“Rag Doll Kung-Fu: Fists of Plastic” (rated E10+, free on PlayStation Network through Wednesday): It’s pretty hard to complain about a free game, so you might as well grab this one, which normally sells for $10. The sequel to a game from 2005 is meant to be the PlayStation Network’s answer to titles like “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” on the Wii and “Small Arms” on the Xbox 360. There’s no online mode, so it’s probably best suited for party play or an evening with the family.
“Bionic Commando Rearmed” (rated M, $5 on PlayStation Network through Wednesday): This $10 game, one of the better offerings on the PSN, is half-off through Wednesday in anticipation of Capcom’s full-fledged retail title that goes on sale next week. “Rearmed” is a prettified reimagining of one of the Nintendo Entertainment System’s top 2D adventure games. Hopefully, Xbox 360 owners will get a similar temporary price drop next week.
“Sid Meier’s Civilization IV: The Complete Edition” (rated E10+, $40 on PC): If you haven’t cracked open “Civ IV” yet and taken a civilization from a band of noble savages to a race of spacefarers, you’re not going to get a better deal on the game than this bundle, which includes the original game, two expansions and “Colonization,” a game using the “Civ IV” engine in which European powers colonize the New World.
“Fable II” (rated M, $40 for Xbox 360): This fusion of role-playing adventure and “Sims”-like open-world experimentation got a price drop from $60 to $40 a few weeks ago, but that’s not the only reason it’s listed here this week. A new downloadable add-on, called “See the Future” went on sale for $10. It adds a new combat arena, new breeds of dogs and several different items that will transport you to distant lands to complete quests. A the name of the pack implies, it also offers a vague glimpse of an upcoming “Fable” project, though no one’s quite sure if it’s “Fable III” or more stuff for the current game.
“Texas Cheat Em” (rated T, $10 on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network): As someone who’s about as far from a betting man as you could get, I’m unlikely to give this a whirl, but casual poker players looking for a change of pace might dig on this card game that actually makes cheating part of the experience. It might not be worth $10, but it’s certainly the kind of game for which you could download a demo and give it a shot. It might be better suited as a downloadable or unlockable mode for an existing poker game, though.
“Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner 2 – Raidou Kuzunoha vs. King Abbadon” (rated M, $40 on PlayStation 2): This Japanese role-playing game for the PlayStation 2 appears to have three titles, but this follow-up to the somewhat collectible “Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner” reportedly expands and improves upon the stuff that causes the first game to fetch $70-$95 new on Amazon.
What I’ll be playing this weekend: Social engagements and work will prevent me from doing too much gaming, but “Rag Doll Kung Fu,” “Killzone 2,” “Fable II” and “Fallout 3” are all contenders for a look.
