Release This: Garfield Puzzle World Sparking! NEO

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. Release schedules slow down a bit for all regions this week, providing a breather to gamers worldwide following the debut of numerous major titles throughout the last month. Notable games premiering this week include FIFA 07 in the United States, Capcom Puzzle World in Europe, and Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO in Japan. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending October 7, 2006. Games Released in the United States:

Though this week is bound to please fans of video games based upon licensed properties, few of these upcoming titles are currently garnering much attention or hype, making for a relatively boring week of new Stateside releases. The multiplatform release of FIFA 07 is likely to be of interest to sports fans, however, as the title quickly became a hot seller following its release in Europe last week. The only console to not see a port of FIFA 07 this week is the Xbox 360, which is scheduled to receive an upgraded version at the end of October. Games Released in Europe:

Multiple hockey and basketball sims will see release across several platforms in Europe this week, though few options exist for gamers looking for titles in other genres. The much anticipated Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence should appeal to a wide variety of audiences, however, and could very well find itself at the top of the European sales charts in the coming weeks. This week's release of Capcom Puzzle World is also notable, as the title will remain a European exclusive for a full month before it sees U.S. release. The compilation features ports of popular Capcom puzzlers Block Block and Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, as well as the entire Super Buster Bros. series. No Japanese release date has yet been announced. Games Released in Japan:

Though gamers have little to choose from among this week's single-digit number of new Japanese releases, Bandai's Dragon Ball Z Sparking! NEO currently leads preorders across all platforms in Japan, and should become a sizeable hit upon its release. Next week should find a similar lack of new Japanese titles, though the region's release outlook is bound to improve soon, as the holiday season approaches.