New PAL Releases Roundup

Who said 2009 was over? Several times in successive weeks? Me! I did. But apparently I was wrong, because what this week's new releases may lack in volume, they do not lack in quality, and it's all thanks to an old friend with a new means of conveyance. Choo choo!

The Legend of Zelda returns in the 9/10 excellent new Spirit Tracks, in which a source of unspeakable evil (also non-speaking evil, most likely) is bound within the heart of the planet by a network of railway tracks, which are broken down and must be restored by going to dungeons and collecting things and generally having a wicked time on a consistent basis for many happy and friendly hours.

Elsewhere in new-release land there's Q-Games' latest hot little number, PixelJunk Shooter, where you zoom around caverns rescuing men whilst dealing with the competing difficulties of extreme heat and extreme cold.

Otherwise though this year really is over, although Blue Toad Murder Files is out next week, along with the new Trials HD downloadable content, so perhaps it still isn't. Choo choo!

This week in shops:

• James Cameron's Avatar: The Game (PSP)
• Tekken 6 (PSP)
• The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)

This week online:

• Alex Kidd in Shinobi World (Wii Virtual Console - Master System)
• Beam 'Em Up (PSP minis)
• Buzz! Junior: Dino Den (PS3)
• Call of Duty Classic (PS3)
• Dynogems (PSP minis)
• Hell's Kitchen Vs. (DSiWare)
• Heracles Chariot Racing (PSP minis)
• Hyperballoid HD (PS3)
• Let's Golf! (PSP minis)
• Pallurikio (WiiWare)
• PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff (DSiWare)
• PixelJunk Shooter (PS3)
• QIX++ (Xbox Live Arcade)
• Rubik's Puzzle Galaxy: RUSH (WiiWare)
• Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 4: The Trial and Execution of Guybrush Threepwood (WiiWare)
• Tales of Monkey Island - Chapter 5: Rise of the Pirate God (PC)
• Telegraph Crosswords (PSP minis)