Release This: Blackhand Edition

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. Gamers in both the United States and Europe have a busy week in new releases to look forward to. Offerings like The Godfather: Blackhand Edition and the PS3 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion are currently generating the most buzz in the United States, while Europe prepares itself for the more than twenty launch titles that are set to debut alongside the PlayStation 3. Japan will see a relatively quiet release week in comparison, though Musou Orochi and the Xbox 360 port of Armored Core 4 are generating decent amounts of interest in the days prior to their debut. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending March 24, 2007. Games Released in the United States:

Two new ports of EA's The Godfather -- both featuring unique content not seen in any previous release of the game -- will make their way to store shelves this week in the United States, with the Wii's Blackhand Edition being the more anticipated of the two, according to IGN's GamerMetrics. The awaited and previously delayed PS3 port of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion should also be a popular choice upon its release later this week, as should S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Cooking Mama: Cook Off, the Wii sequel to the DS original. The Xbox 360, meanwhile, will see its most popular releases in Virtua Tennis 3 and Armored Core 4 -- two titles that met with acclaim upon their earlier debut in Japan. Games Released in Europe:

The big news in Europe this week is March 23rd's debut of the PlayStation 3, which will be accompanied by the release of almost two dozen launch titles. Past hits such as Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm will hit retail alongside more recent titles like The Godfather: The Don's Edition and the Europe-exclusive World Snooker Championship 2007, in the hopes of attracting gamer interest and hardware purchases in the console's first week of release. Other consoles boast robust release lineups as well, with many of this week's titles set to debut simultaneously in the U.S. and Europe. Exclusives like Bubble Bobble Double Shot, Brian Lara International Cricket 2007, and Exit 2 additionally prove to be intriguing prospects, and should see brisk sales in the coming days. Games Released in Japan:

Koei's Musou Orochi stands out as Japan's most-wanted software title across all platforms this week, if the current rush on preorders at Amazon is of any indication. The awaited Xbox 360 port of Armored Core 4 is also generating a large amount of preorder interest, even after its successful run on the PlayStation 3. The original PlayStation 2 version of The Godfather will also be released in Japan this week, almost exactly one year after it premiered in the United States and Europe. Other releases of potential interest to importers include Puyo Puyo! 15th Anniversary for the PS2 and PSP, two new portable entries in the Bomberman series, and a number of anime-licensed titles scattered across all platforms. [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.]