Release This: Patapon Marches to U.S. Stores

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 week will bring Patapon to North American PSPs and LOST: Via Domus to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the U.S. and Europe. Japan will receive the Monolith-developed DS RPG Soma Bringer, along with the Xbox 360 sequel The Idolm@ster: Live for You! The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending March 1st, 2008. Games Released in the United States:

A healthy release lineup awaits all platforms in the United States this week. The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will receive the alternative history FPS Turning Point: Fall of Liberty and LOST: Via Domus, an adaptation of the popular television series. The PlayStation 3 will additionally get a port of the Xbox 360-born Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, which recently debuted to brisk sales in Japan. On portables, the PSP bolsters its library this week with the Steambot Chronicles-based puzzler Blokus Portable and Patapon, a rhythm-action hybrid that has earned early acclaim from critics and positive word of mouth from importers. Nintendo DS owners can expect to see a new Naruto release and a selection of brain training and pet simulation titles. Next week will find Silent Hill Origins ported from the PSP to the PlayStation 2, while the PSP itself receives the awaited God of War: Chains of Olympus. Other platforms will see titles like Bully: Scholarship Edition, Army of Two, and Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer. Games Released in Europe:

This week's UK lineup shares many of North America's most prominent releases while also featuring a handful of unique exclusives. DS puzzler Fizz and the multiplatform Asterix at the Olympic Games are set to see exclusive release in Europe and Australia, and will not see release overseas. Gamers in Europe will also catch up on recent international releases like Beautiful Katamari and Mega Man ZX, while RPG fans can expect to see Lost Odyssey and Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 on store shelves in the coming week. Games Released in Japan:

The Nintendo-published RPG Soma Bringer arrives to a high degree of anticipation in Japan this week. Soma Bringer represents the first release for Monolith Soft (Xenosaga, Baten Kaitos) since Nintendo announced its purchase of the developer last year, and expectations run high among fans of Monolith's earlier RPG efforts. This week will also see a sequel to one of the Xbox 360's most popular Japanese releases in The Idolm@ster: Live for You! Amazon.co.jp reports that pre-release sales have seen a steady increase in the weeks leading up to Live for You's release, and the title currently ranks as the week's second-most popular preorder item, behind Soma Bringer. Given that Japanese Xbox 360 hardware sales saw a significant boost immediately after the release of the original The Idolm@ster, Live for You! could be on track to rival the Xbox 360's biggest Japanese sellers to date.