The floodgates are officially open. In fact, the floodgates seem to have been washed away entirely, beaten down by the relentless crush of new releases. Several high profile games make their long awaited debuts this week, including Dead Rising 2, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, and Final Fantasy XIV.
Hoping to capitalize on extra bodies in the stores, publishers have seen fit to throw truckloads of second (and third, and um… fifth) tier titles at the retail racks, hoping against hope that something sticks. So when you’re picking up that new copy of Quantum Theory, remember to keep your eyes out for Australia’s Next Top Model because, hey, you never know.
Take a look at the new releases for the week of September 26 through October 2, 2010, broken out by date and platform.
Mac
League of Legends 9/30 Poker Night at the Inventory 9/30 Top Gun 9/30
Microsoft Xbox 360
Battle vs. Chess 9/28 Borderlands: Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution 9/28 Dead Rising 2 9/28 FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Front Mission Evolved 9/28 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock 9/28 MorphX 9/28 MySims SkyHeroes 9/28 Quantum Theory 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28 Hydrophobia 9/29 Boulder Dash 9/30 Dead Space Ignition 9/30 Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes 9/30 Haunted House 9/30 Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 9/30
Nintendo DS
Farm Frenzy: Animal Country 9/27 Zenonia 9/27 Deer Drive 9/28 FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 MySims SkyHeroes 9/28 Petz Fantasy: Moonlight Magic 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28 Scripps Spelling Bee 9/28 Titanic Mystery 9/28 Australia’s Next Top Model 9/30 Aztec Treasure Hunt 9/30
Nintendo Wii
Kid Fit Island Resort 9/27 Samurai Warriors 3 9/27 FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Greg Hastings Paintball 2 9/28 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock 9/28 Haunted House 9/28 John Daly’s ProStroke Golf 9/28 MySims SkyHeroes 9/28 Oops! Prank Party 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28 Sid Meier’s Pirates! 9/28 Target Toss Pro: Lawn Darts 9/28 Titanic Mystery 9/28 Australia’s Next Top Model 9/30 Gods vs. Humans 9/30 Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 9/30 Stonekeep 9/30 Dance Dance Revolution 10/1
PC
The Sims 3 Deluxe 9/27 Battle vs. Chess 9/28 Bloody Good Time 9/30 Borderlands: Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution 9/30 Dead Rising 2 9/28 FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Front Mission Evolved 9/28 The Guild 2: Renaissance 9/28 John Daly’s ProStroke Golf 9/28 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light 9/28 Titanic Mystery 9/28 Tropico 3: Gold Edition 9/28 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Resurgence Pack 9/30 Castle Vox 9/30 Company of Heroes Online 9/30 Divine Souls 9/30 Final Fantasy XIV Online 9/30 Haunted House 9/30 Jade Rousseau: The Secret Revelations 9/30 Khan Wars 9/30 Men of War: Assault Squad 9/30 Men of War: Vietnam 9/30 Painkiller: Pandemonium 9/30 Poker Night at the Inventory 9/30 Rulers of Nations 9/30 Rustic Ranch 9/30 Star Wolves 3: Ashes of Victory 9/30 Tasty Planet: Back for Seconds 9/30 Stronghold Kingdoms 10/1
Sony PlayStation 2
FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28
Sony PlayStation 3
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland 9/28 Battle vs. Chess 9/28 Borderlands: Claptrap’s New Robot Revolution 9/28 Dead Rising 2 9/28 Ferrari: The Race Experience 9/28 FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Front Mission Evolved 9/28 Get Fit With Mel B 9/28 Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock 9/28 Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light 9/28 MySims SkyHeroes 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28 Quantum Theory 9/28 Days of Thunder: NASCAR Edition 9/30 Dead Space Ignition 9/30 Free Realms 9/30 Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes 9/30 Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 9/30 Dance Dance Revolution 10/1
Sony PSP
FIFA Soccer 11 9/28 Rapala Pro Bass Fishing 2010 9/28
In a week well stocked with quality new games to chose from, Dead Rising 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock look like the titles to beat. One is a never ending battle against a terrifying hoard of hideously grizzled monstrosities, and the other one is Dead Rising 2.
Seriously, though, Guitar Hero fires the first shot in this Fall’s music game showdown, packing new, customizable guitars, a massive set list, and a Soundgarden album. Dead Rising 2, meanwhile, is coming off the massive, record breaking success of Case Zero. With a new multiplayer mode, and the “Creativity Kills” gameplay we caught a glimpse of in its launch trailer, Dead Rising 2 appears poised to take zombie slaughtering to an entirely new level.
Personally, I’m far more frightened of tackling the entirety of Rush’s “2112” in in Warriors of Rock than I am of facing legions of the undead in Dead Rising 2. But that’s just me.
On the downloadable front, it’s a big week for Sega fans. Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1 is, at long last, on its way to XBLA, PSN, and WiiWare. Will Sonic race back into the hearts of gamers everywhere, or will Episode 1 be another in a long line of disappointing detours for the Blue Blur? I had my doubts about the playable version at PAX Prime, but I’m still excited to take a crack at the finshed product.
As always, we want to hear from you. What games are you planning to play this week? What upcoming games are you most looking forward to?
