Christmas rush: The week's new releases on DS and PSP

Don't be too happy about Christmas. Because you know what comes next. Yes you do – it's the time when handheld releases stop turning up in your local game store every Friday. The famine after the feasting of the season of plenty.

We've had it too good, you see. Actually, scratch that – we've had it stupid. Even by video game industry standards, the way publishers have timed their handheld releases in 2006 – cramming everything into the last three months of the year – has been remarkable.

That's remarkable as in bad. They shouldn't ever do it again.

And signs are they won't. You see, despite the overly dramatic opening above (sorry, had to get you to read this somehow), next year's release schedule is currently looking more evenly spread. At least for the first few months of the new year.

The past few weeks have seen a handful of titles slip, and joining the growing number due in the first quarter of 2007 is now Thrillville, which is expected in February rather than next week as retailers were hoping just seven days ago.

That still leaves a healthy of selection of titles for both this and next Friday to find shelf space for, though (at the cost of other recent releases, let's not forget). But the number of new titles is at least coming back down to a more reasonable level as we get past the peak Christmas shopping period.

All this means that, for once, gamers are in the best possible position. If you've already spent your budget or even if new releases do dry up in January and February, don't worry. You can always pick up one of the many titles that are likely to have passed you by in the crazy Christmas rush some time early next year.

Which should work out fine, because by then they could be heavily discounted. And what's more, we'll still be reviewing some of them.