It’s a great week for Wii and PS3 owners, and even PSP fans get hooked up. Xbox 360 fans get left in the lurch, but shouldn’t you be playing one of the excellent arcade games that came out in the last few weeks? I recommend both ‘Scott Pilgrim’ and ‘Lara Croft’ strongly.

Metroid: Other M (Wii)

Let’s start with the big one, shall we? ‘Metroid: Other M’ may have one of the worst names around – assuming we’re not counting the ‘Kingdom Hearts’ franchise – but only the first part of the name really matters anyway. ‘Metroid’ is a staple in the Nintendo lineup and a welcome change from the Mario-heavy releases as of late.

‘Other M’ is definitely a different kind of ‘Metroid’ game. It allows the player to switch between third person and first person play at will. It’s similar in that way to ‘Shadow Complex,’ but with more of an emphasis on the first person angle. If you’re a Wii owner, you need to check this one out.

Castle Crashers (PS3)

Two years after its initial release on the Xbox 360, PlayStation owners can finally get their hands on the best brawler to come out in ages. ‘Castle Crashers’ was created by Team Behemoth, the folks behind ‘Alien Hominid.’ It’s a blast to play and it’s amazingly crafted. The design is fantastic, the game is hilarious, and several of the levels will leave you feeling very surprised. It’s available for download on the PlayStation Network. Get it, play it, love it.

Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)

It’s not often that you see a console game getting a handheld sequel, but that’s happened twice this year. Following in the footsteps of ‘Dragon Quest IX’, Sega has released ‘Valkyria Chronicles II’ for the PSP. The main gameplay ideas and combat style are true to the original, but there’s also a bit of a ‘Persona’ vibe since the main characters are students in a military academy. It’s gotten great reviews overseas, and there’s a demo available online if you want to try it out.