This week’s videogame releases are mostly ports and re-releases, but hockey fans will be happy to hear that ‘NHL 12’ is in stores today. Unfortunately, Wii owners are left out of this year’s edition of the game, which is PS3 and 360 only.

NHL 12 (360, PS3)

I may be in danger for admitting this, but I live in Metro Detroit and I don’t know a thing about hockey outside of what I learned playing ‘Blades of Steel’. It’s just never caught my interest. Still, as I’ve mentioned before, there’s something appealing about franchise mode in sports games.

EA boasts over 300 improvements to the game, including the ability to hit and fight with goalies, better physics, new presentation and the inclusion of NHL legends like Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios and Wayne Gretzky.

God of War: Origins Collection (PS3)

The ‘God of War’ games are historically excellent. They make up for whatever faults they may have with some of the most fluid gameplay and well-executed fighting around. The only major problem with the ‘God of War’ franchise is that until now the titles have been split across gaming systems.

The new collection brings ‘Ghost of Sparta’ and ‘Chains of Olympus’ to the PS3, along with HD (720p) graphics and a 60fps frame rate. Another new feature is 3D capability. 3D TV owners will have a first chance to check out the gory ‘God of War’ action in full-on 3D.

Bit.Trip Complete (Wii)

I’ve heard nothing but praise for the ‘Bit.Trip’ series of games, though I haven’t gone hands-on with them myself. The look is incredibly cool, with an 8-bit aesthetic that reminds me of the Atari games I would play as a kid.

What I know for sure about the games is that they feature some of the coolest game music around, including one of my absolute favorite chiptunes, “Galaxy Tonite” by Nullsleep. I may pick the game up just for that.