Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (NDS):

"Find a sacred sword and use it to save a kingdom in Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, a remake of the 1990 NES classic from Japan. Turn-based gameplay challenges the player's strategic thinking, with the nature of the terrain, the strength of enemy forces and the positioning of your own units all needing careful consideration. The Nintendo DS's Touch Screen enables quick placement of units, and players can battle over the internet or against one another in the same room, in wireless battles, using their own characters with their own special skills and experience. These battles can be enjoyed even more by using the Mic Chat feature during battle.

One hundred years since Medeus was slain and the Kingdom Altea founded on the continent of Akaneia, Medeus is back and it falls to exiled prince, Marth, to save the kingdom from ruination. Success for Marth and his comrades rests on finding his father's sacred sword, Falchion and the Fire Emblem. Only when these are united in Marth's hands will he be able to confront the dark pontifex Gharnef, avenge the murder of his father and kidnap of his sister, destroy Medeus once and for all and win back the kingdom of Altea."

**Why is this game significant: Well. It's a remake of the very first Fire Emblem from the Famicom days. You youngin's will see where Marth came from. (No, his first appearance wasn't in Smash Bros!) Nintendo may base the release of future Fire Emblems on the sales of this one, so if you want to see more, time to shell out your $30.00 (+tax!) In stores: Tuesday, February 17th.**

_______________________________________________________

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP):

"A spin-off if the popular RPG Disgaea featuring the popular bird-like Prinny characters. Players control an unlucky penguin dude called a Prinny and slash their way through various Netherworlds. For this tough-as-nails action game, you're given 1000 units to accomplish your mission, but even with those 1000 units you will have to use everything you find on the battlefield to survive. Lift and throw objects, stomp enemies, even pilot tanks and planes to bombard whatever gets in your way!"

**It stars Prinnies. Need I say more? In stores Wednesday, February 18th.**

_______________________________________________________

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (NDS):

"Never before released in North America, this entry in the Zenithia Trilogy follows a journey that transcends three generations. Travel alongside your father on his quest to see the world, grow to set forth on a journey of your own and face life-altering decisions as you continue your family's legacy."

General Features

• Exotica Net allows you to swap items with fellow Dragon Quest V: The Hand of the Heavenly Bride players, even with your console on standby
• Experience a unique, charming story that follows the life of a young boy on his journey to become a hero. Along the way you will meet various friends, enemies and even find a bride and start a family
• A vast, beautiful and colourful world to explore - with even more colourful characters to meet, monsters to battle and secret treasures to find
• Recruit monsters to your party and arm them so they join you in battle
• A complete audio/visual overhaul breathes new life into a classic with advanced 3D graphics and an arranged orchestral score
  

**Super NES owners may remember wishing this game would come to the US, oh I dunno, SEVENTEEN YEARS AGO...! Many of the ideas from this game provided the basic framework for a little known Nintendo/Game Freaks title known as Pokemon. In stores Tuesday, February 17th.**

_______________________________________________________

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and the Damned (360):

"Continue to chase the American dream with the first downloadable expansion pack to the blockbuster fourth Grand Theft Auto franchise entry. Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, The Lost and Damned features a new main character and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV. Also in this expansion pack are new missions offering an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City, new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles, and a diverse soundtrack with additional music -- all with the incredible production values that are the trademarks of Grand Theft Auto.

The Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned expansion pack is available as a downloadable product on Xbox Live Arcade. Gamers can also keep an eye out for Xbox Live Marketplace token cards available at select retail outlets."

**In stores/On Xbox Live Wednesday, February 18th.**

_______________________________________________________

Noby Noby Boy (PSN):

"Offering a unique play experience from one of the video game industry's most creative minds, Noby Noby Boy gives players complete freedom to create gameplay suited to their tastes. As Boy, players can eat and spit out nearly everything they encounter in the game, from people and animals to trees and buildings, helping them to gain length as they stretch their elongated body. Players can control Boy's front and back ends using the PS3 controller's two analog sticks, allowing for incredibly detailed movements such as tying themselves into knots or threading Boy through holes in the environment.

Delivering a new and innovate approach to online gaming, Noby Noby Boy lets players collaborate to unlock new game stages. As players stretch BOY in their individual play sessions, the lengths to which they grow are uploaded to a persistent character known as GIRL, who grows at the same rate as the combined length of all the players in the world. GIRL starts at Earth and expands through the solar system as more games are played and BOYs from all players continue to grow. When GIRL reaches a new milestone in the solar system, these areas are unlocked as playable stages in the game for everyone around the world."

**From the creator of Katamari Damacy so you at least know it's going to be weird enough to warrant closer inspection. On PSN Thursday, February 19th.**

_______________________________________________________

Street Fighter IV (PS3/360):

"The long-awaited fourth entry in the Street Fighter series. Street Fighter IV features a mix of returning favorites such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile along with new characters created for this game, such as Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus. Characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Mixing classic genre-defining game mechanics the franchise is known and loved for with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over."

General Features

• Classic "2D" Street Fighter gameplay with stunning 3D characters and environments
• New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus attacks, Super Combos, and the revenged-fueled Ultra Combo system.
• Classic Street Fighter characters recreated for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter I
• New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more!
• Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game
• New gameplay elements provide new challenges for both newcomers and the most seasoned Street Fighter pro

**You really didn't think I WASN'T going to mention it, did you?! In stores Wednesday, February 18th.**

_______________________________________________________

great thread, thanks for depriving me of $100 USD or so.

do this every week man. please.

I picked up DQ5 and Prinny.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (NDS) -- "Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon doesn't offer a revolutionary experience, but it is a highly polished and well-balanced example of strategy gaming. Nintendo did a nice job making sure it kept the challenge the series is known for while at the same time providing a friendlier experience for newcomers. The series superfans may be disappointed at the lack of new features, but this is still one of the strongest turn-based strategy experiences on the DS." -- IGN.Com 8.5 / 10 Review.

Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? (PSP) -- "If you think you can handle the absurd difficulty of Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, you'll have fun with it. The charming sprites and modest 3D backgrounds work well with the PSP and the music and voice acting is commendable. Especially when you consider the amount of unlockables in the game, this platformer is definitely worth it. Prinny, we love you, just don't explode!" -- IGN.Com 8.3 / 10 Review.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride (NDS) -- "Dragon Quest V is a must-play RPG, pure and simple. By extension, that means that Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is also a must-play RPG, though I can't help but wish we were getting it sooner than 17 years late, and with a bit more fanfare and polish. The core game is simply incredible, offering some of the best story, gameplay, and customization available in the Super NES era, and most of the DQ series to boot. The DS version is the only one we've got, and while I wouldn't go as far as to call it the definitive version without having a chance to experience the original, the updated script is very well done, things like the fan-missed party chat option (removed from DQIV on DS) is now back, and the sheer amount of impressive gameplay found in the nearly doubled in size monster battle system is immense. The 3D design is great, the presentation is top notch, holding up what was originally done with the Super Famicom version and amplified by the PS2 remake in Japan. There are still issues with the game as a current-day DS title though, such a very plain interface, a bland top screen during battles, and an archaic menu system that really makes the game feel dated. The source material for this one is nothing short of amazing, and hands-down one of the best classic RPGs ever created. The DS conversion of that source material – while still very commendable – could have been even better after seeing some of Square's other works on the platform. With that being said, DQV: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is a must-own game for anyone that calls themselves an RPG fan – it's just that good." -- IGN.Com 8.9 / 10 Review.

Street Fighter IV (PS3/360) -- "Street Fighter IV is a fantastic game overall and Capcom should be commended for designing a game that can work on so many levels by appealing to both casual and hardcore players. I'll admit that when I first heard I was reviewing Street Fighter IV, I wasn't terribly excited. I suppose I just didn't think much of it. But as I played and experimented with each character, fighting a variety of the IGN folks and learning something new with every match, I realized just how irrevocably deep fighting games -- and Street Fighter games in particular -- really are. I encourage everyone to give Street Fighter IV a try, even if you're relatively new to the fighting game scene. There's so much depth to the gameplay that you'll be rewarded long after your purchase." -- IGN.Com 9.3 / 10 Review.