The Drop: Week of July 18th 2011 New Releases

The Danish game developers that make up Playdead bring their monochromatic 2D side-scrolling puzzler Limbo to PSN this week. Its game mechanics thrive on “trial and death,” so expect to be treated to a gruesome untimely death after failing its addictive puzzles. Who knew saving your little sister could be such a burden?

Sega brings Captain America into the third dimension with Captain America: Super Soldier on PS3 in 3D. You play as Ben McCall in Ubisoft’s vision of the Wild West hunting down the Cartel in a lawless Los Angeles in Call of Juarez: The Cartel. PSone Japan imports return, and minis dishes out 10 unique digital titles for your PSP and PS3.

Quench your summer thirst with this week’s The Drop.

PlayStation 3

Call of Juarez: The Cartel — When a Mexican drug cartel bombs a U.S. law enforcement agency, the U.S. government puts together a special task force to bring them down. You can explore each character’s dedicated storyline, choosing to play as Ben McCall, a brutal LAPD cop and descendant of Ray McCall; Eddie Guerra, a DEA agent who gambles compulsively; or gangbanger-turned-FBI agent Kim Evans. As you fight to dismantle the Cartel and unfurl the mystery of the bombing, you’ll embark on an epic, bloody road trip from the streets of Los Angeles to Ciudad Juarez.

Captain America: Super Soldier — Captain America: Super Soldier combines an athletic combat system with fluid platforming and a finely tuned suite of shield attacks as Cap explores a massive castle that’s been converted into a military installation. His shield is a versatile weapon, capable of taking out multiple enemies at once, deflecting incoming fire back at enemies, solving puzzles, and helping Cap scale walls. As the world’s first super soldier, you’ll need every bit of that strength to overcome this playground for the Captain’s physical prowess.

PlayStation Network

Limbo — (Demo Available) Limbo is a monochromatic puzzle-platforming adventure that puts players in the role of a young boy traveling through a hostile world in an attempt to discover the fate of his sister.

Fast Draw Showdown — Do you think you’re the fastest gunslinger in the West? Let’s see how you fair in Fast Draw Showdown. Fight against the roughest thugs, cowboys and outlaws in this Western shootout!

Dead Block — (Demo Available) Dead Block focuses on innovative defensive gameplay in which the few remaining survivors, Jack Foster (a construction worker), Foxy Jones (a traffic warden), and Mike Bacon (a perpetually hungry boy scout) have formed an unlikely alliance to protect themselves from the invading undead. Hiding in various shelters around town, they avoid Zombies by building blockades, setting fiendish traps or – as a last resort – using their weapons to fight.

Baseball Stars 2 (Also on PSP) — Lace up your cleats and step onto the diamond with the pros of Baseball Stars 2. You’ll find everything you’d expect in a classic game of baseball, but with an arcade feel and intense action that distinguish it from the pack. Pick one of six unique teams from cities around the world, then get ready for nine innings of excitement, whether you’re taking on the computer in a 15-game tournament or squaring off against a friend.

The King of Fighters ‘95 (Also on PSP) — Choose from 26 different characters and let the brawling begin. Play the Normal mode and face a series of one-on-one fights. After beating all of the competition, you will learn of each character’s unique motivation for entering the King of Fighters tournament. In addition to the Normal mode, a Team Battle option has been included, where two teams of three of fighters compete against each other. You can choose from eight different teams or create your own with the team edit feature. No matter what mode you play, you must be aware of the last resort moves whenever a character is about to be defeated, he or she has access to huge fireball or massive hit combinations that can level the playing field in an instant.

minis

• Me Monstar: Hear Me Roar
• Angry Birds
• Athena
• Guerilla Wars
• Hal 21
• Ikari Warriors
• Marvin’s Maze
• Ozma Wars
• Sauke vs Commander
• Vanguard

PlayStation Portable

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions — Originally released in 1997, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions is a portable update on the classic turn-based strategy game that gave birth to the world of Ivalice. New features include all-new CG sequences, all-new jobs, new 16:9 widescreen presentation, new head-to-head multiplayer and new storyline elements that refine the genesis of the Ivalice Alliance.

PSone Japan Import

Kyuiin — You play as a boy or a girl who flies around on a vacuum cleaner. You have a choice between four standard weapons: Vulcan, laser, homing and rapid shot. These can all be powered up three times by collecting flying orbs. Another vital part of your arsenal is your vacuum hose, which plays a very important part in the game. You can suck up certain types of enemies like birds, paper planes and angels.

[Editor’s Note: The following dates are subject to change. Game details are gathered from Press Releases from their individual publishers and/or ESRB rating descriptions.]