Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in a custom compiled list.
This week brings
Etrian Odyssey IV to store shelves in North America, while Japan gets a new
Professor Layton game and a PS Vita version of
Phantasy Star Online 2.
The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending March 2nd, 2013.
Games Released in the United States:
Atlus's first-person dungeon crawler
Etrian Odyssey IV arrives at retail and in Nintendo's eShop this week in North America. Following up on a trio of Nintendo DS titles, the first 3DS entry in the
Etrian Odyssey franchise boasts a varied collection of playable classes and a new casual mode designed for newcomers to the notoriously difficult series.
Other titles premiering this week include MileStone's multiplatform racer
MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship, an enhanced PlayStation Vita port of Tecmo's
Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and Gaijin Games' downloadable
Bit.Trip Runner follow-up
Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien.
Xbox 360:
- MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship
- Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds (Xbox Live Arcade)
PlayStation 3:
- Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires (PlayStation Network)
- MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship
Nintendo 3DS:
- Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan
PlayStation Vita:
- MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
PC:
- Bit.Trip Presents...Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien
- Brutal Legend
- Expeditions: Conquistador
- Masters of the World, Geopolitcal Simulator 3
- Might & Magic Heroes VI - Shades of Darkness
- MUD - FIM Motocross World Championship
- Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army
Games Released in Europe:
Europe sees a light release lineup in advance of next week's launch of Crystal Dynamics' multiplatform
Tomb Raider reboot and the newest entry in Maxis' long-running
SimCity series.
PlayStation Vita:
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
PC:
- Might & Magic Heroes VI - Shades of Darkness
Games Released in Japan:
The latest entry in Level 5's
Professor Layton puzzle-adventure series,
Layton Kyouju to Choubunmei A no Isan, premieres in Japan this week for the Nintendo 3DS, joining other awaited portable offerings like Sega's PSP RPG
Shining Ark and the
Touch Detective spinoff
Osawari Tantei Nameko Shigeru.
The PlayStation 3 is set to host Artdink's anime-based shooter
Macross 30: Ginga o Tsunagu Utagoe, meanwhile, as Sega launches its MMORPG
Phantasy Star Online 2 for the PlayStation Vita.
Xbox 360:
- Risen 2: Dark Waters
PlayStation 3:
- Macross 30: Ginga o Tsunagu Utagoe
- Risen 2: Dark Waters
- Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo
- Shin Sangoku Musou 7
Nintendo 3DS:
- Dragon Ball Heroes Ultimate Mission
- Layton Kyouju to Choubunmei A no Isan
- Osawari Tantei Nameko Shigeru
PlayStation Vita:
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus
- Phantasy Star Online 2
- Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus: Shoujotachi no Shoumei
PlayStation Portable:
- D.C. III Plus: Da Capo III Plus
- Kyoukaisen no Horizon Portable
- Onigokko! Portable
- Shining Ark
- Solomon's Ring: Kaze no Shou
- Stellar * Theater Portable