Except for 1942: Joint Strike on Thursday, this week looks like a mostly portable/PC cycle, to be followed next week by more console-oriented stuff, such as the remaining 3 copies of Soulcalibur IV that were actually held for release on their street date. Here's your syllabus, class, will you be taking home any of this for closer study? Tell us in the comments.

Monday (July 21)
Final Fantasy IV (DS)
City Life 2008 Edition (PC)
Baseball Mogul 2009 (PC)

Tuesday (July 22)
Ubersoldier 2: The End of Hitler (PC)
Izuna 2: The Unemployed Ninja Returns (DS)
Order Up! (Wii)
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (PS2, Wii, DS)
New International Track & Field (DS)
Kidz Sports: Crazy Golf

Wednesday (July 23)
Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society (DS)

Thursday (July 24)
1942: Joint Strike (PS3, X360)

This week won't be just about new games announced for release more than a quarter down the road. We've actually got a pretty sizeable list of drops, highlighted (for me, anyway) by NCAA Football 09, which comes out on Tuesday. This title was the reason I bought my first console since — actually since getting a Colecovision off of usenet in college. I played it on my buddy David's Gamecube in 2003, and I decided right then and there I had to have an Xbox. Oh lawdy, that was bad of me. But seriously. My crazy Vegas lawyer friend Davor had a PS2 and we'd bet on computer-vs-computer simulations, too. With a spread. Good times.

Let us know what you're buying/renting in the comments:

Monday (July 14)
1701 A.D. Gold Edition (PC)
Yamaha Supercross (PC, PS2, Wii, DS)

Tuesday (July 15)
NCAA Football 09 (X360, PS3, Wii, PS2, PSP)
The Golden Horde (PC)
City Life 2008 Edition (PC)
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (PC) (JESUS, LIQUID DRAGON IS THIS THING EVER GOING TO DROP? WTF. THAT IS ALL.)
We Love Golf! (Wii)
B-Boy (PS2)
Code Lyoko: Quest for Infinity (PSP)
Rock Band Track Pack Vol 1 (Wii, PS2)
Space Chimps (360, PS2, WII, DS)
Hunting Unlimited 2009 (PC)
Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society (DS)
Mister Slime (DS)

Wonder if Beijing 2008 will feature photorealistic smog effects or incorporate the stupefying algae bloom in the nautical events. Still, pretty ambitious of Sega to put out a sports game featuring events that even sports fans don't follow except for two weeks out of a four year span (and dropping it less than a week before NCAA Football 09). If the spirit of brotherhood and competition isn't your thang, Unreal Tournament 3 comes to 360 this week also. Or maybe you prefer Sports Party on the Wii. Or Purr Pals. Let us know what you're buying/renting in the jump.

Monday (July 7)
Unreal Tournament 3 (360)
Nancy Drew: The Phantom of Venice (PC)

Tuesday (July 8)
Devil May Cry 4 (PC)
Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (360, PS3, DS)
Beijing 2008 - The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games (360, PS3)
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon (Wii)
Ghost Online (PC)
Wonder World Amusement Park (Wii)
Carnival Games (DS)

Thursday (July 10)
Purr Pals (Wii)

Friday (July 11)
Sports Party (Wii)

Thin week for The Week in Games. You can sense the pattern, big week of console releases, then thin week with mostly handheld drops. The pattern continues. Let us know if any of these get your gamer coin.

Monday (June 30)
1 vs 100 (DS)
The Immortals of Terra (PC)
Journey to the Center of the Earth (DS)
Roogoo (PC)

Tuesday (July 1)
Hail to the Chimp (PS3, 360)
AMF Bowling Pinbusters (DS)
Gears of War w/maps, GoW2 Preview (360)
Purr Pals (Wii)
Ducati Moto (DS)

Wednesday (July 2)
Dungeon Runners (PC)

Thursday (July 3)
Fading Shadows (PSP)

Alone in the Dark takes you to Central Park this week. Also, Rock Band comes to the Wii, Guitar Hero to the DS, and Aerosmith to Guitar Hero. Then you have major drops like Battlefield: Bad Company for the PS3 and 360, plus Supreme Commander for and Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath for the 360. And a Hellboy movie adaptation. If tennis is your game, 2K's Top Spin 3 is out.

Yes, gamer, you will consuuuuuuuume. Or at least rent. Tell us in the comments if you've been waiting on any of these.

Today (June 22)
Rock Band (Wii)
Guitar Hero: On Tour (DS)

Monday (June 23)
Battlefield: Bad Company (360, PS3)
Top Spin 3 (360, Wii, PS3, DS)
Supreme Commander (360)
Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath (360)

Tuesday (June 24)
Alone in the Dark (360, PS2, PC, Wii)
Hail to the Chimp (PS3, 360)
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS)
Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes 2: The Phantom Fortress (PSP)
Operation Darkness (360)
Hellboy: Science of Evil (PSP, 360, PS3)
Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker x Ninja (DS)
Overlord: Raising Hell (PS3)

Thursday (June 26)
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (PC)

Sunday (June 29)
Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (360, WII, PS2, PS3)

Quiet week for consoles, but the DS has seven titles dropping in the coming week, and Secret Agent Clank for the PSP also hits the street. Also, if this Deadliest Catch game doesn't go out this week, I am de-listing it. So, spending your coin on handheld toys this week? Let us know in the jump, or tell us what you're playing instead. My guess is it rhymes with Shmetal Shmear Shmolid.

Monday (June 16)
The Political Machine 2008 (PC)
Requiem: Bloodymare (PC)
1701 A.D. Gold Edition (PC)

Tuesday (June 17)
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (360, PC)
Secret Agent Clank (PSP)
Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard (DS)
Space Invaders Extreme (PSP, DS)
Code Lyoko: Fall of X.A.N.A. (DS)
Wacky Races: Crash & Dash (Wii, DS)
Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop 3 (DS)
Arkanoid DS (DS)
Imagine Rock Star (DS)

Metal Gear Solid 4 dominates the releases this week, dropping on Thursday. NASCAR 09 and Dragon Ball Z pick up the leftovers on Tuesday, plus there's the Don King-branded boxing game which, come on, how can that game not have an ultra-realistic litigation engine built in, if it's Don King. So, if you game on the PS3, this is pretty much your week to shine. Let us know what you're buying, and if you're buying a PS3 just to play MGS4, in the comments.

Today (June 8)
Total Extreme Wrestling 2008 (PC)

Tuesday (June 10)
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit(360, PS3)
NASCAR 09 (360, PS3, PS2)
Don King Presents: Prizefighter (360)
Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm (360, PC)
EVE Online: Empyrean Age (PC)
Blast Works: Build, Trade, Destroy (Wii)
Jake Hunter: Detective Chronicles (DS)
Looney Tunes: Cartoon Conductor (DS)
Backyard Baseball 2009 (Wii)
Trainz: The Complete Collection (PC)

Thursday (June 12)
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)

This week looks like the second wave of big summer-season releases, dropping Ninja Gaiden II, GRID, Lego Indiana Jones, and The Bourne Conspiracy on Tuesday, followed by The Incredible Hulk on Friday. Oh, and let's also not forget Activision payday movie tie-in Kung Fu Panda: Shovelware edition, which accompanies the animated, thinly veiled Nacho Libre redux hitting screens this week. Consistent readers of the site will know I despise two things: Yap dogs, and animated movies with a color-by-numbers stranger-in-a-strange-land narrative. Hate them like Colbert hates bears. And a panda is a bear.

Buying/renting any of these? Hit the comments.

Monday (June 2):
Dracula: Origin (PC)
Stronghold Crusader Extreme (PC)

Tuesday (June 3):
Ninja Gaiden II (360)
GRID (PC, 360, PS3)
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy (360, PS3)
Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures (PSP, 360, Wii, PS3, PC, PS2, DS)
Kung Fu Panda (360, PC, PS2, Wii, PS3, DS)
Summon Night: Twin Age (DS)
Hot Shots Golf: Open Tee 2 (PSP)
Fatal Inertia EX (PS3)

Wednesday (June 4):
Roogoo (360)

Thursday (June 5):
The Incredible Hulk (360, PS2, Wii, PS3, DS)

The Week in Games: No Reversals!

Alright, not much to pick on here in TWiG's April 20th installment. But Wild Earth: African Safari, well good thing that's a kid title. Otherwise it looks about as interesting as watching old people fuck. Virtual photography? That's a side mission in about four titles I already own.

I realize everyone here hates teh sports, but if I wasn't moving I'd be at least renting NBA Ballers: Chosen One. I bought the first one during the 2004 playoffs and created my baller, Two-Car Fatal, as an homage to the scut work Crecente and I were doing on the night shift at the time. (I also created Ice Killus as an homage to the Greek playwright.) I'd happily revisit that series again.

Here's what's coming up, let us know if you'll pick or pass. Thanks.

The Red Star (Wii)
Wild Earth: African Safari (Wii)
River King: Mystic Valley (DS)
Chameleon (PSP)
Dream Pinball 3D (Wii, DS)
Target: Terror (Wii)
Battle of the Bands (Wii)
Turok (PC)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS)
Persona 3: FES (PS2)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness (DS)
NBA Ballers: Chosen One (PS3, X360)
The World Ends With You (DS)

New Releases Week of April 20, 2008 [Gamespot]

The Week in Games: You Are the Music (and DS Game) in Me

You can expect this out of me if I'm running TWIG from now on — the WTF drop of the week is the lede, and this one is for High School Musical 2 (Two): Work This Out. A Disney press release spends reams of copy talking about the franchise's marketing chops and about a paragraph explaining why the game is worth playing. To wit:

• It's "the only musical adventure game allowing fans to immerse themselves in the world of "High School Musical 2." And thank God for that.

• You can play as one of six characters and "go on various adventures at the resort, compete in time-based challenges and play different rhythm games, all while listening to the hit songs from "High School Musical 2." Something tells me the last part of that is what Disney considers most important.

Here's the rest of your roster of new releases. Tell us in the comments if you're picking any of these up.

Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis (PC)
Major League Baseball 2K8 Fantasy All Stars (DS)
AMF Bowling Pinbusters! (DS)
Rondo of Swords (DS)
Okami (Wii)
Jack Keane (PC)
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (PC)
Turok (PC)
Europa Universalis: Rome (PC)
High School Musical 2: Work This Out! (DS)
Cory in the House (DS)
The Sims 2: Kitchen & Bath Interior Design Stuff (PC)
Summer Sports: Paradise Island (Wii)
Teenage Zombies: Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys! (DS)
Emergency Mayhem (Wii)
Final Fantasy XI: Vana'diel Collection 2008 (PC)

New Releases, Week of April 13 [Gamestop]