On Shelves This Week: May 18 to May 24, 2008
We have had quite a share of sports titles last week, and this time we’re going to add a little more into the fitness equation with the release of Nintendo’s much-hyped up Wii Fit as well as UEFA EURO 2008 (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, PC). Meanwhile, PS3 owners should have yet another field day at the retail stores with the release of the highly anticipated FPS, Haze, and the karaoke title SingStar. See the full article for more details!
* Article originally posted May 19, 2008 at 12:45AM
Last week’s batch of releases was quite flavorful, with a smattering of sports games (Deca Sports, We Ski) mixed in with a dash of adventure titles, such as Myst. This week won’t be any different either, but expect things to be spiced up with the North American release of Sony‘s SingStar and Nintendo’s phenomenal Wii Fit.
Check out this week’s cornucopia of games and see if any of them are to your liking:
Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures. Funcom and Eidos Interactive‘s barbaric fantasy MMORPG is finally up and ready to chop heads, cut-off limbs, and slay adversaries in the Hyborian Age. Gear up as either of the three races: Aquilonian, Cimmerian, and Stygian, and conquer your foes using the game’s six-way Real Combat engine.
- PC – May 20, 2008
- US$ 49.88 (regular), US$ 159.20 (collector’s edition)
- ESRB Mature
- Eidos Interactive and Funcom
Haze. Battle drug-enhanced soldiers in Free Radical Design’s first-person shooter. As Shane Carpenter, players will experience first-hand the effects the Nectar has on soldiers: enhanced sight, speed, and strength, as well as becoming oblivious to the surrounding death and destruction.
- Sony PlayStation 3 – May 20, 2008
- US$ 59.99
- ESRB Mature
- Free Radical Design and Ubisoft
Wii Fit. Join the fitness craze with Nintendo’s much-hyped Wii Fit. Using the Wii Board, engage in various exercises such as calisthenics, balancing, and Yoga. Designed by Shigeru Miyamoto with family fitness in mind, Wii Fit will keep track of every family member’s “fitness age” by conducting daily body tests.
- Nintendo Wii – May 19, 2008
- US$ 89.99
- ESRB Everyone
- Nintendo
Dracula: Origin. A point-and-click adventure game by Frogwares Studios, Dracula: Origin lets players explore the mythos behind one of the greatest classic horror figures, Dracula. Being a good point-and-click title, Dracula: Origin isn’t confined only to the well-worn horror republic of Transylvania, but will also include exotic locations such as Egypt. Definitely an experience that shouldn’t be missed by old-school adventure game fans.
- PC – May 20, 2008
- US$ 19.99
- ESRB Teen
- Frogwares Studios and Dreamcatcher Interactive
Dr. Mario Online RX. Dr. Mario finally comes to the Wii to exorcise them bad viruses via the WiiWare service. Destroy viruses in single player mode or compete with other wannabe-doctors over the Nintendo Wi-Fi connection. The Virus Buster minigame from Brain Age 2 is also thrown into the package, and allows cooperative play for up to four players.
- Nintendo Wii – May 19, 2008
- 1000 Wii Points
- ESRB Everyone
- Nintendo
The Immortals of Terra: A Perry Rhodan Adventure. Perry Rhodan embarks on yet another space opera adventure, where he travels to exciting alien locales such as a floating palace in search of his missing beloved, Mondra Diamond.
- PC – May 20, 2008
- BrainGame
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. The much-awaited Penny Arcade Adventure finally goes live, with Gabe and Tycho battling Cthulhu and other cel-shaded Lovecraftian entities. Available via download, Precipice of Darkness will be released via episodes, much like Sam and Max.
SingStar. Sony Europe’s sensational SingStar for the PS3 finally makes its North American debut, letting karaoke fans belt out their favorite tunes from popular artists including Queen, The Darkness, Franz Ferdinand, and many others. The game disc includes about 30 songs out of the box, but Sony PS3 owners will be able to purchase and download extra tunes for more karaoke enjoyment.
- Sony PlayStation 3 – May 20, 2008
- US$ 39.99
- ESRB Everybody
- SCE London Studio
Star Soldier R. The Star Soldier series finally makes its entrance through the WiiWare service, featuring 3D visuals but retaining its classic old-school arcade flavor. The ship has three adjustable levels of speed, and can pick up two types of power-ups, one enhancing offense and the other, defense. There are only two playable levels for this game, but the game revolves on time-attack style gameplay instead of the traditional “go-to-the-next-level” gameplay.
- Nintendo Wii – May 19, 2008
- 800 Wii Points
- ESRB Everyone
- Hudson Soft
Theatre of War. Those who’d rather play through their World History lessons rather than read about them in dusty textbooks will enjoy the North American release of 1C Company’s Theatre of War. Participate in historical battles that shaped countries such as Germany, Poland, USSR, and other nations, and handle weapons that brought the downfall of many countries during World War II.
- PC – May 19, 2008
- US$ 39.99
- ESRB Teen
- 1C Company and Battlefront.com
UEFA EURO 2008. Fans of the UEFA European Football Championship will have two choices on how to enjoy this year’s event: either by watching the game in Austria and Switzerland in June, or by just picking up the game and playing it in the comfort of their own homes. EA Canada’s take on the well-celebrated sporting event will let players compete for the team or for captaincy, as well as participate in qualifiers.
- Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PSP – May 19, 2008
- US$ 49.99 (Xbox 360 and PSP), US$ 39.99 (PSP)
- ESRB Everyone
- EA Canada and EA Sports
* Article originally posted May 19, 2008 at 12:45AM
Buy: [Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures (PC)]
Buy: [Haze (PS3)]
Buy: [Wii Fit (Wii)]
Buy: [Dracula: Origin (PC)]
Buy: [UEFA EURO 2008 (Xbox 360), (PS3), (PSP)]
Buy: [Theatre of War (PC)]
Buy: [Singstar (PS3)]