Release This: Grand Theft Auto IV, Mario Kart Wii Make U.S. Debut

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 release week brings the U.S. debut of Mario Kart Wii and the premiere of Grand Theft Auto IV in North America and the UK. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending May 3rd, 2008. Games Released in the United States:

Mario Kart Wii and Grand Theft Auto IV stand out as this week's headlining North American releases. Their arrival this week comes after months of prerelease buildup and anticipation, and both are expected to remain top sellers for their respective platforms for months to come. Sega's movie tie-in Iron Man will also make its multiplatform debut this week, while PS2 and PSP owners can look forward to the Neo Geo compilation SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1. Games Released in Europe:

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV will premiere in the UK on the same day as its U.S. release, and will additionally be included in Europe-exclusive PlayStation 3 hardware bundles to be released in the coming week. Europe-exclusive releases for this week include the multiplatform Don King Presents: Prizefighter and Mystery Mansion for the Nintendo DS. Games Released in Japan:

Nintendo's Zapper peripheral and the bundled Link no Bowgun Training make their way to Japan this week after premiering months ago in the U.S. and the UK. The Nintendo Wii will additionally see the release of Pro Yakyuu Family Stadium, a revival of Namco's classic baseball sim series previously released in other regions as R.B.I. Baseball. Japan's multiplatform offerings are sparse otherwise, with a handful of anime-licensed offerings premiering on the Nintendo DS and Nippon no Asoko de amounting to the entirety of this week's PSP lineup. Next week will feature a similarly barebones selection of new titles, though more robust Japanese release schedules are expected to resume in mid-May.