On Shelves This Week: May 17 to May 23, 2009
After last week’s rather paltry offerings, we finally get a hefty bunch of new releases. The PSP gets the shaft again this week with no releases, followed by the PC which has only one actual playable new game out. OK, there are two PC titles in the list, but come on. Hannah Montana? Meanwhile, the DS gets more than the usual amount of good games. Really, there are only a couple of shovelware titles in there. Usually they make up like 60% of the DS list. The home console releases are also in top form. Read on for the rest of this week’s software releases!
After last week’s rather paltry offerings, we finally get a hefty bunch of new releases for the home consoles and the DS. The PSP gets the shaft again this week with no releases, followed by the PC which has only one actual playable new game out. OK, there are two PC titles in the list, but come on. Hannah Montana? The DS, on the other hand, gets more than the usual amount of good games. Really, there are only a couple of shovelware titles in there. Usually they make up like 50% of the releases.
The home consoles are also in top form, especially the PS3 and Xbox 360. Bionic Commando, Terminator: Salvation, UFC 2009 Undisputed… Looks like a great lineup. The Wii also gets a few stars like Boom Blox Bash Party , the new Punch-Out!!, and the hypeless yet interesting point-and-click adventure, Secret Files: Tunguska.
Read on for the rest of this week’s software releases!
Bionic Commando – The 8-bit original is going high-def as Nathan Spencer, the Bionic Commando himself, swings back into action. Set 10 years after the events in the NES original, Spencer is falsely accused, imprisoned, and about to be executed when a terrorist attack leaves Ascension City in ruins. Now it’s up to him to save the day.
Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock – Rock Band Track Pack: Classic Rock is a standalone title that allows owners of Rock Band and Rock Band 2 — as well as those new to the Rock Band universe — to start and keep the party going with an additional 20 classic rock hits. It features Solo and Band Tour Mode, Quickplay, Tug of War, Score Dual, and song unlock progression and is compatible with most Guitar Hero and other instrument controllers.
- PS3, Xbox 360, Wii – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Teen
- PS3 – US$ 27.99, Xbox 360 – US$ 27.99, Wii – US$ 27.99
- Electronic Arts
Terminator: Salvation – The Videogame – Set two years prior to the events in the Terminator: Salvation movie, players will get the opportunity to be John Connor for the first time as they fight in a desperate battle for survival against the superior forces of Skynet and its deadly Terminators.
- PS3, Xbox 360, PC – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Teen
- PS3 – US$ 49.99, Xbox 360 – US$ 49.99, PC – US$ 49.99
- Warner Bros
UFC 2009 Undisputed – Featuring an authentic and comprehensive UFC atmosphere, including an extensive roster of the best mixed martial arts fighters in the world, UFC 2009 Undisputed lets players develop attributes, perfect moves and fight for entry into the UFC Hall of Fame through a series of dynamic storylines that build friendships and instigate intense rivalries.
Boom Blox Bash Party – Developed by EA in collaboration with director and producer Steven Spielberg, Boom Blox Bash Party takes destruction to new heights, providing the ultimate social gaming experience. Boom Blox Bash Party will get your party started with new Versus, Co-op and Team Play challenges – twice as many multiplayer challenges as the original Boom Blox.
- Wii – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 36.99
- Electronic Arts
EA Sports Active – Developed in collaboration with fitness expert Bob Greene, EA Sports Active combines a wide variety of interactive activities and exercises, linked together into an ever-changing circuit training routine targeting the muscles of the upper and lower body, as well as providing cardio for a healthy heart. Wii Balance Board is supported.
- Wii – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 59.99
- Electronic Arts
Punch-Out!! – Little Mac returns to the ring along with chocolate-loving trainer Doc Louis as he works his way through the ranks of a wide variety of boxing caricatures, each with their own patterns of attacks. Grab a Wii Remote controller in one hand and a Nunchuk controller in the other and step back into the ring with a modern update of the classic Punch-Out!!.
- Wii – May 18, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 39.97
- Nintendo
Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D’s Wheelie Breakers – This is not your regular Yu-Gi-Oh! game. This is Yu-Gi-Oh! on MOTORCYCLES. It’s extreme! Riiiiight. Anyway, players climb upon their Duel Runner motorcycles and summon monsters from their decks to battle each other as they race through the streets or on a track. If you win, you get to keep your opponent’s summoned monsters.
- Wii – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 36.99
- Konami
Secret Files: Tunguska – Nina Kalenkow’s world is turned upside down when her father, the scientist Vladimir Kalenkow, vanishes without a trace. Since the police can’t (or won’t?) help, Nina decides to search for clues to her father’s whereabouts on her own. Her father’s trail leads Nina and her friend Max to a mysterious disaster in the Tunguska region of Siberia in 1908.
I Love Beauty: Hollywood Makeover – I don’t really think of this as a game, per se. Instead, it’s a collection of beauty tips and hints on how to apply make-up like professionals. I was totally going to rag on this but on second thought, this could be a good gift for a young girl. God knows there are enough girls out there who just slap whatever gunk they can find on their faces. I’m looking at you, Emo girl from across the street!
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 19.99
- City Interactive
Jagged Alliance DS – Wasn’t this game supposed to come out months ago? Anyway, in Jagged Alliance your task is to save an island and liberate a magic tree from an evil despot. Features include non-linear gameplay and turn-based combat. Oh, and the boxart totally has this old-school 80s vibe. No wonder, this game is a port of an MS-DOS original, which I hear is great. If you’re a fan of X-Com and similar titles, check this game out.
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Teen
- US$ 29.99
- Atari
Math Blaster in the Prime Adventure – At first I thought this game was called “Master Blaster and Prime’s Adventure”. I got excited by the thought of Master Blaster and Optimus Prime in a Thunderdome setting but then I looked closer and got depressed. I hate math. In this game, players will save the universe using math elements like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to solve a variety of math puzzles. Yay.
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 19.99
- Majesco
Puchi Puchi Virus – The objective in Puchi Puchi Virus is to form triangles by linking same-colored viruses together and erasing them from the screen. Victory conditions vary from mission to mission, but erasing all of the viruses will be the fundamental rule of this game. Erase all the viruses and you win, but if the screen gets filled with the emerging viruses you lose.
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 19.99
- Koei
Steal Princess – Steal Princess is a puzzle-based platformer that lets you play through over 150 levels of increasing complexity. When you’ve completed the stages provided, you can jump into the powerful level creator and design your own devilishly tough maps, placing enemies, constructing moving platforms, and even setting custom victory conditions. User-created maps can be shared over the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone 10+
- US$ 33.99
- Atlus
Yu-Gi-Oh! StarDust Accelerator World Championship 2009 – You’ve seen the series, now play the game. Players can choose to travel through 5DÂ’s Story Mode to duel in fun mini games with characters from the all new TV animation, collect cards and compete in multiple battles, including Turbo Duel racing. There’s also a new World Championship Mode where players can polish their trading card game strategies and tactics in single-player battles or multiplayer duels via Wi-Fi connect.
- DS – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 27.99
- Konami
Hannah Montana: The Movie – Players step into the secret dual life of Miley Stewart and her alter-ego Hannah Montana. Torn between two worlds, you will both live Hannah’s life as a top entertainer and rediscover the value of Miley’s roots in her hometown of Crowley Corners, Tennessee. Along the way you will perform as Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart and create stunning outfits and one-of-a-kind new designs for your tour bus.
- PC – May 19, 2009
- ESRB Everyone
- US$ 19.99
- Disney
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