AU Shippin' Out November 9-14: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

When the clock strikes 12:01 a.m. tonight, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be released in Australia. While there's no denying that it will be one of the biggest selling titles of the year globally, MW2 will definitely be under close scrutiny. PC fans are upset over the removal of dedicated servers, which have been replaced with peer-to-peer matchmaking; while the entire gaming community lashed out when a short gameplay clip leaked last week showing a level in which you infiltrate a Russian terrorist organisation and participate in the massacre of unarmed civilians at an airport. Nobody ever said that releasing the “biggest entertainment launch ever” would be a painless process, right?

Modern Warfare 2 takes place after the events of the first game and allows players to assume the role of various members of Task Force 141, a unit dedicated to stopping a Russian ultranationalist group. On the multiplayer side of the MW2 coin, developer Infinity Ward has added 15 different kill streaks, which are rewards for killing a certain number of players in a row without dying. One of the newest features is death streaks, a perk that gives players temporary ability boosts if they continue to get themselves taken out. Selected EB Games and GAME stores down under will be open late tonight so that people can pick up their copies as the clock strikes midnight.

Another game that is sure to be popular this week is New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii. Returning to the franchise's traditional 2D platforming roots, NSMB’s big focus is on multiplayer, with the entire game supporting up to four-player cooperative play from the start. There are also two competitive multiplayer modes included: Free-for-all and a mode that sees players battle each other for coins. Expect to see New Super Mario Bros. on store shelves this Wednesday.

November 10, 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (360, PS3, PC)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex (Wii)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized (DS)

November 11, 2009
iCarly (Wii, DS)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

November 12, 2009
CSI: Deadly Intent (Wii)
C.O.P. The Recruit (DS)
Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles (Wii)
NBA 2K10 (Wii)
Cooking Mama 3: Shop & Chop (DS)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky (DS)
Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage (Wii)
SpongeBob's Truth or Square (DS, Wii)