Release This: Hamsterz Evolution: Extreme Condition

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. While new releases screech to a near-halt in the United States and Europe this week due to the approaching holiday, Japan will soon host a variety of anticipated titles. Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology, Seiken Densetsu 4, and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition have been generating a lot of interest among Japanese gamers for months now, and should bring in big money at retailers nationwide upon their release this week. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending December 23, 2006. Games Released in the United States:

Games Released in Europe:

Few publishers in the United States and Europe have new titles to show in the week leading up to Christmas, having already exhausted their supply of releases during the late November and early December rush. The remaining stragglers listed above consist mostly of last-minute licensed releases and titles that missed their original ship dates. Next week should see a similar dearth of releases for both regions. More robust release lineups for the U.S. and the UK can be expected to resume in 2007. Games Released in Japan:

Japan, meanwhile, is in the middle of one of the busiest times of the year for new video game releases, with more than three dozen new titles expected to premiere across a variety of platforms in the next several days. Among these titles are a pair of significant RPG releases -- Namco's Tales of The World: Radiant Mythology and Square Enix's Seiken Densetsu 4 -- both of which are currently pulling in impressive preorder numbers. The PS3 and Xbox 360 will also receive a selection of highly anticipated releases this week, with Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, Armored Core 4, and Sonic the Hedgehog being among the most popular titles gamers are currently looking forward to in Japan.