Another week of On Shelves, and the major consoles are apparently missing in action. That doesn't mean, however, that there won't be any fun to be had in this week's slew of game releases. Final Fantasy IV will finally be getting its turn in the DS spotlight, for one, and there are several other sports and adventure titles to keep you busy through the summer lull.

So what's going to be in our videogaming menu starting this week? A whole lot of DS games once again, we tell you, though there's a few gems or two in the Nintendo handheld rough on Tuesday. There's a music rhythm game for almost every console out there, plus a couple new additions to the portfolio of PC games. Somehow we're also seeing another relaunching of Gears of War for the Xbox 360 the "Refresh" edition. We don't know why it's re-listed, but it is. The full list follows at the full story.

For a place that once deemed September 26 as Guitar Hero Day, you'd expect most New Yorkers to be pretty cool about games. We've got news that might startle you though, as the New York State Senate recently voted 61-1 to approve a bill that would make game ratings mandatory in the state of New York. Learn more after the jump!

Get those savings ready cos you're about to be bombarded with truckloads of games for this week. It's summer vacation, anyway, so we're sure you won't have to worry about taking a break for schoolwork. Topping the much-awaited list this week is The Phantom Fortress installment of the Naruto Ninja series. There's also Alone in the Dark to give you the hibby-jibbies as well as a plethora of other simulation games and more. Fun's spread the multiplatform way so get going and click on that full article for the full 411.

The ESRB recently updated their online submission form, enabling publishers to now choose when data on their games will be released on the rating board's site. Further details on this new policy are available in the full article.

This issue is another one of those weeks where you could selectively stave off from spending hard-earned cash, but then there are millions of gamers who need their gaming fix. Gladly enough, third-party publishers on the Nintendo DS and Nintendo Wii have addressed the casual gaming populace, and that pretty much sums up this week's retail release line up. On second thought, no - we still have an MMO, EA Maxis' pre-Spore sampler, a formerly retail, now PSN game, plus the release of Rock Band on the Nintendo Wii. Check the full story for details.

This week welcomes the much-loved and much-awaited Metal Gear Solid 4 from Konami. No longer should we worry about broken street dates, because today it all becomes official. But Solid Snake is not the only superhero around as there's also Goku and the gang of Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, as well as the big, green machine, The Incredible Hulk. If you'd rather work on the sidelines, then Don King Present: Prizefigther is here as well to show you the ropes of managing in the boxing profession, as well as Total Extreme Wrestling 2008. More games await after the jump!

Last week's game releases introduced a lot of fun games, such as Dr. Mario DX and Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness. This week, however, is the week for game ports, with Mac getting its own conversion of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, PS3, Xbox 360), the Nintendo DS getting the arcade classic Super Dodgeball Brawlers, and many others.

* Article originally posted May 26, 2008 at 12:37AM

We have had quite a share of sports titles last week, and this time we're going to add a little more into the fitness equation with the release of Nintendo's much-hyped up Wii Fit as well as UEFA EURO 2008 (Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, PC). Meanwhile, PS3 owners should have yet another field day at the retail stores with the release of the highly anticipated FPS, Haze, and the karaoke title SingStar. See the full article for more details!

* Article originally posted May 19, 2008 at 12:45AM

A lot sure has been said over the proposed Video Game Ratings Bill, and it certainly is far from over. Now releasing a statement is ESA CEO Michael Gallagher, and he deems this proposed policy is unconstitutional. Check out what he said regarding the matter over at the full article.