On Shelves This Week: April 20 to April 26, 2008

Most of us are heating up with the impending release of Grand Theft Auto 4, but there’s no need to lose your cool. Just like last week, a modest batch of titles will hit shelves as prelude to April’s main act. Square Enix is ready to make some noise in The World Ends With You, while Nintendo is letting the Pokemon loose with Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness and Explorers of Time. The rest are waiting at the full article.

* Article originally posted Apr 21, 2008 at 12:48AM

The final week before we get to steal cars and live the American Dream in Grand Theft Auto 4 is not without worthwhile video game releases to keep us occupied. For the most part, it’s good to be a Nintendo DS owner since Japan‘s most appealing handheld titles finally reach shelves. Square Enix‘ stylish The World Ends With You spearheads the list, as famed character designer Tetsuya Nomura‘s gig is ready to make some noise.

On the other hand, we get to travel far and wide yet again with the much awaited North American venture of the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Explorers of Time tandem. Those looking for a more action-packed purchase can take a shot at NBA Ballers: Chosen One, while the rest can read on to find what’s in store.

Battle of the Bands. If you thought you’ve proven your skill in Rock Band or Guitar Hero 3, here’s one rhythm game that promises to up the ante. With 30 tracks across rock, country, marching band, hip hop, and ranchero genres, Battle of the Bands lets you play several songs in each match with weapons such as smoke bombs to, well, smoke the competition.

• Nintendo Wii – April 21, 2008
• US$ 49.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• THQ and Planet Moon Studios

Chameleon. Puzzle game enthusiasts who love to bring colored blocks together might want to check out Chameleon. Aside from bubbly characters to cheer you on, the game mixes things up a bit by focusing on competitive matches where players try to best each other in Goal Mode or King Mode.

• Sony PlayStation Portable – April 22, 2008
• UFO Interactive and Starfish

Dream Pinball 3D. As its title implies, there’s a lot of pinball to be had here. Six tables with different themes, various ball effects, bonus objectives, and secret areas compose the complete 3D pinball experience.

• Nintendo Wii, DS – April 22, 2008
• US$ 29.99 (Wii), US$ 19.99 (DS)
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• SouthPeak Interactive and TopWare

NBA Ballers: Chosen One. Shoot hoops and impress with showboat dunks, but with a fiercer attitude this time since it takes more than skill to shine as the Chosen One. Midway tagged the latest NBA Ballers under the fighting game genre for good reason – it’s not just about attacking the ring, but also bringing your enemy down.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 – April 21, 2008
• US$ 59.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Midway Games

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness/Explorers of Time. After both flavors of the hottest Pokemon-themed dungeon crawl racked sales in Japan, it’s about time North America gets a piece of treasure hunting. The two Pokemon Mystery Dungeon titles hold different exclusives, so you’ll need both to catch ’em all.

• Nintendo DS – April 20, 2008
• US$ 34.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Nintendo and Chunsoft

River King: Mystic Valley. The latest in the long-running River King series on the DS utilizes its platform’s touch screen for an intuitive and fun fishing experience. Add dozens of baits, lures, and rods at your disposal, then you’re ready to catch the mysterious River King.

• Nintendo DS – April 22, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Natsume

Target: Terror. This terrifying game will have you shoot at terrorists using none other than the Wii Remote. Straight from the arcade version, full Wii Zapper support means you can enjoy the classic shooter the way it was meant to be played in the comforts of your living room.

• Nintendo Wii – April 22, 2008
• US$ 39.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Konami and Leviathan Games

The World Ends With You. Modern Japan in a bag best describes Tetsuya Nomura’s first offering on the DS. It’s got stylish teenagers stuck in Shibuya as they play the Reapers’ Game to save the town, equipped with pins which allow them to pull off crazy combos that take place on both screens of the handheld.

• Nintendo DS – April 22, 2008
• US$ 39.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Square Enix and Jupiter

Turok. Badass protagonist with funky hair meets dinosaurs in the jungle – we’ve seen it before, and it’s coming to the PC at long last. Joseph Turok is still the man, and he’s going to fight minions of his former mentor Roland Kane again. Got the rig to make first-person shooters look best? This is for you.

• PC – April 22, 2008
• US$ 49.99
• ESRB M (Mature)
• Touchstone and Propaganda Games

Wild Earth: African Safari. Nature lovers will feel right at home with Wild Earth: African Safari, a lighthearted adventure on the Wii where your job is to take pictures of wildlife in Africa. For that picture perfect snapshot, you can play from the animal’s perspective then ensure you’re out of its view.

• Nintendo Wii – April 22, 2008
• US$ 39.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)

* Article originally posted Apr 21, 2008 at 12:48AM

Buy: [Battle of the Bands (Wii)]
Buy: [Chameleon (PSP)]
Buy: [Dream Pinball 3D (Wii), (DS)]
Buy: [NBA Ballers: Chosen One (Xbox 360), (PS3)]
Buy: [Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS)]
Buy: [Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS)]
Buy: [River King: Mystic Valley (DS)]
Buy: [Target: Terror (Wii)]
Buy: [The World Ends With You (DS)]
Buy: [Turok (PC)]
Buy: [Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii)]