Release This: As U.S. Slows, Wii Fit, Layton Headline Japan

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. As the United States' accelerated holiday release schedule grinds to a near-halt, Japan and Europe are expected to see one of the busiest release weeks in the past several months. Gamers in the UK can expect to find Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles and The Golden Compass on store shelves in the coming week, while Japan will see the release of highly anticipated titles like Wii Fit, SD Gundam G Generation Spirits, and Layton Kyouju to Akuma no Hako. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending December 1st, 2007. Games Released in the United States:

This week's North American lineup barely cracks double digits in quantity, in comparison to the dozens of new releases that flooded retailers throughout November. Wii owners will find a decent selection of potential holiday gifts -- including the budget-priced minigame compilation Game Party and a Wii port of the popular puzzle/RPG hybrid Puzzle Quest -- but pickings are slim on other platforms. Future weeks are expected to see a similar lack of new releases, though upcoming titles like NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, the PlayStation 2 version of Rock Band, and Unreal Tournament III for the PS3 will provide ample incentive for gamers to return to retailers during the holiday sales rush. Games Released in Europe:

Despite the size of this week's European lineup, few titles stand out among a glut of licensed releases timed to debut prior to the upcoming holidays. Amazon.co.uk reports high presale numbers for Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles, and the Wii port of My Horse and Me ranks as a popular preorder choice as well. The UK will also find a particularly healthy lineup of region-exclusive releases this week. The multiplatform release of The Golden Compass will hit Europe several days prior to its debut in any other region, and titles like My French Coach, Crazy Pig, and the motion-controlled RealPlay Pool and RealPlay Puzzlesphere are not currently scheduled for release elsewhere in the world. Games Released in Japan:

Japan boasts what is perhaps the most significant release lineup of any region this week, as several of its offerings rank among the year's most anticipated titles. Nintendo's peripheral-bundled exercise program Wii Fit promises a similar experience to the Wii's previous casual hits Wii Play and Wii Sports. Judging by its consistently strong preorder sales over the last several months at Amazon.co.jp, Wii Fit should also meet with the kind of success Nintendo has seen with Wii Sports and Wii Play, and the title is expected to remain a strong seller throughout December. Other big debuts for this week include SD Gundam G Generation Spirits and the Level 5-developed Layton Kyouju to Akuma no Hako, which serves as sequel to an adventure title that will see U.S. release early next year as Professor Layton and the Curious Village.