When I say there are slim pickings this week, I mean it. The home consoles only get two releases, and there are no new games at all for the Wii and PSP. There's also only one release on PC, but since it's The Sims 3, it's sure to sell a bucketload by its lonesome. The only console not experiencing a game drought this week in the Nintendo DS. There really are no slow release weeks for the DS in terms of quantity, really.

The lack of new games called my attention to the fact that more than half of these games have colons in their titles. We could call this the Colon Edition. Now all it needs is an accompanying Nobby.

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Red Faction: Guerrilla - Set 50 years after the original Red Faction, Red Faction: Guerrilla is a third-person shooter that puts players in the shoes of an insurgent fighter with the newly reestablished Red Faction guerrilla movement on Mars. The game features a huge open-world, fast-paced combat, 16-player online multiplayer and physics-based destruction.

• PS3, Xbox 360 - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Mature
• PS3 - US$ 56.99, Xbox 360 - US$ 56.99
• THQ

Fuel - In an alternate present, vast stretches of America have become no-go areas as the devastating effects of global warming ravage the continent. So what do people do? They race in these areas, of course.

• PS3, Xbox 360 - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• PS3 - US$ 55.99, Xbox 360 - US$ 56.99
• Codemasters

Crazy Chicken: Atlantis Quest - Crazy Chicken's hunt for treasure leads him to the lost kingdom of Atlantis. Of course, the Atlanteans don't want some weird chicken running of with the treasure (which is probably rightfully theirs), so the chicken kicks their asses. What a douche. Getting beaten by a chicken doesn't really put the Atlanteans in a good light exactly, either.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 19.99
• Mumbo Jumbo
  

Crazy Chicken: Star Karts - Think Mario Kart, only Mario and his band of wacky racers (heh) have been replaced by Crazy Chicken and his chicktacular family. Oh, and the races are in outer space. That's what this game is.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 19.99
• Mumbo Jumbo

Crazy Chicken: The Pharaoh's Treasure - Crazy Chicken (or Morrhuhn) shows his intellectual side here. He's still after treasure -- the greedy greedy fowl that he is -- but first he must solve archeological puzzles ala Puzzle Quest.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 19.99
• Mumbo Jumbo

Imagine: Boutique Owner - This game lets you "become the most fabulous boutique owner in town" by "unleashing your creativity". It'll let you "design all types of gifts", "[help customers] choose the perfect gift", and "offer complimentary gift-wrapping". Yeah. Quotation overload right there.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 19.99
• Ubisoft

Johnny Bravo Date-O-Rama - Johnny Bravo is thrilled when he's invited to appear on the game show Hukka Mega Mighty Ultra Extreme Date-o-Rama to try to win a dream date with a hot chick, but even with his self professed stunning good looks, incredible strength, and superior intelligence he has his work cut out to win the competition.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone 10+
  
• US$ 19.99
• Mumbo Jumbo

Knights in the Nightmare - Now this is what I'm talking about. Knights in the Nightmare is an action-SRPG hybrid that ties into the Riviera and Yggdra Union games. Players take control of the wisp, who has to give orders to its allies as well as dodge enemy attacks. If you're buying a DS game in this crop of releases, this is what I'd recommend. Unless you're into that Crazy Chicken stuff.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Teen
• US$ 33.99
• Atlus

Naruto Shippuden: Ninja Council 4 - This is the first DS Naruto game that deals with the Akatsuki's capture of Gaara. Players get to play as Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and other Naruto characters as they conduct a rescue effort to retrieve the captive Kazekage.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 29.99
• Tomy

PowerBike - Another racing game, only this time you get to race motorcycles. There are eight different courses that range from wide-open deserts to congested urban areas. You know the drill: winning gets you cash, and cash lets you buy upgrades. PowerBike also supports local multiplayer.

• DS - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• US$ 19.99
• Majesco

The Sims 3 - In this latest iteration of the Sims franchise, you can now explore a "seamless, living neighborhood", meaning there are now more neighbors for you to lure into your house/deathtrap and leave them to die in hastily-walled off enclosures. Haha, that's always been the best part.

The Collector's Edition comes with a 2 GB Plumbob USB drive and carabiner, an exclusive European sports car download, new theme music, Prima hints and tips guide, and US$ 10 worth of points for the Sims 3 store.

• PC - June 2, 2009
• ESRB Everyone
• Regular Edition - US$ 49.99, Special Edition - US$ 69.99
• Electronic Arts