Today marks the beginning of the end for drooling PlayStation 3 hopefuls who are doubtlessly gagging for the arrival of Friday on this, the very last week of expectation before Sony’s latest videogames console crashes (finally) onto the European market. And, to reflect the arrival of the PS3, the new release lists for this week are absolutely crammed full of gaming excellence. While the US version of the next-gen market offers up The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion on the PS3, as well as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on Xbox 360, and Kororinpa Mable Mania on the Nintendo Wii, it falls to the European release list to truly dominate next-gen proceedings this time around – which doesn’t happen all that often.

So, as promised, Sony is delivering a huge sway of launch titles to accompany its PlayStation 3, and gamers can duly look forward to digging a little deeper to secure Resistance: Fall of Man, Ridge Racer 7, Full Auto 2: Battlelines, Gran Turismo HD Concept, NBA Street Homecourt, NBA 2K7, NHL 2K7, Motorstorm, Fight Night Round 3, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection – and many, many others.

By comparison, Xbox 360 and Wii owners hoping for something new will be able to shoulder through the ensuing retail stampede in order to grab Brian Lara International Cricket (360), Def Jam: Icon (360 & PS3), Heatseeker (Wii), The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Wii), and Wing Island (Wii).

Other titles of note on offer across the platform divide in Europe include: Austin Mini Racing (PS2, PSP); Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (PSP); S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (PC); Bomberman Land Touch! (DS), and Valhalla Knights (PSP). US gamers will be receiving Test Drive Unlimited (PC & PSP), Theme Park (DS), and Silverfall (PC).

Click below for the HUGE listing in full.


New releases for week ending 23 March

European New Releases:

Friday 23 March
Asphalt: Urban GT 2 (PSP)
Austin Mini Racing (PS2, PSP)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (PlayStation 3)
Bomberman Land Touch! (Nintendo DS)
Brian Lara International Cricket 2007 (PS2, PC, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS
Bubble Bobble: Double Shot (Nintendo DS)
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (PSP)
Def Jam: Icon (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Nintendo Wii)
Dungeons & Dragons: Tactics (PSP)
Enchanted Arms (PlayStation 3)
Fight Night Round 3 (PlayStation 3)
Formula One 06: Championship Edition (PlayStation 3)
Free Running (PSP)
Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PlayStation 3)
Genji: Days of the Blade (PlayStation 3)
Gran Turismo HD Concept (PlayStation 3)
Heatseeker (PSP, Nintendo Wii)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (PlayStation 3)
Mind Quiz (Nintendo DS)
Mobile Suit Gundam (PlayStation 3)
Motorstorm (PlayStation 3)
NBA 2K7 (PlayStation 3)
NBA Street Homecourt (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Need for Speed: Carbon (PlayStation 3)
NHL 2K7 (PlayStation 3)
Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (PSP)
Resistance: Fall of Man (PlayStation 3)
Ridge Racer 7 (PlayStation 3)
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (PC)
Silent Hunter 4: Pacific Wolves (PC)
Sonic The Hedgehog (PlayStation 3)
Sparta: Ancient Wars (PC)
Spellforce 2: Dragon Storm (PC)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, PC, GBA)
Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (PlayStation 3)
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Nintendo Wii)
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition (PlayStation 3)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2007 (PlayStation 3)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas (PlayStation 3)
Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (PlayStation 3)
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 (Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, PC)
Valhalla Knights (PSP)
Virtua Fighter 5 (PlayStation 3)
Virtua Tennis 3 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
War Front: Turning Point (PC)
Wing Island (Nintendo Wii)
World Snooker Championship 2007 (PlayStation 3)
WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 (PlayStation 3)


North American new releases:

Monday 19 March
Custom Robo Arena (Nintendo DS)
Major League Baseball 2K7 (Nintendo DS)
Quickspot (Nintendo DS)
Tetris Evolution (Xbox 360)

Tuesday 20 March
After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP)
Armored Core 4 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Baseball Mogul 2008 (PC)
Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (Nintendo Wii)
Cooking Mama: Cook Off (Nintendo Wii)
Disney’s Meet the Robinsons (PSP)
Dragon Ball Z: Shin Budokai – Another Road (PSP)
Earth Defense Force 2017 (Xbox 360)
Frontline: Fields of Thunder (PC)
Full Auto 2: Battlelines (PSP)
Genesis Rising: The Universal Crusade (PC)
Hot Wheels Ultimate Racing (PSP)
Kororinpa Marble Mania (Nintendo Wii)
Petz Vet (GBA)
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Nintendo DS, PSP)
Shining Force Exa (PS2)
Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific (PC)
Silverfall (PC)
Steel Horizon (Nintendo DS)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS, GC, PC, GBA)
Test Drive Unlimited (PSP, PC)
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (PlayStation 3)
The Godfather: The Don’s Edition (PlayStation 3)
The Godfather: Blackhand Edition (Nintendo Wii)
Theme Park (Nintendo DS)
UEFA Champions League 2006-2007 (Xbox 360, PS2, PSP)
Virtua Tennis 3 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PSP)
Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters World Championship 2007 (Nintendo DS)



Wednesday 21 March
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Xbox 360)

Friday 23 March
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl (PC)