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Shop Watch October

By Russ | October 10, 2009 at 10:07 pm

Ah, this column is totally late.

There’s a ton of stuff coming out this week. There also might be a ‘buy 2 get 1 free’ at Toys R Us starting Sunday, October 11. Mitigate those financial losses!

Risen for the PC, released on Oct. 2. This was originally set to have a 360 release on the same day, but that has been pushed back to the beginning of next year.

Demon’s Souls for the PS3, released on Oct. 6. Demon’s Souls was well-known for its difficulty before coming to the States. The Collector’s Edition comes with the strategy guide to help players. It’s the only way to get the guide, actually. I have a copy of the game sitting here. It just arrived today. It looks at me with superior eyes, as if to claim I am unworthy.

It’s probably right.

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky for the DS, shipping Oct. 12. If it seems odd this Pokemon Mystery Dungeon release is by its lonesome, then you have some insight into the video gaming world. Explorers of Sky is a remake of Time and Space with extra bonus features. Nintendo will apparently release the next ‘true’ titles on WiiWare.

Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition for the PC, PS3, and 360, street-dated for Oct. 13. This re-release of Fallout 3 contains all of the DLC for the game in one handy package. Considering the $50 price tag on the game, and the additional $50 price tag on the DLC, this release is very, very welcome.

A Boy and His Blob for the Wii, shipping Oct. 13. I just wanted more people to know about this release.

Fate: Traitor Soul for the PC, shipping Oct. 13. The original game used to come bundled free with some PCs. The developer also focused on an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at getting free copies into key salespeople’s hands. It’s paid off – this cutesy hack and slash game is fairly popular, and more is on the way.

Half-Minute Hero for the PSP, shipping Oct. 13. This pixellated venture and it’s focus on speed makes for a fun sendup of RPGs. The demos are up for download on the PlayStation Network. Give them a try – even if you hate RPGs, the fast-paced levelling system combined with the time trial set-up make for a fun experience.

Laevatain Tactics for the DS, shipping Oct. 13. Aksys is releasing this Tactics Ogre/Final Fantasy Tactics inspired title, which missed last month’s date and is currently set for this week. If you like art books, GameStop’s online shop has them when a customer pre-orders the game.

Magna Carta 2 for the 360, shipping Oct. 13. The ratio of head to body on every character in this game is terrible. Tiny heads adorn everyone. Even the half human/half dragon guy has this really tiny lizard head. On the other hand, the battle system has changed a bit from the previous incarnation. The system resembles something along the line of FFXII, and requires the player to cycle through their party to build up special attacks.

EverQuest II: The Complete Collection for the PC, shipping Oct. 19. It looks as if this has survived a world full of Warcraft. Good job.

Mytran Wars for the PSP, shipping Oct. 20. I don’t believe that for a second. See you in November, Mytran!

Adventures To Go! for the PSP, shipping Oct. 27. Natsume and GameStop have some type of unholy alliance going on. Adventures To Go! is now a GS exclusive. I wonder how that will work when every title is supposed to be released on the PSN as well?

Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island for the DS, shipping Oct. 27. After several RPG releases on the PS2, the Atelier series returns to its simulation-heavy roots for this DS title. NISA seems to be banking a bit on the title. They are releasing a version with packaging similar to a Japanese limited edition release. The Atelier series is pretty fun, especially considering the ability to forgo the story and synthesize stuff.

League of Legends: Clash of Fates for the PC, shipping Oct. 27. This is the $30 retail pack with extra features for the game. The title is supposed to be free-to-play when it gets released. The retail copy just gives the player an edge over their competition.

Nostalgia for the DS, shipping Oct. 27. Last month’s comparison with Adventures To Go! was ill-fated. Now they come out on the same day.

Some Advice: Even at $60, the Fallout 3 GOTY is a great price. Demon’s Souls is already a sleeper hit, and Atlus’ small print runs might make it a handy game to re-sell down the road online. The PSP should always have titles available via digital distribution alongside their retail copies, so there’s no longer a danger of not finding that specific title down the road. Magna Carta 2 might be a rarity in the future if only because no one cares. I think the title will hit bargain bins very soon, myself.

The Future: Alpha Protocol is now slated for June of next year. I was hoping to play its Greatest Hits version by then. Mass Effect 2 hits in February, but expect that title next Fall. Dragon Age: Origins is still set for next month. PC and 360 owners see it on November 3rd, and PS3 owners are screwed until the 17th. A lot of people think its because the PS3 is the harder system when it comes to developing games. I see two consoles with similar operating systems. Watch out for Dragon Age‘s collecter’s editions. It seems some retail stores are not taking any more orders for them.

All games (with the exception of those marked as street-dated or avaliable for download) will be in stores one day after their release. Release dates also tend to be shipping dates. All release dates are subject to change.

Topics: Shop Watch