AU Shippin' Out March 28-April 1: 3DS bonanza

It's crunch time for the Nintendo 3DS in Australia this week with the console landing in stores around the country on Thursday. Just over a dozen games will be available, with many familiar franchises like Ridge Racer and Nintendogs launching alongside the hardware later this week. One of the biggest launch titles is Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, bringing the successful reboot of the well-known franchise over to the dual-screen console for the first time. While the core gameplay elements remain the same, several adjustments have been made to make the game work. The biggest change, which is also the one most likely to annoy Street Fighter purists, is the one-button push for supers and special attacks. It is worth noting that this feature can be turned off, but it means that players will then be forced to wrangle with the analog nub to pull off attacks.

Another notable release for Nintendo's newest handheld console is Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars, which sees the series depart from its traditional action gameplay, swapping it out in favour of a real-time strategy experience. Here's a fun Shadow Wars fact for you: Julian Gollop, who was the producer on the game, was also one of the founding developers of the revolutionary X-Com franchise way back in 1994. For a full wrap-up of all things Nintendo 3DS, be sure to check out our comprehensive launch centre.

Nintendo 3DS games aside, a few other games are also being released this week, like WWE All Stars and Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed.

While THQ is not abandoning the WWE Smackdown vs. Raw franchise, All Stars is set to differentiate itself by offering fans a less serious fighting experience. Because the game isn't tied to any one period in the wrestling timeline, popular fighters like The Rock, Randy Savage, and Andre the Giant all make an appearance.

Shift 2 Unleashed is the second game in the spin-off series and sees EA continue to try to lure hardcore racing fans away from the traditional Gran Turismo and Forza games out there. Additions to the new game include a new helmet cam view, nighttime racing, and Autolog, a social media feature that was first released alongside last year's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. In total there are 145 cars in the game, as well as more than 30 different tracks for players to burn rubber on.

To find out what else is out this week, check out the list below:

March 31, 2010
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (3DS)
The Sims 3 (3DS)
Rayman 3D (3DS)
Ridge Racer 3D (3DS)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars (3DS)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D (3DS)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (3DS)
Asphalt 3D (3DS)
Raving Rabbids: Travel in Time (3DS)
Samurai Warriors Chronicles (3DS)
Combat of Giants: Dinosaurs 3D (3DS)
Nintendogs + Cats: French Bulldog & New Friends (3DS)
Nintendogs + Cats: Golden Retriever & New Friends (3DS)
Nintendogs + Cats: Toy Poodle & New Friends (3DS)
Super Monkey Ball 3D (3DS)
We Sing Down Under (Wii)
ArmA II: Reinforcements (PC)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters (PS3, 360, Wii)
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars (PS3, 360, 3DS, Wii, PC, DS, PSP)
Shift 2 Unleashed: Need for Speed (360, PS3, PC)
WWE All Stars (PS3, 360, Wii)
Dynasty Warriors 7 (PS3, 360)
Bejeweled Twist (DS)
The Tomb Raider Trilogy (PS3)