New PAL Releases Roundup

It's a bit harsh on poor old Bats to describe Arkham Asylum as a "surprise winner" of the Best Game statuette at last week's BAFTAs, but in a sense it was, because Uncharted 2 has hoovered up every award going in the past few months, including our own Game of the Year for 2009.

But Batman did deserve his day in the sun, because whichever of the two games you prefer it's still hard to argue that Arkham Asylum was anything other than a triumph: a wonderful collection of secrets and treasures that didn't merely overcome the challenge of not being based on the resurgent film properties, but rendered the issue moot.

It's with some measure of authority, then - not to mention good timing - that tomorrow marks the release of Batman: Arkham Asylum's Game of the Year Edition on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.

It's the same game, albeit with DLC now on the remastered disc, but the inclusion of a TriOviz 3D option for adding depth on regular TVs is intriguing - and something Digital Foundry will be considering in due course.

It's hard to encourage existing owners to buy the game again, obviously, but if you didn't the first time around then you really, really should, whatever the quality of the 3D novelty bonus.

Looking beyond the Batman re-release, this week's biggy also comes from Square Enix in the shape of Just Cause 2, a game we've hugged and kissed for some time which arrives to 8/10 fanfare with its marvellous grappling hook and lovable rough edges.

Other big releases include Ubisoft's Wii MotionPlus-exclusive and 7/10-scoring Red Steel 2, Nintendo's Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver duo (reviewed soon) and SEGA's sprawling DS RPG Infinite Space.

Digital downloads include Mass Effect 2's Firewalker Pack (hovertank!), and the Xbox Live Arcade Game Room, where people (mainly Kristan Reed) can play retro games. We'll be writing those up very soon.

This week in shops:

• Batman: Arkham Asylum - Game of the Year Edition (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• How to Train Your Dragon (DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360)
• Infinite Space (DS)
• Just Cause 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Last Rebellion (PS3)
• Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver (DS)
• Prison Break (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Racket Sports Party (Wii)
• Red Steel 2 (Wii)
• Resonance of Fate (PS3, Xbox 360)
• SpongeBob Boating Bash (DS, Wii)
• The Settlers 7: Paths to a Kingdom (PC)
• The Sims 3: Create a Sim (PC)

This week online:

• Fatal Fury Special (Wii Virtual Console)
• Game Room (Xbox Live Arcade)
• Mass Effect 2: Firewalker Pack (PC, Xbox Live)
• NormalTanks (PS3/PSP minis)
• Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber (Wii Virtual Console)
• ZEN Pinball: Earth Defense Table (PSN)