Game-release wise, this week sees the solidly stacked third quarter of 2008 yield to the positively jam-packed final three months of the year. The transition period contains several major titles, including the much-anticipated Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Published by Sega and featuring its iconic hedgehog mascot, the role-playing game is BioWare’s first title for Nintendo’s DS handheld. Rated E for Everyone, it is also the first younger-audience offering from the Electronic Arts subsidiary, most famous for its grown-up RPGs Mass Effect and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.

One game definitely not for the kids is Silent Hill: Homecoming for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. The latest installment in Konami’s long-running, movie-spawning horror-survival series is rated M for Mature for "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, [and] Sexual Themes." The first non-port console installment in the series since 2004 sees Double Helix Games--formed last year when Foundation 9 merged Shiny Entertainment and The Collective--take over development from Konami’s internal studio KCET. With gameplay enhanced by a Resident Evil-like combat system, the game follows a man who returns to find his hometown covered in fog--fog which hides unspeakable horrors.

Those impartial to hedgehogs and zombies won’t have all that much more to choose from during the week. Namco Bandai’s We Cheer will let Wii owners who didn’t make the cut for their high school cheerleading team live out their pom-pom fantasies virtually. Valhalla Knights 2 brings more of Xseed’s RPG action to the PSP, while the Marvelous-developed Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility marks the anime-inspired series’ debut on Nintendo’s console. Other offerings include Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulation for the DS and War World and Mega Man 9 on Xbox Live Arcade. Two WiiWare games--Art Style: ORBIENT and and Bomberman Blast--went live today alonside the Wii Virtual Console redux of Super Turrican 2 for the SNES.

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

SEPTEMBER 29, 2008
Animal Paradise (DS)
Bomberman Blast (WII)
Super Turrican 2 (WII VC)
Mortal Kombat Kollection (PS2)

SEPTEMBER 30, 2008
CellZenith (PC)
Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft (PC)
Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility (WII)
In the Shadow of the Raven 2 (PC)
Mount & Blade (PC)
Pipe Mania (X360, WII)
Onimusha: The Essentials (PS2)
Pop Cutie! Street Fashion Simulation (DS)
Princess Debut (DS)
The Settlers IV Gold (PC)
Silent Hill: Homecoming (PC, PS3, X360)
Sniper - Art of Victory (PC)
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (DS)
Unsolved Crimes (DS)
Wonderland Online (PC)
We Cheer (WII)

OCTOBER 1, 2008
Luxor 4 (PC)
Mega Man 9 (X360)
Petank Party (PC)
Valhalla Knights 2 (PSP)
War World (X360)

OCTOBER 2, 2008
Weekly PlayStation Store update (Details to be announced later this week on the official PlayStation Blog.)

By Tor Thorsen