Last week, I said we’d be having a quiet one, but with the delay of Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust, just three new titles are due for release this week. So unless you’re up for an experimental first person shooter/fighting game, or are a fan of classic Sega franchises like Phantasy Star and OutRun, consider this week a reprieve for your wallet and discretionary spending. Use the time to eat up a little backlog, catch up with family, or read awesome Games On Net articles.

Don’t forget to check out the full release schedule for the latest changes and information on upcoming games.

15/04/2009

OutRun Online Arcade Platform: Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network Developer: Sumo Digital Publisher: Sega RRP: 800 Microsoft Points ($AU13.20)(XBLA), $AU12.95 (PSN) I wasn’t much of a fan of the original OutRun, but acknowledge its significance in the 1980s arcade scene. OutRun 2, on the other hand, is like a God among arcade racers – it handles brilliantly, has a euphoric sense of speed and a stunning soundtrack. Now you can get it for the Xbox 360 and PS3 for cheap with additional online multiplayer, so if you’ve ever wondered what the fuss is about, or you need an arcade racing fix, get it.

16/04/2009

Phantasy Star Portable Platform: PSP Developer: Sega Publisher: Sega RRP: $AU69.95 Sega sticks to the same online formula of recent outings for Phantasy Star Portable, so it’s all about getting together with a few goons and going on quests and gathering loot, rather than the deep stories and turn based combat of the original four games. So long as the presentation and voice acting isn’t as grating as Phantasy Star Universe, it should be pretty good.

21/04/2009

Zeno Clash Platform: PC Developer: ACE Team Publisher: Steam RRP: $US19.99 Zeno Clash is a first person shooter, developed on the Source engine, with a distinct focus on melee combat. Developer ACE Team claims to be pushing the engine to new heights, and is set on raising the bar on melee combat in first person games. If they can outdo what Namco did with Breakdown on the Xbox, then I’ll be happy. It was a finalist at the IGF, so it should be worth looking into.

Things are still pretty quiet next week, but we’ve got a few interesting releases. Wii fans can look forward to the amazingly-cutesy-yet-surprisingly-good Little King’s Story or the super late release of Moto GP 08. There’s a slim possibility we may see New Play Control! Pikmin 2, but my sources can’t decide out whether it’s due on April 24th or on May 14th. On the HD machines, players will be treated to a fresh version of the classic Lode Runner and the giant robot beat ‘em up Dynasty Warriors GUNDAM 2. I for one hope that it features more of G Gundam this time around, because I’m all for settling who has the right to set up a government with a giant robot fighting tournament, rather than hokey elections and democratic process. Yes, that really is the plot.