We've got an even spread of game releases for this week's batch of On Shelves games, including a couple of downloadable ones. Big for handhelds this week would be Capcom's and Namco Bandai's brawler offerings on the PSP, Fate/Unlimited Codes (available via PSN) and Soul Calibur: Broken Destiny, respectively. Full list of game releases this week after the jump.

Paul Theroux of the Telegraph could not forget the conversation that he had with Michael Jackson. Now that MJ has gone to that big Neverland in the sky, the journalist takes us back to the old interview, which revealed that eccentric as he was, Michael Jackson too was a sucker for video games. Not just any video game too - MJ loved MK.

While violent video games are getting bombarded with criticism and even legislations, an Iowa State research team finds that non-violent games may enhance pro-social behavior in players. The team, called the Insciences Organisation, conducted a study and found that players who play prosocial games behave more prosocially than those who play other forms. More in the full article.

Devs, check this one out. It's called the HOMEbrew Menu Standard Library, developed by Arikado, Pinball Wizard, and WarpedFlash for the Nintendo Wii. This is a simple code library that allows devs to easily incorporate a HOME menu similar to Nintendos and their apps.


Download: The HOMEbrew Standard Library
Download: The HOMEbrew Menu Standard Library (Source)

 Longtime game industry stalwart Hudson is back with more games from the old days. It's bringing back pinball classic Alien Crush with a new twist for WiiWare. Three new screens for it are out, plus fresh skinny on Karaoke Joysound has been dished out. Hit the jump and get the details.

Southpeak Games is releasing a new pinball game for the PC, Wii, and Nintendo DS this Spring. The game is called Dream Pinball 3D and boasts of a realistic physics engine and stunning visuals. Details and screenshots for each platform lie in the full article.

Wii owners in Europe take notice - Kirby's Ghost Trap and Devil's Crush will be making their way to your consoles very, very soon, via Nintendo's offering to the retro world, the Virtual Console.

Let's hop onto the time machine and pretend it's 1995 once more, just to see what these games are all about.

First up is Kirby's Ghost Trap. Not quite the ghost-busting title we'd want Kirby to star in, but a very fun puzzle game nonetheless. Defeat each and every one of Kirby's foes by strategically stacking and blending fast-moving, color-coded blobs.

If you do it right, you'll cause a massive chain reaction that will cause a torrent of ghostly ghouls to rain upon your hapless enemies. Featuring 16 levels and familiar enemies from the Kirby Universe, any fan of the pink blob with a black hole for a stomach will feel at home with this VC title. Kirby's Ghost Trap is available for download for a mere pittance of 800 Wii points.

Next up is the aptly-titled Devil's Crush. Again, no devil-crushing to be seen, but rather a wickedly-awesome pinball game with lurking enemies, and a cool-looking pinball board. Using the Devil Shooter and the requisite paddles to keep the ball crashing and smashing for points, you can unlock a total of six bonus stages for more demon pinball action. Definitely one for the pinball guys, and a steal for 600 Wii points.

It's time for another update about what's new on the North American Virtual Console. As usual, there are three new classic games for Wii owners to enjoy this week.

First is Kirby's Dream Course. For 800 Wii Points, gamers can get this SNES original and go for a really weird round of golf on a floating golf course in the sky. This one- or two-player game lets players pitch and putt Kirby through a maze of three-dimensional obstacles on a checkerboard course, hitting enemies along the way.

Next is Shining Force. This turn-based strategy RPG for the Sega Genesis is available for 800 Wii Points. Younger gamers may have experienced the GBA remake of this title, Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon. The objective in this game is to dispatch the Dark Dragon, who is threatening the world with hordes of evil creatures.

Finally, you can also grab Devil's Crush for 600 Wii points. This TurboGrafx-16 game is the sequel to the pinball game Alien Crush and is for one to two players. As a sequel, it brings enough pinball action to the table to satisfy even hardcore pinball enthusiasts.

A simple search at the online database of the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) will yield interesting results that should make any Wii owner happy. Accordingly, a lot of classic video games have just been rated, clearly slated for the console's Virtual Console (VC).

You have to take note though that these titles have just been rated and there's no telling when they will go live. Just the same, it's interesting to know what titles we could be having next month, or probably even next week.

With all that jazz said, here's the list:

• Shinobi III: Return Of The Ninja Master
• Eswat: City Under Siege
• Wrecking Crew
• Strider
• Devil's Crush - Naxat Pinball
• Drop Off
• Shockman
• Battle Lode Runner
• Silent Debuggers
• Bonk's Revenge
• Volley Ball
• Yoshi's Cookie
• Landstalker: The Treasure Of King Nole
• Ghouls 'n Ghosts
• Ninja Spirit
• Galaga '90
• Blazing Lazers
• Axelay
• Probotector Ii: Return Of The Evil Forces
• Super Mario Bros. 3
• Crack Down
  
• Sonic The Hedgehog 3

Here's the first E3 trailer video of Crave Entertainment's pinball title Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection for the the PlayStation Portable and Nintendo Wii platforms. The video game is scheduled to become available this Summer and is a follow up to Gottlieb Pinball Classics also for the above mentioned consoles.

Anyway, just like the name implies, The Williams Collection features a total of eight classic tables including the first ever talking pinball machine Gorgar, 1984 wonder Space Shuttle, and even the table named Black Knight which introduced Magna-Save and Bonus Ball.

If you want to know more, just watch the video clip below as it also reveals some of Pinball Hall of Fame's added features. The Wii version will be priced for US$ 29.99 while the PSP version will be sold for US$ 19.99.