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Quick news bits: X-Men Arcade and TMNT: Turtles in Time Reshelled are all 50% off on Xbox Live Arcade until July 4! For 400 MS points (approximately $4.99) you can download TMNT and X-Men to your Xbox 360. While X-Men is totally worth it, TMNT you may want to think twice about. The “Reshelled” version of the game offers updated graphics from the original SNES version, but the gameplay is “meh” and the classic music is missing, however, if you’re gaming on a budget then you really can’t lose with either of these classics!

A Batman: Arkham City themed energy drink will be released soon. No word on exactly when the drink will hit shelves, but the drink will feature the same image from the official Batman: Arkham City cover art.

City of Heroes is going free! NCSoft, the creators of the superhero MMORPG, are retooling the game as a free-to-play title renamed City of Heroes Freedom. Signing up for Freedom allows you to create two different characters as any of the 42 classes under your profile, and offers several of the same options as the paid subscription. Upgrading to the VIP membership gives you free money to the game’s store and exclusive content. No release date has been announced yet for Freedom, but The Comics Console will be paying close attention to NCSoft over the next few months for more details. I’m excited to start fresh and free in City of Heroes Freedom!

The video game tie-in to Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: Super Soldier, doesn’t drop until July 19, but Zen Studio’s Marvel Pinball Captain America table is available now on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. Captain America joins the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Blade, and Iron Man as part of Pinball FX2‘s elite Marvel themed tables, and the new Cap theme doesn’t disappoint.

Pinball FX2: Marvel Pinball Captain America

Publisher/Developer: Zen Studios
Platforms: Xbox 360 (XBLA), PlayStation 3 (PSN)
Released: June 24, 2011
ESRB: Everyone

Just like all their tables, Zen Studio’s Captain America table is more than just basic Pinball with Cap’s face on it. With each new table comes new and unique challenges, and this one is no different. The table’s story and theme is set in World War II as Captain America, Bucky, and the Howling Commandos have zeroed in on Baron Zemo’s castle with orders to take out Zemo and the Red Skull who are in possession of the Cosmic Cube.

The table has a great gritty, but glossy WWII theme with barbed wire and barricades spread throughout, and a ball launcher that is built like an old machine gun. Captain America and Red Skull figures stand at the back of the table with the Cosmic Cube between them. Acquiring enough points allows you to pick one of many missions in the game like taking on Zemo, and a series of laser blasts or a straight up fist fight between Cap and Skull. It’s these missions that make Pinball FX2 stand out with the figures that come to life on the board. It’s awesome to see Cap and Skull throw down right on the table in front of you, but dividing your attention between the action and where your ball is and keeping it in play can be distracting.

If you liked any of the other Marvel Pinball tables, or just like pinball, or just like Captain America, then this is a must play game. It’s highly addictive, offers enough challenge to be fun without being frustrating, and it just looks awesome. And at only $2.99 it’s totally worth it.

A Cap themed table was one of the characters on my wish list when Zen released the first Marvel pack earlier this year, and I’m stoked it’s finally here. I hope to see a Hulk, X-Men, or Daredevil table in the future, but until then I’ll be spending a ton of my free time with the Captain America table, and their non-Marvel themes like the Street Fighter II table.

For more pinball based on your favorite comic book characters, click here!

Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net
@andrewEhurst