New release slate led by vehicular combat game, early PS Vita hardware and games; UFC Undisputed 3, Grand Slam Tennis 2, Tekken 3DS, and Alan Wake for PC also out.

With Valentine's Day on Tuesday, love is in the air and new games are on store shelves, including Twisted Metal, UFC Undisputed 3, Grand Slam Tennis 2, and a host of PlayStation Vita titles.

The Twisted Metal franchise comes back to life this Tuesday.

Leading the way this week is PlayStation 3-exclusive vehicular combat game Twisted Metal. The first installment in the series since 2008's Twisted Metal: Head-On - Extra Twisted Edition for the PlayStation 2, Twisted Metal is being developed by many of the series' original designers at Eat Sleep Play. Besides a campaign mode, the game will sport two-player split-screen action, as well as online battles.

This week also hosts new hardware in the form of the PlayStation Vita First Edition, which arrives on Wednesday. The PS Vita First Edition bundle will be available in the US and Canada on February 15 for those who had preordered it. Priced at $349 and $299, respectively, the US package includes a 3G version of the system, while the Canadian edition will be Wi-Fi only. These prices represent a $50 premium over a stand-alone system.

Aside from the variance in connectivity options, the contents of the bundles are identical across regions. The package will include a PS Vita system, a copy of Bigbig Studios' Little Deviants, a 4GB PS Vita Memory Card, and a limited edition case.

Gamers looking to stock up on Vita games can grab a host of new titles before the system's launch in full on February 22. New PS Vita titles out this week include Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Wipeout 2048, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend, Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational, Little Deviants, Lumines: Electronic Symphony, ModNation Racers: Road Trip, Rayman Origins, and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Gamers can start stocking up on Vita games this week.

The PS Vita isn't the only portable system to get a high-profile new release this week, as the 3DS welcomes Tekken 3D Prime Edition on Tuesday. The first Tekken game for a Nintendo portable since 2002's Tekken Advance, Tekken 3D Prime Edition features a roster of more than 40 fighters, from series mainstays Heihachi and Kazuya to recently introduced characters like Lili and Alisa. Namco Bandai is also promising wireless multiplayer action at 60 frames per second and 3DS Street Pass support that will have players trading collectible Tekken cards with others while the system is asleep.

Also out this week is mixed martial arts title UFC Undisputed 3, from THQ. The game is due for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and sports a number of changes to UFC's classic striking and grappling systems, an alternate, simplified control scheme, and in-match tutorials.

Fans who enjoy sports titles but prefer racquets to fists can pick up Grand Slam Tennis 2 this week for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game features all four of the sport's biggest championships: the French Open, the Australian Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, which will be exclusive to EA Sports' game. Grand Slam Tennis 2 also features more than 20 past and present pros, including Bjorn Borg and Serena and Venus Williams.

Lastly, PC gamers finally get their mitts on Alan Wake this week. Due out on Thursday, Alan Wake is a third-person oriented action game that has players battling supernatural forces in the town of Bright Falls. The game originally released for the Xbox 360 in 2010.

For further details, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13:
Rhythm Heaven Fever--Wii--Nintendo
Warp--PC, PS3--Electronic Arts
Zumba Fitness Rush--X360--Majesco

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14:
B-Units: Build It!--Wii, DS--505 Games
BlazBlue Contiuum Shift Extend--Vita, X360, PS3--Aksys Games
Crusader Kings II--PC--Paradox Interactive
F1 2011--Vita--Codemasters
FIFA Soccer--Vita--Electronic Arts
Grand Slam Tennis 2--X360, PS3--Electronic Arts
Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom--PSP--Aksys Games
Lumines: Electronic Symphony--Vita--Ubisoft
Mario & Sonic at the 2012 London Summer Games--3DS, Wii--Sega
Michael Jackson The Experience HD--Vita--Ubisoft
Rayman Origins--Vita--Ubisoft
The Sims 3 Hidden Springs--PC, Mac--Electronic Arts
Tales of the Abyss--3DS--Namco Bandai Games
Twisted Metal--PS3--SCEA
UFC Undisputed 3--X360, PS3--THQ
Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition--Vita--Sega

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15:
Ben 10: Galactic Racing--Vita--D3Publisher
Hot Shots Golf: World Invitational--Vita--SCEA
Little Deviants--Vita--SCEA
Modnation Racers: Road Trip--Vita--SCEA
Pinball FX2: Epic Quest--X360--Zen Studios
Reality Fighters--Vita--SCEA
Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3--Vita--SCEA
Uncharted: Golden Abyss--Vita--SCEA
Warp--X360--Electronic Arts
Wipeout 2048--Vita--SCEA

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16:
Alan Wake--PC--Remedy Entertainment

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Dear Esther spins an intriguing narrative, leaving you to decipher not only the outcome, but if this is even a game.

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Where are you? Who are you? The mysteries of Dear Esther being on this shoreline.

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Executive producer Casey Hudson reveals spacefaring RPG is finished ahead of March 6 debut; "many surprises" await fans.

The wait for Mass Effect 3 is nearing its end. Today, BioWare announced that Mass Effect 3 had gone gone, ahead of its March 6 debut date for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Mass Effect 3 is headed to the factory for mass production.

The news stems from the Twitter feed of Mass Effect 3 executive producer Casey Hudson, who wrote, "After an awesome effort by our team, I'm proud to announce Mass Effect is officially gold."

Hudson also teased the game's fans, saying, "Many surprises await you--this week and beyond."

Gamers won't need to wait until March to play Mass Effect 3, however. A demo for the title touches down tomorrow for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.

Developed by BioWare, Mass Effect 3 is the final entry in the Mass Effect 3 trilogy, but not necessarily the last title set in the game's universe. For more on Mass Effect 3, check out GameSpot's latest hands-on preview.

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The Lego Group reveals new sales statistics for block-style platforming games based on popular sci-fi universe; contract extended through 2022 with Lucasfilm Ltd.

The Force is strong with The Lego Group. Today, the popular toy-maker announced that sales of the four Lego Star Wars titles have reached over 30 million units life-to-date.

Strong sales, the Lego Star Wars series has reached.

In addition to revealing the new sales milestone for Lego Star Wars, The Lego Group also announced today that it had entered into a new licensing deal with Lucasfilm Ltd. for an additional 10 years. It was not mentioned if a new Lego Star Wars game was in development as part of the contract extension.

The Lego Group first picked up the rights to the Star Wars franchise from Lucasfilm Ltd. in 1999, with the initial Lego Star Wars game--Lego Star Wars: The Video Game--released in 2005.

Following that were 2006's Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy, 2007's Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga, and 2011's Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

For more on the latest Lego Star Wars title, check out GameSpot's review of Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars.

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Make your own tracks and even tweak the environmental settings in this clip from ModNation Racers: Road Trip.

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Race toward the finish line it this clip from MonNation Racers: Road Trip.

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Take a spin around this western inspired track in this clip from ModNation Racers: Road Trip

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