New PAL Releases Roundup

In deference to Popbitch, which we read on the train home last night after Ellie won the games industry, which major UK publisher's hotel room floor did Eurogamer's Rob "Bertie" Purchese wake up on at 8am this morning with sandpaper for a tongue and a head full of angry? He hasn't been seen since, but you'll be pleased to hear he's alive and well. Certainly more pleased than I was - the dirty stop-out.

Still, it was an improvement on last year when Ellie poured beer in my lap and Pat accidentally punched me as he leapt up to celebrate.

Meanwhile, back in relevance, this week's big releases are BioShock, Saints Row 2 and PES 2009. Many people were surprised by Rob Fahey's glowing recommendation of Volition's daft and destructive return to Stilwater, including us, but having not had a chance to play it since no one's sent me a copy, I'm inclined to agree with him for old time's sake. He is the man, after all, who once led me into a Yakuza bar by accident and then decided that the best way to escape would be to draw upon his vague knowledge of Chinese to startle and amaze a hostess. No wonder he likes Saints Row 2.

BioShock, of course, will mainly appeal to those people we often hear about who live under rocks, so fair play to them for making it this far without finding about that bit. And while an embargo binding my tongue tighter than a double pile hitch precludes me from saying what the Challenge Room content, which will be downloadable, is like to play, I might as well drop a hint anyway in honour of Rapture's leaky brilliance: varied and clever.

Otherwise you might as well hang onto your money this week, unless you've chosen to stick with PES despite FIFA's advances, or unless you don't own one of those shiny PSP Slim & Lites. With the advent of the direct-access PSP Store, and the sheer number of other things it can already do, a few games you like the look of might provide a good excuse. We wouldn't judge you or anything.

That said, we will be doing some exciting judging next week, starting as soon as Monday (and possibly even before, if we get some good news later today). There's some big games out next Friday, and you can expect to start seeing them rated very soon.

This week in shops:

• BioShock (PS3)
• Boogie Superstar (Wii)
• Golden Axe: Beast Rider (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Imagine: Champion Rider (PC)
• Littlest Pet Shop (Wii)
• Littlest Pet Shop: Garden (DS)
• Littlest Pet Shop: Jungle (DS)
• Littlest Pet Shop: Winter (DS)
• Rapala's Fishing Frenzy (Wii, Xbox 360, PS3)
• Persona 3 FES (PS2)
• PSP-3000 (PSP)
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• Puzzler Collection (Wii)
• Saints Row 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)
• X3: Terran Conflict (PC)

This week online:

• Age of Booty (Xbox Live Arcade)
• CrazyMouse (Xbox Live Arcade)
• Mayhem in Monsterland (Wii Virtual Console - C64)
• Space Harrier (Wii Virtual Console - Master System)
• Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (Wii Virtual Console - Megadrive)