connect Four-Sorry!-Trouble

PSP

• Jackass: The Game
• NBA 08

What to look out for this week!

- Halo fanatics (they’re out there…) may be interested in the Halo-themed Xbox 360 hardware out this week, done up in a Master Chief-style olive drab and copper trim.

- Japanese-style RPG fans could do worse than to check out Eternal Sonata, a fantasy loosely based on the music of Chopin. As described by the Namco Bandai website: “On his deathbed, the famous composer, Chopin, drifts between this life and the next. In his final hours, he experiences a fantastical dream where he encounters a young girl facing a terrible destiny and the boy who will fight to save her. On the border between dreams and reality, Chopin discovers the light that shines in all of us in this enduring tale of good and evil, love and betrayal.”

- The Growlanser release on PS2 should excite some in that same demographic.

- The Playstation 2 also gets a heaping helping of the karaoke franchise SingStar for the musically inclined.

- Action and shooter fans should probably check out Syphon Filter on PS2, Coded Arms for PSP, and Warriors Orochi for hack-and-slash fun on PS2 or 360.

- In addition to physical console releases, each of the current generation systems from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo feature downloadable titles for their respective online networks. Releases for one of these platforms listed above will be marked in parenthesis in future installments of this column:

PSN – Playstation Network (Playstation 3)

XBLA – Xbox Live Arcade (Xbox 360)

VC – Virtual Console (Wii)

This is not a comprehensive list, as other titles for these three “virtual platforms” can appear at any time, with little to no warning. Remember to look both ways before connecting to the server.

Playstation 3

• Stuntman: Ignition
• Loco Roco Cocoreccho! (PSN)

Xbox 360

• Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 (limited edition hardware)
• Eternal Sonata
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
• Warriors Orochi

Nintendo Wii

• Anubis II
• Cosmic Family
• Dewy’s Adventure
• Fishing Master
• Mercury Meltdown Revolution
• MySims
• Super Thunder Blade (VC)
• World Class Baseball (VC)
• Yoshi’s Story (VC)

Playstation 2

• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Digimon World: Data Squad
• Growlanser: Heritage of War
• Honda SBK-07 Superbike World Championship
• SingStar ’80s (game only and game with mic bundle)
• Singstar Amped (game only and game with mic bundle)
• Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror
• Warriors Orochi

Nintendo DS

• 7 Wonders of the Ancient World
• Animates!
• Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights
• Backyard Basketball
• Digimon World Dawn
• Digimon World Dusk
• Master Jin Jin’s IQ Challenge
• MySims
• Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park
• Original Frisbee Disc Sports: Ultimate & Golf
• Sonic Rush Adventure
• Namco Museum DS

PSP

• Coded Arms: Contagion
• Yu-Gi-Oh! GX Tag Force 2