by ERIK LEIJON

No respite for my now deformed thumbs—Christmas may be over, but this winter promises to contain a few diamonds in the rough. If somebody loves you (possibly yourself) and got you that next-gen console or new PC you wanted, then here’s a brief list of some upcoming games. Disclaimer: Release dates subject to constant revision.

Virtua Fighter 5 (PS3/Sega): ETA Feb. 20. One of the biggest innovators in gaming, the Smithsonian-recognized Virtua Fighter series is always worth a look, simply because it always features trendsetting graphics and air-tight gameplay. The controls for this fighting game haven’t changed too much in 14 years—the idea is to shift around your opponent and then pummel them (to simplify it greatly). VF is one of those games that take about 10 minutes to learn and a lifetime to figure out all the effective cheap moves. The online screenshots look to be on par with what Sony claimed the PS3 was capable of, including two impressive new characters (there’s a luchador to rival the game’s Canuck wrestler, Wolf). It will also be released on the Xbox 360 later this year.

Wario Ware: Smooth Moves (Wii/Nintendo): ETA Jan. 15. If you happened to stumble upon a Wii kiosk this past fall, you probably got a chance to try the latest Big N title devoted to mini-game mayhem. It’s an ugly yet fashionable title that realizes every weird idea for the Wii controller. Some mini-games will involve moving the Wii remote up and down like a pump, or putting the remote around your waist and shaking it like a hula-hoop. It sounds silly, and the Wario Ware series is usually pretty insane, but it’s throwing all these mini-games together and forcing you to play them in quick succession that creates a winning formula.

Winning Eleven: Pro Evolution Soccer 2007 (X360/Konami): ETA Feb. 6. Outside my jurisdiction, but based on the law of averages, someone must care about a new soccer game. According to those who know, Konami’s soccer series is preferred to EA’s FIFA, so the release of the first Winning Eleven 360 title on our shores will end EA’s reign as the only game in town on next-gen. Who knows if it will be better than FIFA 07, which had some nice-looking grass and character models (sadly, my only two criteria for judging a good soccer game).

Half-Life 2: Episode Two (PC/Valve, EA): ETA Mar. 1. A standalone game that feels like an expansion pack, last year’s Episode One pushed my then-new PC to limits it had not yet seen (and even resulted in a few crashes), so this recommendation comes knowing you might need to make some upgrades before playing (or turning down some of the graphical effects, but isn’t that like admitting you have erectile dysfunction. Developed by a different team, Episode Two promises to be a little more open and more vehicle-oriented than the first, which differs greatly from the constricted, story-based action of Episode One.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney—Justice for All (DS/Capcom): ETA Jan. 16. If there’s one genre getting perilously close to over-saturation, it’s the text-based games about lawyers. All kidding aside, Phoenix Wright is a kick-ass anime lawyer who must examine evidence and grill lying witnesses in court in order to save his clients from the pokey.

Pimp My Ride (PSP/Activision): ETA Mar. 6. Not a recommendation as much as a question: How on Earth could they make a game out of Pimp My Ride? And how did Pimp My Ride games come out for the Xbox 360 and PS2 this past December without me noticing?