411mania's Release List for the Week of February 16, 2009

411mania gives a rundown on this week's game releases. Highlights include Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero?, Street Fighter IV, DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra, Shooting Love, Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon, Metroid Prime Wii.

Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (PSP)
Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? is one of the best platformers I've played in years thanks to it's tight controls and above average presentation. However, this game is definitely not for everyone. In fact, I'm pretty sure that only hardcore platformer junkies and people with infinite amounts of patience will get past the first three or four stages without developing a desire to throw their PSPs at a wall in rage. But if you can hang on, getting through the game can be quite satisfying and is an achievement that is worth bragging about.

Street Fighter IV (PS3, 360)
It isn't necessary for me to go in-depth since every other site is already doing it. I will, however, bring to your attention one of the coolest features SFIV has - the Arcade Request system. Basically, instead of watching a static screen while waiting for someone to challenge you online, this system allows you to play against the computer and seamlessly accept a challenge when one comes your way. It's like going to an arcade and playing against the CPU until someone gets the nerve to plunk down fifty cents to take you on. If you set it to accept only Player Matches (unranked) you can keep things going by rematching or, if you don't want to play the person again, you can quickly and easily go back to arcade mode after your match and continue on with the CPU until you get another challenge. It's hard to believe that it's taken Capcom this long to implement such a system. I can only hope that SNK does the same thing in its home version of KOF XII.

DoDonPachi Daioujou Black Label Extra (360 Import)
Every shooter needs its own hook to stand out. While Trigger Heart has its grapple system and Ikaruga has its polarity-switching, DoDonPachi Daioujou games have a unique chaining system. As in previous games in the series, attacking and destroying enemies fills a gauge on the side of the screen. As long as the gauge does not empty out, destroying enemies increases your combo chain. Your goal is to get the highest combo possible.

Shooting Love, 200X (360 Import)
What we've got here is yet another shooter that Microsoft decided would do better at retail instead of on Xbox Live Arcade. Apparently, it's a port of Triangle Service's Shooting Love, 2007. If I remember correctly, both Exzeal (the sequel to Trizeal) and Shmups Skill Test were part of that package. I've never played Trizeal or its sequel so I don't know how well they stack up to other games in the genre, but the Shmups Skill Test looks pretty cool and may even be worth the price of admission IF you know a few people who are also into shoot-em-ups.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS)
Shadow Dragon is a remake of the first Fire Emblem on the NES. Unsurprisingly, we get the expected upgraded graphics and touch screen controls. There's also an online component that allows players to do battle over the Internet. Permanent character death is still a part of the game, but there is a mid-battle save feature that makes things slightly easier. New chapters have also been added, and a lot of the refinements that the series has seen since the original release have integrated into this remake.

Metroid Prime Wii de Asobu (Wii Import)
Even though I already beat the original, I'm really looking forward to this entry in Nintendo's New Play Control! series. Not much is known save for the fact that this update will have tweaked graphics, widescreen support, and, of course, a Wii-ified control scheme.