Retail Roundup: Apr. 30, 2008

s much as I’d love to use this column to berate Konami for releasing Let’s Yoga and Let’s Pilates for the Nintendo DS, I’m forced to restrain myself. You see, after enduring weeks of mediocrity, we can finally walk ourselves to our nearest retailer and pick up not one, but two of the year’s most widely anticipated titles. Let the games commence!

Although Rockstar has made a name for itself as the developer that tends to do little more than make my blood pressure rise, I’ve got to admit: I’m looking forward to giving Grand Theft Auto IV a try. Players head to Liberty City this time around, one of the most beautiful and detailed re-imaginings of New York ever put to the small screen. Supplementing the usual sandbox play mechanics is a rather robust multiplayer mode. Though it probably won’t dethrone Halo 3 as the Live title of choice, a variety of unique gametypes make GTA4 stand out from the crowd.

Who doesn’t love Mario Kart? The series makes the move to the Wii this week featuring no fewer than four unique control options. Whether you want the simplicity of the new Wii Wheel or the precision of an original GameCube controller, Nintendo’s got you covered. Although Double Dash’s partnerships have been cast aside, this Mario Kart does offer online play. Now we have to fear latency just as much as the lucky shell toss. Happy racing!

Go-karts and random acts of violence not your thing? Check out Sega’s Iron Man or the new PSP compilation SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1. Any way you cut it, this is an awesome week to be a gamer.