It’s not very often that you see a fat Asian. Sure, some of us including me put on a little bit around this time of year, but we don’t need to burn off a ton of fat to stay in shape - that’s just the way it is.

That said, Wii Fit should be perfect for us Asians, since fitness over in Japan where the game was made emphasizes maintaining physical health without working you too hard. Nintendo will finally be offering that service to those in Korea and Taiwan, where Wii Fit launches on December 6th and December 27th, respectively. It’s about time, too. After we had gotten the game back in May, I was beginning to worry if Nintendo would ever get those Korean MMORPG gamers away from their PC desk chairs and in front of their TVs to do their half-moon and breathing exercises.

Nintendo of Korea
via GoNintendo

…pretty sure that picture’s all you need to know about the releases in North America this week.

There are some other titles on the list that may be worth checking out, especially if you’re into quirky games like I am… yeah, Personal Trainer: Cooking. Those of you in Europe might be eying titles like Sam & Max: Season One or Sonic Unleashed, but be sure to check out the full release lists after the break!

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There are another 48 games coming to the Wii and DS combined this week in North America, including some heavy hitters we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. Wii owners might want to consider Castlevania: Judgment, Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Ultimate Band, Cooking Mama World Kitchen, Tomb Raider Underworld, Skate It, Animal Crossing: City Folk, Shaun White Snowboarding: Roadtrip, or Sonic Unleashed as possibilities.

One the DS side, you’ve got a lot of DS counterparts to some of the games listed above, on top of Tony Hawk’s Motion/Hue Pixel Painter, Guitar Hero: On Tour Decades, and a pair of Imagine games that I’m sure some young relative of yours would love as a Christmas present.

…and that’s just North America. Check after the break for more!

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Wii release lists are a little slimmer this week around the world, but those DS games… man, they just keep on coming. Then again, aside from the Korg DS-10 in North America and Professor Layton and the Curious Village in Europe, those DS releases are mostly spotted with licensed games.

In addition, just because the Wii lists are shorter, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing good available. Quantum of Solace launches here in North America, Guitar Hero World Tour and Trauma Center: New Blood will be out in Europe, and everyone’s getting Rubik’s World!

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The release lists over the next few weeks should look similarly large, and for good reason. This week’s big release on Nintendo platforms in North America is undoubtedly Activision’s Guitar Hero: World Tour.

On the other side of the (small) pond, it’s not as clear a pick. Some would argue that it’s all about Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon. Those who haven’t spends hundreds on importing Final Fantasy “potions” from Japan might argue something like Quantum of Solace as being the big release. And then there’s Manhunt 2, which we’re not even going to begin revisiting 2007 with.

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See, this is why we can’t have holiday season. No one can afford them. There are a whopping 50 new retail games for Nintendo platforms in North America this week, and 20 for Europe. (Interestingly, it’s 25 Wii/25 DS in North America, and 10 Wii/10 DS in Europe.) Japan gets 14 new games for the Wii/DS platforms, which is normally a large number. Yeah, no…

Obviously, Nintendo’s going to be giving Wii Music more promotion than the rest of these games will get combined. Me? Disney Sing It and Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia top my list. How about yours? It’s a buffet line after the break.

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At $50 for 60+ instruments, you’d think Wii Music is a steal. Based on what we’ve played of the game, it may be a bit on the easy side for rhythm/music game enthusiasts, but for others, it can make for a fun party pasttime. As a future band director, I’m horrified of the possibility that kids will grow up thinking they can play notes at any time and it will sound good, but as a music educator, I’m looking forward to the creative outlet and exposure to so many new instruments.

If you’re not yet decided on whether or not to pick up the game, Nintendo’s launch press release can be read after the break talking about the details and modes of the game. I’ll try to get a review of the game done by next week, but seeing as I’m still playing through Sonic Chronicles…

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If you’re like me, you’re still enjoying some of the great games that have come out in the past couple of weeks, both retail releases and downloads. Thankfully, it’s a quiet week in that there aren’t many major blockbusters with heavy marketing telling you to buy the games - you can ease yourself into this week.

Those of us in the States (and Canada) are getting a Crash game, Line Rider 2, NBA Live, Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals, and the always enjoyable Imagine: Babysitters. Over in Europe, the line-up is a little bigger with games like LEGO Batman and Lost in Blue 3, and Japan should be good with Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Snoopy DS.

Read on for the full retail lists!

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I think most of us can agree that the two biggest in-store releases for Nintendo platforms this week are Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood and Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility. We got to check out both games as early as in July, and both were solid games for that stage in development. There are other titles as well, and you can check out all of those lists after the break.

Europe and Japan’s release lists for the rest of the week are also after the break, but it’s worth mentioning that Europe is finally getting Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Trials and Tribulations. I mean, come on, it’s Ace Attorney. Out of release order.

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I got a lot of nice emails today. One in particular seemed to announce and early Christmas for some people, and one that couldn’t come soon enough for others: Capcom has confirmed that Mega Man 9 will be available for WiiWare in North America this Monday, September 22. PSN gamers will be able to play the game this Thursday, and XBLA subscribers will be able to purchase the game on the 1st.

Of course, Capcom decided to continue teasing all of us with an additional 35 screenshots and 10 pieces of character art showing off the game’s bosses. ALL of the artwork sent to me has been uploaded to the game’s gallery after the break. Enjoy!

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