Super Paper Mario, Gyakuten Saiban 4 Prepare for Launch

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. Though the United States will only see three new console releases in the next week, the highly anticipated Super Paper Mario will likely provide ample reason for many gamers to make a trip to retailers in the next few days. Europe, meanwhile, will enjoy a small selection of niche releases like Hotel Dusk: Room 215, while Japan will likely have little objection to this week's release of Gyakuten Saiban 4, the latest entry in Capcom's popular Phoenix Wright series. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending April 14, 2007. Games Released in the United States:

With only three console games seeing release this week in the United States, Nintendo's Super Paper Mario faces little competition as this week's most anticipated title across all platforms. The release nearly manages a 90% Mindshare among all competing software, with consistently positive pre-release critical buzz likely contributing to Super Paper Mario's high amount of gamer awareness and purchase intent, as reported by IGN's GamerMetrics. Other titles seeing release this week include the oft-delayed platformer Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer and a DS port of the casual PC favorite Cake Mania. A small selection of PC releases help to add some variety to this week's offerings, though it appears that few publishers are willing to risk releasing console titles in close proximity to a new Mario game. Games Released in Europe:

Like the United States' chart, this week's European release list features only a handful of titles spread across select platforms. The Nintendo DS will see the bulk of what will likely turn out to be the week's most popular releases; Hotel Dusk: Room 215 received enthusiastic recommendations from many critics upon its release in the United States in January, and Pokemon Ranger remains a popular choice for DS owners both in the U.S. and Japan. Games Released in Japan:

Gyakuten Saiban 4 headlines as this week's most anticipated Japanese release among all competing software. As earlier entries in the series enjoy recent success in other regions (as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and its follow-up Justice for All), this newest sequel in Capcom's courtroom drama franchise could be the most popular release yet, with both a regular version and a special limited edition currently pulling in impressive preorder numbers at Amazon.co.jp. Also leading preorders this week are Nippon Ichi Software's Grim Grimoire and Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: MiniMini Daikoushin!, which is finally seeing a Japanese release long after its U.S. debut in September of last year. Otherwise, Japan's offerings for this week largely consist of licensed titles and budget releases, though next week will bring a much stronger variety of awaited releases, including Super Paper Mario, a PS2 port of Fate/Stay Night, and an upgraded rerelease of Persona 3. [About IGN GamerMetrics: IGN GamerMetrics is an interactive tool designed to report the real-time behavior and interests of visitors to IGN Entertainment's network of gaming enthusiast web sites. Using data collected from IGN's readers, GamerMetrics shows the levels of consumer awareness, engagement, and purchase intent in every video game title released in the U.S. market.]