Release This: Wii Chess, Zack & Wiki Lead 2008's First Wave Of UK Releases

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. The year's initial lineup of European releases is expected to arrive this week, bringing titles like Zack & Wiki, Geometry Wars: Galaxies, and the region-exclusive Wii Chess to gamers in the UK. North America prepares for the release of games like Samurai Warriors: Katana and FlatOut: Head On, meanwhile, as a Nintendo DS port of Mario & Sonic at Bejing Olympics hits Japan. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending January 19th, 2008. Games Released in the United States:

Though last week's U.S. release lineup was the largest the region has seen in more than a month, this week's selection is somewhat smaller in comparison. The Nintendo Wii and PC platforms will see the most activity this week, with CSI: Hard Evidence and the Dynasty Warriors series spinoff Samurai Warriors: Katana hitting the Wii, while PC gamers receive the FlatOut sequel Head On and two different The Sims Carnival releases. Highly anticipated titles like Burnout Paradise, No More Heroes, and Advance Wars: Days of Ruin are expected to debut next week, setting the stage for a February packed with major releases across all platforms. Games Released in Europe:

The UK is set to see its first major release week of the year, with a number of awaited titles expected to hit store shelves within the next several days. This week's UK lineup features a broad selection of popular Nintendo Wii games previously seen in other territories, including the acclaimed adventure title Zack & Wiki, the NiGHTS sequel Journey of Dreams, and Geometry Wars: Galaxies, which will also hit the Nintendo DS in the coming week. Wii owners in Europe will also get an exclusive first look at Wii Chess, a first-party chess simulation that is not currently scheduled for release in any other region. The week's outlook shows no titles debuting on non-Nintendo consoles, however, and new multiplatform releases will be equally scarce in the UK through the rest of January. Games Released in Japan:

Japanese releases remain few and far between throughout January, and this week's lineup reflects the continued drought. The Nintendo DS port of the previously released Wii hit Mario & Sonic at Bejing Olympics will likely emerge as this week's most popular title, with Japanese equivalents of Trauma Center: New Blood and Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity also attracting prerelease attention. Next week will see the release of the anime-licensed Lucky * Star on the PlayStation 2 and Dairantou Smash Brothers X (aka Super Smash Bros. Brawl), a landmark Wii release that will likely prove popular among both Japanese gamers and importers eager for a first glimpse at the highly anticipated Nintendo series crossover fighter.