Release This: Professor Layton, Lost Odyssey Headline Stateside

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. This week will see the U.S. debut of Professor Layton and the Curious Village and Lost Odyssey. The UK is set to receive region-exclusive Totally Spies! and Naruto releases, meanwhile, as Japan prepares to choose between Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season and WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending February 16th, 2008. Games Released in the United States:
Nintendo Wii:
- Balloon Pop
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids
- Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue
- Jumper

Xbox 360:
- Conflict: Denied Ops
- Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements
- Jumper
- Lost Odyssey

PlayStation 3:
- Conflict: Denied Ops

PlayStation 2:
- Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Mermaids
- Go, Diego, Go!: Safari Rescue
- Innocent Life: A Futuristic Harvest Moon (Special Edition)
- Jumper Nintendo DS:
- Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts
- Professor Layton and the Curious Village

PlayStation Portable:
- Chessmaster: The Art of Learning
- Wipeout Pulse

PC:
- Abra Academy
- Carrier Strike Force
- Conflict: Denied Ops
- The Experiment
- Forgotten Riddles: The Mayan Princess
- Mystery Case Files: Madame Fate
- Penumbra: Black Plague
- Pirateville
- RPG Maker VX
- Spaceforce: Captains
- XIII Century: Death or Glory
Mistwalker's turn-based RPG Lost Odyssey arrives in North America this week on the Xbox 360, serving as the anticipated follow-up to the developer's Xbox 360 debut, last year's Blue Dragon. First released in Japan in December, Lost Odyssey has earned fans for its distinct look and classic-styled RPG gameplay, which critics say harkens back to Mistwalker's previous work on Square Enix's Final Fantasy series. Another of this week's most high-profile releases is Professor Layton and the Curious Village, a Level 5-developed and Nintendo-published logic puzzler that has garnered widespread praise and positive buzz following its successful Japanese debut early last year. Also arriving on portables this week are the Nintendo DS remake of the TurboGrafx-16 classic Dungeon Explorer and the futuristic racer Wipeout Pulse on the PSP. Next week will see the Stateside release of Bizarre Creations' The Club, along with the awaited sequels Dynasty Warriors 6 and FIFA Street 3. Games Released in Europe:
Nintendo Wii:
- Battalion Wars 2
- Cruis'n
- Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey
- Dragonball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3
- Game Party
- Telly Addicts
- Totally Spies! Totally Party

Xbox 360:
- Dark Messiah of Might and Magic: Elements

PlayStation 3:
- NBA 08

PlayStation 2:
- SnoCross 2: Featuring Blair Morgan
- Totally Spies! Totally Party Nintendo DS:
- Arctic Tale
- Betty Boop's Double Shift
- Bratz: Super Babyz
- Cooking Mama 2
- Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
- Miami Nights: Singles in the City
- Naruto: Ninja Destiny
- Ratatouille: Food Frenzy
- Totally Spies! 3: Secret Agents

PlayStation Portable:
- Castlevania: The Dracula X Collection
- Dragoneer's Aria

PC:
- Fritz Chess 10
- Penumbra: Black Plague
- Hour of Victory
Gamers in the UK will catch up on popular recent U.S. releases like Cooking Mama 2 and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings on the Nintendo DS this week, while PSP owners will receive the retro compilation Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles. Also debuting in Europe this week are a trio of region-exclusive titles based on the Totally Spies! franchise, along with an exclusive English-language localized version of Naruto: Ninja Destiny that will not see U.S. release until later this month. Games Released in Japan:
Nintendo Wii:
- Medal of Honor Heroes 2
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008

Xbox 360:
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008

PlayStation 3:
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008

PlayStation 2:
- D.C.: Da Capo -- The Origin
- Jissen Pachi-Slot Hisshouhou! Selection: Salaryman Kintarou - Slotter Kintarou - Ore no Sora
- Kyou Kara Maou! Shin Ma-Kuni no Kyuujitsu
- Poison Pink
- WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 Nintendo DS:
- Dekiru Otoko no Motel Life: Hiru no Mote Kouza Hen
- Dekiru Otoko no Motel Life: Yoru no Mote Jissen Hen
- Indo Shiki Keisan Drill DS (Zennou Series Vol. 02)
- Miyamoto Sansuu Kyoushitsu no Kyouzai: Kenkunaru Puzzle DS-Han
- Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season

PlayStation Portable:
- Medal of Honor Heroes 2

PC:
- Winning Post 7 Maximum 2008
A good portion of this week's Japanese lineup consists of localized versions of titles previously seen elsewhere in the world. WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2008 will soon debut across four platforms, and Medal of Honor Heroes 2 will see both a PSP version and a Wii release in both regular and Zapper-bundled editions. Many of the week's most anticipated releases are found on the PlayStation 2, meanwhile. Amazon.co.jp reports high preorder numbers this week for both the Banpresto-published strategy-RPG Poison Pink and for the adventure title D.C.: Da Capo -- The Origin. The Nintendo DS dating sim sequel Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season is also enjoying ample presales in the days leading up to its release. Next week in Japan will bring a PS2 remake of the Sega Saturn-born NiGHTS Into Dreams..., a new entry in Konami's Dance Dance Revolution series, and a Japanese-language version of BioShock for the Xbox 360.

Release This: Professor Layton, Lost Odyssey Headline Stateside Debuts

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