On Shelves This Week: May 11 to May 17, 2008

Not long after Grand Theft Auto 4 (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3) rocked the world, and a few weeks before Metal Gear Solid 4 does the same, we’re left with several decent titles that can’t be dubbed as mere distractions. This week marks the release of Myst on the Nintendo DS, while Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is set to build a kingdom on the Wii. The rest await at the full article, so hit that jump!

* Article originally posted May 12, 2008 at 12:05AM

Recent weeks past brought us a slew of gigantic video games escorted by the names Rockstar and Steven Spielberg, but releases in the coming days are no slouch either. The award-winning and ground-breaking classic’s remastered version, Myst on the Nintendo DS, headlines the list of games scheduled to reach U.S. shores.

Other promising titles are ready to launch from Nintendo’s camp, with budget-sized Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King and other WiiWare goodies set to grace the white hot console. To learn about other gems slated for release this week, read on:

Assault Heroes 2. If arcade-style top-down shooters is your thing, you’d have this under your radar. As a sequel to Sierra Online‘s 2006 offering, Assault Heroes 2 boasts of an enhanced co-op mode, a wider arsenal, and new interactive environments. For something you can just download off Xbox Live Marketplace, it’s rather jam packed.

• Microsoft Xbox 360 – May 14, 2008
• US$ 6.00
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Sierra Online and Wanako Studios

Baseball Mogul 2009. The latest entry in the long-running baseball series for PC gamers promises to run home with a huge batch of improvements. Many facets have been tweaked, such as the play-by-play screen, interface, and Baseball Mogul Encyclopedia. New features come in the form of a depth chart screen, start-up wizard, and season scheduler.

• PC – May 13, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Sports Mogul

Castle of Shikigami 3. Long after it first invaded Japanese arcades in 2005, Castle of Shikigami 3 is now on its way to the Nintendo Wii. This time on the waggle friendly platform, two players can join hands to beat the frantic vertical scrolling shooter.

• Nintendo Wii – May 13, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB T (Teen)
• Aksys Games and Alfa System

Deca Sports. Watch out, because your copy of Wii Sports might collect dust after trying out a round of Deca Sports. Whether it be badminton, beach volleyball or kart racing, you’d be waggling the Wiimote like never before. Or at least, that’s what we’d assume after developers said they  wanted this game to take Wii play to the next level.

• Nintendo Wii – May 13, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Hudson

Drone Tactics. In case you haven’t heard, bugs battling each other are famous in the Land of the Rising Sun. With that in mind, Success and Atlus teamed up to build a DS title which allows players to collect armies of insect mechs called Drones then defeat the world-threatening force known only as the Black Swarm.

• Nintendo DS – May 13, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Atlus and Success

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King. Following a couple of action RPGs, Squeenix is returning its Final Fantasy spin-off back to the series’ slow-paced roots as a “Country Building RPG.” Players take the shoes of the Little King whose job is not to slay monsters, but to revitalize his abandoned castle.

• Nintendo Wii – May 13, 2008
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Square Enix

Ford Racing: Off Road. Get down and dirty with your favorite Ford and Land Rover rides in this intense off road trip by Empire Interactive. Aside from the usual trading paint, 12 different race types are sure to keep your engine running.

• PC – May 13, 2008
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Empire Interactive

Major League Eating: The Game. Ever wanted to play as professional eaters who can down dozens of hot dogs and burgers in minutes? That’s exactly what Major League Eating: The Game is for. Unfortunately, it’s not about pretending your Wiimote is a wiener.

• Nintendo Wii – May 12, 2008
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Mastiff

Myst. One of those rare point-and-click masterpieces that can put a tear to a PC enthusiast’s eye will soon be available on the touch screen-equipped handheld. Of course, we’re all excited to discover how smooth the legendary adventure is going to play on the DS. After all, new tools and The Rime Age already ensure the visually pleasing experience is a lot deeper in this reiteration.

• Nintendo DS – May 13, 2008
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Empire Interactive

Rocketmen: It Came From Uranus. Something smells, and it’s not rotten alien flesh. The latest expansion of Rocketmen brings blobs of goo, the “screw bomb,” and other powerful weapons to keep you on the same league as the new bosses you’ll encounter.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 – May 15, 2008
• US$ 6.00
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Capcom and ACRONYM

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. With Prince Caspian’s appearance on the silver screen comes the inevitable tie-in for various platforms. The movie’s interactive counterpart gives fans control of 20 characters from The Chronicles of Narnia to partake in epic adventures that can be enjoyed by two people in co-op.

• Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, DS – May 15, 2008
• US$ 59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3), US$ 49.99 (Wii), US$ 29.99 (DS)
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Disney Interactive Studios

Toki Tori. Here’s one of those timeless games that can consume hours upon hours of play time. From being a Game Boy Color title, Toki Tori on the Wii features Wiimote controls and updated content. While solving one platforming puzzle after another, you can jump onto the Wii Message Board to chat with other players.

• Nintendo Wii – May 12, 2008
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Nintendo and Two Tribes

We Ski. At times when Wii Fit just doesn’t cut it, We Ski comes in handy. It’s fully compatible with the Wii Balance Board and makes full use of both Wii Remote and Nunchuk at the same time for the authentic skiing experience.

• Nintendo Wii – May 13, 2008
• US$ 29.99
• ESRB E (Everyone)
• Namco Bandai

* Article originally posted May 12, 2008 at 12:05AM

Buy: [Baseball Mogul 2009 (PC)]
Buy: [Castle of Shikigami 3 (Wii)]
Buy: [Deca Sports (Wii)]
Buy: [Drone Tactics (DS)]
Buy: [Ford Racing: Off Road (PC)]
Buy: [Myst (DS)]
Buy: [The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (Xbox 360), (PS3), (Wii), (DS)]
Buy: [We Ski (Wii)]