Several console games of note ship this week, including Super Mario World for GBA (see below), State of Emergency, and Maximo: Ghosts to Glory. If you're the cautious type, keep your eyes peeled to ShackReviews before buying any of them (that's what I'll be doing).

• If you're wondering what's coming out this year on GameCube, GameSpot has posted an article that looks at the big-name titles in the works for 2002, and Cube.IGN has posted the first in a series of their articles that spotlights four upcoming titles.
• Also at GameSpot tonight is an update on Blood Omen 2, complete with new screenshots.
• According to a brief news story at Planet GameCube, former Square designer Kenichi Nishi, who worked on Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger among other games, has left to form Skip Ltd. and create a new RPG for the GameCube.
• The GIA has posted details galore from Xenosaga, including info about XenoCard, a massive mini-game that works similarly to Magic: The Gathering.
• Great news for SNES fans...Nintendo has shipped Super Mario Advance 2, better known as the GBA remake (or port, really) of Super Mario World.
• Lawsuit alert! Immersion Corp. is suing both Sony and Microsoft, alleging that the companies violated Immersion's patents with their controller designs.
• This will likely please some and horrify others: Amped 2 is on the way, and it may include online support.