Column: 'Release This: Cabela's Okami: Open Season'

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 an exclusively compiled list. New releases continue to fill store shelves at a rapid pace in the United States, with notable titles like Okami, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, and two different flavors of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon soon to see American shores. Japan may not have much to brag about this week in comparison, but Europe will soon be the first to receive games like Just Cause, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07, and Saint Seiya: The Hades. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending September 23, 2006. Games Released in the United States: The United States continues to experience a flood of incoming titles, with this week's total of 48 games topping even the previous week's massive number of new releases. The week's requisite CG animated film-to-game port Open Season ensures that all platforms will receive at least one new release in the coming days, though gamers in the mood for less predictable fare will also have several titles to choose from. Among the week's more significant releases is Capcom's Okami, an adventure title with a unique watercolor-like graphical style. The title has won over many critics both in the United States and overseas, with many already declaring it one of 2006's best titles. Early word is that Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime for the Nintendo DS also stands as one of September's must-play games. Starring the Dragon Quest series' iconic slime characters, the action-adventure title is said to feature a lighthearted, kid-friendly storyline, though a clever translation and a number of Dragon Quest-related puns and references could turn older gamers into fans as well. Games Released in Europe: Europe has several exclusive titles to look forward to this week, with the region seeing the release of big names like Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 and the GTA-styled Just Cause before the United States or any other region. Interestingly, the anime-based Saint Seiya: The Hades appears to be making its worldwide debut in Europe, as no Japanese equivalent for the title seems to exist. The Saint Seiya anime series maintains a large degree of popularity in certain European countries -- most notably France -- but it's still somewhat surprising to see a video game adaptation debut in Europe, rather than the franchise's country of origin. Games Released in Japan: Japan's list is decidedly less exciting than other regions' this week, with only a handful of licensed titles and ports of games previously released elsewhere in the world scheduled to see release. Two titles could be of interest to curious importers, however. Blocks Club Portable with Bumpy Trot is a puzzle title featuring characters from the PS2 adventure title known in the United States as Steambot Chronicles, and Game Center USA is a repackaged combination of the U.S.-released retro compilations Midway Arcade Treasures 1 and 2. Japanese releases are expected to heat up again next week, which will see the release of Pop'n Music 13 on the PS2 and two new editions of Pokémon for the Nintendo DS, among many other titles.