It’s another interesting week for new video games, particularly if you dig a lot of gore. Today sees the release of Madworld, a monochrome comic book-style romp with lots of ways to kill people. Friday (the 13th, Bwa ha!) is Resident Evil 5’s day to shine. Some Gamestops are holding midnight launches, so check your local shop if you’re writhing — like a zombie, natch — in anticipation. Earlier, we predicted that both these games will be disappointments, so let us know whether we were on point or off-base.

We already covered some of the big news from last week — notably, the announcement of The Beatles: Rock Band, coming in September — but also, there’s a new Pac-Man game on the way. Championship Edition was a thrilling revival of the old-school, so it’ll be interesting to see where the yellow dot-muncher goes next. Pac-Man’s platforming adventures never quite matched up to the competition, but maybe Namco-Bandai will try harder this time to honor the gaming icon’s 30th anniversary next year. That, or it’ll be a shameless money grab.

The surge of pretty good video game releases continues from February into March with this week’s release of Halo Wars. The real time strategy adaptation of Microsoft’s golden franchise is earning fair to glowing reviews, with my favorite pubs (Edge, 1UP, CVG) calling it a fun but simplistic venture. Also this week, a new Tom Clancy series is birthed. HAWX is a fighter plane simulator that features interesting camera work, allowing you to perform advanced maneuvers from a far-off third-person perspective. There’s also We Ski & Snowboard for Wii owners whose Balance Boards are collecting dust.

As for news, nothing major sticks out, but it’s nice to see Toys R Us experimenting with used video game sales. The toy retailer is trying it out in a couple of New York stores to see if it works. About time someone gave Gamestop a run for their money.

It seems that February is where it’s at for releasing new video games. Last week, we got Street Fighter IV and an expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV. Today, Playstation 3 owners can finally sink their teeth into Killzone 2. There’s also Dead Rising: Chop ‘Till You Drop for the Wii and, sadly, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand for the Xbox 360 and PS3. For fans of the old-school, Nintendo launched the Commodore 64 as part of the Wii’s virtual console, with three games to choose from so far.

A couple of big sequels came to light yesterday, with Capcom announcing a follow-up to Lost Planet and Bioware revealing Mass Effect 2. In a twist, Mass Effect star Commander Shepard is killed in action, yet we’re told to keep our old save games. That probably means he’s either coming back from the dead or your good/bad actions from the first game will have repercussions in the sequel. I had good karma and a tough character, so I’m covered either way.

At long last, Street Fighter IV hits stores today for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and the employees at Gamestop will finally cease their endless hawking of reserve copies. Initial reviews are glowing, saying the game is good for nostalgia but plenty enjoyable in its own right. Also this week, the “Lost and the Damned” downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV comes exclusively to the Xbox 360, ticking off PS3 fanboys everywhere. New missions revolve around Johnny Klebitz, a veteran member of The Lost biker gang, and will only involve beating up hookers if you’re into that sort of thing.

While Capcom is basking in the success of its latest fighter, Midway — publisher of Mortal Kombat — is in tatters. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last week, but will continue business as usual for now. CEO, President and Chairman Matt Booty called the move “a difficult but necessary decision.” Too early for a fatality joke?

The white-knuckle first-person shooter F.E.A.R.2: Project Origin drops this week. Recall that we said it would be one of this year’s 10 biggest gaming letdowns, but it’s either this or the assuredly horrible T&A shooter X-Blades. PSP owners can get their hands on LocoRoco2, which looks like fun.

In news, Killzone 2 reviews are piling in, and they’re overwhelmingly positive. The first-person shooter, five years in the making, is supposed to be the reason you own a Playstation 3, so it better be good. Interestingly enough, the only black sheep in the critical family was Edge — perhaps gaming’s most respected magazine — which bestowed a seven out of 10 and called the game  “a testament to craft and imagination,? ?if only because one is so immaculate while the other barely exists.” Wrath of scorned PS3 fanboys follows.

It’s not a spectacular week for new games, but there is Tenchu: Shadow Assassins for the Wii. The latest iteration of this long-running franchise contains much of the same stealth ninjaing as before, but with motion controls. I’ve never hopped on board the series previously, but perhaps now’s the time, as it’s been a while since I’ve ninja’ed anything.  Crappy dialog aside, it should please original Tenchu fans (like our editor!).

If you’ll be in the L.A. area from June 2-4, you may have a decent shot a sneaking in to E3. The once epic game industry trade show, which downsized significantly for the last two years, is trying to restore its former glory. Registration will no longer be invite-only — though it’s still limited to industry professionals, analysts and journalists — and the number of vendors should more than double over last year. Oh yes, and booth babes will be back, because you just can’t have a bl0w-out trade show without them.

The cold winter chill of post-holiday gaming is starting to thaw with a title we’re actually excited about. Afro Samurai features talent from the anime series of the same name, with Samuel L. Jackson staring as Afro and his fast-talking sidekick Ninja Ninja and a sountrack by The RZA. The game itself is Ninja Gaiden/Devil May Cry fare, with the requisite mix of balletic swordplay and excess gore.

In sad news for gamers who prefer more peaceful ventures, the Flight Simulator series is in peril. As part of its recent round of layoffs, Microsoft shuttered Aces Studio, developer of the flying franchise. A Microsoft rep told Edge that the company is “committed to flying games,” but elaborated no further on the future of Flight Simulator. The longest-running franchise in Microsoft’s repertoire, it’ll be missed if it’s indeed forever gone.

It’s pretty eerie that Skate 2 (Xbox 360 and PS3) and Stoked (Xbox 360) are being released during the same week. Aside from the obvious similarities between skateboarding and snowboarding , the video games themselves offer some shared features, like open worlds to explore and trick systems that rely on analog sticks instead of buttons. It’s not all the same though; Stoked is a newcomer to the snowboarding game genre, while Skate 2 is the unsung hero, forever stuck in Tony Hawk’s enormous shadow.

Speaking of being stuck, last week, California Congressman Joe Baca joined the legions of politicians who’ve taken up video games as their personal punching bag. Baca wants violent titles to carry warning labels, reading that “exposure to violent video games and other violent media has been linked to aggressive behavior.” What’s the harm in such a bill? Imagine if an artistically wonderful but utterly violent game like Fallout 3 was tagged with a sticker that made it sound like cigarettes, but a Tarantino flick was not. In reality, neither one deserves it, and that’s why these attacks never hold water.

Because it’s been a while since J.R.R. Tolkien’s classics have been properly plundered, Lord of the Rings: Conquest will reach stores tomorrow for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Wii and Nintendo DS. The makers of Star Wars: Battlefront are behind this title, bringing much of the same shooting/bludgeoning action. After completing the standard good guy campaign, Conquest plays with a bit of alternate canon,  putting you in the bad guys’ shoes and showing what would have happened if the One Ring hadn’t been destroyed.

If you’re hesitant about jumping in on the latest consoles now, fret not. Microsoft Entertainment and Devices division President Robbie Bach said the current console generation will be “a little longer than previous generations.” With the Xbox 360 holding a firm lead over the Playstation 3, Microsoft’s in no rush to start over. You might want to wait  a little while, though, as industry mega-analyst Michael Pachter predicts a $100 PS3 price drop in April with Xbox 360 cuts to follow. And he’s right a lot.