Release This: LEGO Mama: Dark Resurrection

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 the week of September 11th, 2006, in an exclusively compiled list. The United States gears up for one of its biggest weeks in new releases so far this year, with over 40 titles scheduled to make their debut in the next several days. LEGO Star Wars II, Mega Man ZX, and Cooking Mama are only a few such titles that will find their way to retailers this week, and many more will soon follow. Europe and Japan also have a number of new games to look forward to in the coming week, with Tekken: Dark Resurrection, Ridge Racers 2, and God Hand all expected to be well received among consumers. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending September 16, 2006. Games Released in the United States:

The United States is expected to see the release of a whopping 46 new titles this week, a number the likes of which has not been equaled in the last several months of video game releases in any region. Nintendo DS owners in particular will find themselves with plenty of options to choose from among the week's wide variety of new releases, which span everything from new entries in popular franchises (Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mega Man ZX) to the original and the niche (Cooking Mama, Harvest Moon DS). Sweeping all platforms this week is LEGO Star Wars II, the much-anticipated follow-up to last year's lighthearted action title LEGO Star Wars. Based on the original trilogy of Star Wars films, LEGO Star Wars II is expected to offer similar gameplay to that of its prequel, and will feature the ability to mix and match character heads and bodies, to both humorous and practical effect. The original LEGO Star Wars is currently experiencing a surge in sales as consumers anticipate the release of its sequel -- LEGO Star Wars II should find similar success when it is released later this week. Games Released in Europe:

Though not as massive in size as this week's release list for the United States, Europe's list still features a number of awaited titles. Among these include European versions of acclaimed games like Steambot Chronicles, Gradius Collection, and Tekken: Dark Resurrection -- titles that were released months ago in the United States, but will likely be appreciated nonetheless by gamers awaiting their debut in Europe. Games Released in Japan:

This week's Japanese release list contains only a handful of standout titles, though these few games could prove to be big sellers over the next several days. The PlayStation 2 is the winner among consoles in Japan this week, with the platform set to receive both Capcom's comedic beat-em-up God Hand and Minna no Tennis, an easily approachable tennis simulator from the creators of the Hot Shots Golf series. Other notable titles debuting in Japan this week include Ridge Racers 2 -- the follow-up to the PSP launch title Ridge Racers -- and Metal Slug 6, a console conversion of the Metal Slug series' most recent arcade entry.