Random Release News (Or If It's Tuesday, It Must Be DLC Day...)

Yikes - plenty of new games and games news hit the inbox today, so instead of individual postings, a rapid-fire approach is in order. In general, August is flying out with a big ol' bang and September is rolling in with an even bigger set of booms. Here we go with part one:



2K Games has a nice DLC pack coming soon as its crime saga sequel Mafia II gets Jimmy's Vendetta, an action-packed set of missions set to hit the PSN Store and Xbox LIVE marketplace on September 7, 2010 for $9.99 or 800 Microsoft Points respectively. Jimmy's maps are fast-paced arcade style missions that involve driving and/or shooting while pulling off cool moves and kills in order to score points. Can you say Leaderboards, anyone?


Atari's upcoming Blade Kitten isn't being released to-day, but it WILL be alive and very playable at this year's Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in case you're in the Seattle area from September 3-5. I won't be, so go on ahead and enjoy the game (and get a good cup of coffee out there while you're at it). The download-only side-scrolling action game is hitting PSN, XBLA and PC sometime this month and with seasoned developerKrome Studios once again on the case so far, it looks like a total blast. I'd prefer this one boxed with a soundtrack CD and full color art book, but you cant have everything, that's for damn sure...



Atlus' bizarre, beautiful and brilliant XBLA first-person fighter, Zeno Clash is now available over Xbox LIVE Marketplace for a mere 800 Microsoft Points! This deal lasts for this week only, so I'll be snapping this up, as I haven't yet played the updated XBLA version, only the original PC game. In case you're curious, it's sort of like Maken X meets Breakdown, but even more insane in terms of the visuals and challenge! BTW, Atlus is now publishing at least two new Naruto games... "Believe It!" Yeesh, how the heck many lives does this franchise have?


Capcom's pre-sequel super tease deluxe, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero demo is now up on XBLA as an exclusive taste of how the final game will play, allowing gamers to meet new lead character Chuck Greene and play around with assorted weapons and gear (and zombies galore). A very tempting (and cheap!) chunk of DLC indeed, particularly if you want to make your PS3 owning friends a little jealous. OK, a LOT jealous. Capcom loves you all, so don't go on a bile-spewing spree - just pre-order the Zombrex or High Stakes Edition of the game and rest assured that Blue Castle's got your back...



Namco Bandai wants to get your ass in the air NOW. Ace Combat Joint Assault has landed at a retailer near you, so drop in and take off why dontcha? Amazing high-resolution graphics, 40+ planes, a single player campaign with 4-player co-op and up to 8 players in multiplayer mode. Hell, it sounds like a home console version. As I keep saying, this is looking like the best year for the PSP to date! Namco Bandai (or is it Bandai Namco?) isn't looking too shabby either what with all those great games coming for the rest of 2010...


Telltale Games' awesomely funny finale to Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is up and waiting for you at the Telltale Store - expect hi-larity and a giant monster to deal with in this point and clicker that'll get you chucking as soon as you fire it up. If you're new to the series, don't skip the chance to own the whole season at a SUPER bargain price!


Metroid: Other M is in stores, but my review isn't going up 'til I break down and buy a copy of the game.

Annnnnnd finally, Hudson's Lost in Shadow Facebook page now has a few hundred "Likes", all of which will be translated into cash for the Child's Play Charity. So do yourself a favor and get on over there NOW. Hep break Hudson's bank!