September's come and almost gone, which means the all-important fourth quarter of the year is almost upon us. But don't look too far ahead, as the third quarter's going out with a bang when it comes to new releases.

Just as the NBA season trails the NHL season by a little bit each year, so too do the basketball games trail their hockey counterparts. 2K Sports and Electronic Arts hit the ice with their respective efforts in the middle of this month, and now the sports-game titans are reprising their feud once more with NBA 2K7 arriving in stores across multiple formats on the same day as most versions of EA's NBA Live 07. Sony's NBA 07 franchise is getting in the mix, as well, with versions for both the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 2.

Nonsports gamers also have a bevy of choices on tap this week, as Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis hits the Nintendo DS, the long-awaited sequel to the original PlayStation game Valkyrie Profile arrives on the PS2, and Eidos' over-the-top, open-world action game Just Cause also drops in on the Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, and PC.

On the strictly PC side of things, Vivendi Games' city-building sim Caesar IV ships out this week, alongside a port of Majesco's Jaws Unleashed and a rare PC title from Namco Bandai in Mage Knight: Apocalypse. Namco Bandai's DS effort based on the same tabletop gaming license, Mage Knight: Destiny's Soldier, is also set to arrive in stores.

This week's new releases are listed below. The list is taken from retailer information, so actual dates may vary. Contact your local retailer for availability.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2006
Backyardigans: Mission to Mars (PC)
Baten Kaitos Origins (GC)
Dora the Explorer: Dora's World Adventures (PC)
Family Feud (PC)
Ford Bold Moves Street Racing (Xbox, PS2, PC)
Go Diego Go! (PC)
Hollywood Posh Pets (PC)
King's Quest Collection (PC)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (DS)
Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 (GC)
NBA 07 (PSP)
NBA 07 Featuring The Life (PS2)
NBA 2K7 (Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2)
NBA Live 07 (Xbox 360, PSP, Xbox, PC)
Pacific Storm (PC)
Paparazzi (PC)
Pony LUV (PC)
Strawberry Shortcake Sweet Dreams (GBA)

SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
Backyard Football 2007 (GBA)
Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2007: 10th Anniversary Edition (PC)
Caesar IV (PC)
Dance Dance Revolution SuperNOVA (PS2)
The Fast and the Furious (PS2)
Greg Hastings' Tournament Paintball Max'd (PS2)
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (PS2, GC)
GTR 2 (PC)
Harlem Globetrotters: World Tour (GBA)
Hidden Expedition: Titanic (PC)
Hoyle Bridge Club (PC)
Import Tuner Challenge (Xbox 360)
Jaws Unleashed (PC)
Just Cause (Xbox 360, Xbox, PS2, PC)
Mage Knight Apocalypse (PC)
Mage Knight: Destiny's Soldier (DS)
MotoGP (PSP)
NRA Gun Club (PS2)
Princess Natasha: Student Secret Agent (GBA)
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots (GBA)
Spectral Souls (PSP)
Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria (PS2)

SEPTEMBER 27, 2006
Alex Rider: Stormbreaker (DS, GBA)
ParaWorld (PC)
Unfabulous (GBA)
World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions (PC)

SEPTEMBER 28, 2006
NBA Live 07 (PS2)

SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
Bubble Bobble Revolution (DS)
El Matador (PC)
Rainbow Islands Revolution (DS)