AU Shippin' Out April 21-April 25: Mario Kart Wii

This week sees Mario Kart Wii powerslide its way to retail, just in time for the ANZAC day long weekend. The game features more control schemes than you can poke a stick at, including the Wii Wheel, Wii Remote/Nunchuk combination, Wii Remote/Classic Controller combination, and GameCube controllers. Fans of the series will be pleased to note that the game boasts 32 tracks and now givers racers the ability to choose motorbikes. On top of that, you can take Mario Kart Wii online and race up to 11 other players from around the world via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Channel. Be sure to check out the Mario Kart Wii and the Wii Wheel bundle this Thursday when it goes on sale for A$99.95 ($93.32).

The Dual Shock 3 controller for the PlayStation 3 will be debuting on April 24 for A$99.95. The only difference between the Dual Shock 3 and Sixaxis controller is it supports rumble feedback. It still features the motion-sensing technology that the Sixaxis contained, so it will still be backward compatible with all existing PS3 games. Some of the older PS3 games already support vibration feedback, but it's up to the developer to patch in the function for those that don't support it.

The other peripheral coming out this week for the PS3 is the G-Con 3 light gun, which comes bundled with Time Crisis 4. In the game, you take on the role of government agent Giorio Bruno, who is tasked with stopping a top secret weapon from falling into the hands of terrorists. A first for the franchise is the all new first-person-shooter mode, where players can freely navigate around five levels by using the dual analog sticks on the G-Con 3. The Time Crisis 4 and the G-Con 3 bundle will set you back A$139.95 when it comes out this Thursday.

On a side note, The Orange Box is being split up this week, with Half-Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and Team Fortress 2 all being available at retail as stand-alone products.

This week's new releases are listed below (list taken from retailer and publisher information--actual dates may vary).

April 23, 2008
Soldier of Fortune: Payback (360)

April 24, 2008
Mario Kart Wii (Wii)
Time Crisis 4 (PS3)
Princess on Ice (DS)
NBA Ballers: Chosen One (360)
Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None (Wii)
Nancy Drew: Deadly Secret of Olde World Park (DS)
Battle Over The Pacific (PSP)

April 25, 2008
Zoo Hospital (DS)
Jetix Puzzle Buzzle (DS)
Dr Reiner Knizias Brainbenders (DS)
Emergency Mayhem (Wii)
My Riding Stables (DS, PC)