Release This!: NBA Monsters vs. FIFA Kong 07

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. Sports fans in both the United States and Europe have a lot to be excited about this week. The U.S. will soon play host to no less than three NBA-licensed basketball titles: SCEA's NBA 07, EA Sports' NBA Live 07, and 2K Sports' NBA 2K7. Europe, meanwhile, awaits the release of FIFA 07, the newest entry in EA Sports' long-running soccer simulation series. Japan may not be joining in on the sports-related festivities this week, but Japanese gamers are no doubt looking forward to the release of numerous RPGs like Pocket Monsters Diamond, Pocket Monsters Pearl, and .hack//G.U. Vol.2 Kimi Omou Koe. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending September 30, 2006. Games Released in the United States: As improbable as it may sound, last week's colossal number of new U.S. releases has been topped, as a grand total of 65 titles are scheduled to see Stateside release this week. Even oft-neglected platforms like the GameCube and Game Boy Advance will see a lot of action in the coming days, ensuring that gamers across the country will have plenty of new titles to pick from, regardless of their console of choice. A difficult decision awaits sports fans, who will soon have to claim allegiance to one of three different basketball sims debuting this week. EA Sports' NBA Live 07 and 2K Sports' NBA 2K7 will compete across a number of platforms, while SCEA's NBA 07 will join the fight on the PS2 and PSP. The week will also see several titles representing less explored genres, including dancing sim Dance Dance Revolution SuperNova and the action-puzzler Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2. The DS will additionally host both Bubble Bobble Revolution and Rainbow Islands Revolution this week -- two updated Taito classics formerly exclusive to Europe and Japan. Games Released in Europe: While the United States sorts through a number of NBA-licensed basketball games this week, FIFA 07 will be the single sports title Europe's gamers will be eagerly anticipating. FIFA 07 has topped European preorder charts for the last several weeks, and should prove to be one of the year's best sellers for the region following its multiplatform release near the end of September. Several other intriguing titles are to be found in Europe's list as well. Games like Raiden III, Bubble Bobble Evolution, Ape Academy 2, and Gitaroo-Man Lives! are all English localizations of Japanese titles that are currently exclusive to Europe for the time being, and the breakdancing sim B-Boy is a title not scheduled for release in any other part of the world. Games Released in Japan: While the United States and Europe busy themselves with sports simulations this week, Japan gears up for the release of two new titles in Nintendo's Pokémon series -- Pocket Monsters Diamond and Pocket Monsters Pearl. Older Pokémon titles routinely find their way into weekly best seller lists years after their release, and these new versions are expected to remain at the top of the Nintendo DS sales charts for months to come. Also expected to lead sales this week are the faux MMORPG .hack//G.U. Vol.2 Kimi Omou Koe and the Japanese version of Dead Rising, which has enjoyed over a month of success in the United States. Both titles currently rank high in preorders, and should move big numbers in the coming week.