Christmas has come early for comic book fans this year! Well, to their video game consoles, anyway. Batman: Arkham City developer Rocksteady has released some free goodies as a thank you to the fans for making their game such a success. A free Batman Inc. style Bat-suit is available now for download, and even if you haven’t beaten the game’s campaign yet, there’s also a nifty new cheat code that allows you to play with any acquired extra skins without having to wait until your second play through.
Left, Left, Down, Down, Left, Left, Right, Up, Up, Down at the menu, after you’ve selected your save file, grants you early access to your bat-closet. And since this is the skin closest to resembling anything Micheal Keaton related that we’ll likely ever see, I had no problem wasting an afternoon making another run through Arkham City as the newly resurrected Bruce Wayne. Even more fun was playing in big head mode.
A new Challenge Map pack was also released this week containing a Batcave environment, and even though the Batcave is just as fun as any of the Challenge Map DLC we’ve seen so far, the absence of a giant penny is pretty disappointing.
Superhero Chic doesn’t end with a new cape and cowl this week. Xbox 360 owners may have noticed the Marvel themed Avatar attire. Captain America, Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and more Marvel inspired t-shirts and accessories are now in the Xbox Live Marketplace, and my only complaint is that my avatar can’t hold a Captain America shield, web shooters, and Hulk Hands all at the same time.
But suiting up as your favorite Marvel superhero will take on new meaning with the upcoming MMO, Marvel Heroes. Unlike DC Universe Online, players will actually take control of their favorite icons, with Ultimate and movie versions of their favorite heroes also available. Finally, I can be Jessica Alba Invisible Woman in an MMO!
Brian Micheal Bendis will pen the game’s story, and there is no release date yet, which I’m fine with. I’m not sure I’m quite ready to let go of DCUO to play a Marvel MMO just yet, so I’m completely fine with Marvel Heroes taking its sweet development time.
The biggest pre-holiday thrill came from the newest Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue pack from Zen Studios, and their always awesome tables now featuring Ghost Rider, Thor, Moon Knight, and the X-Men. Just like the previous tables featuring Fantastic Four, Captain America, and others, these tables offer a deeper challenge than your run-of-the-mill Pinball.
When these Marvel themed tables first released, what impressed me was the authentic Pinball experience and great visuals, but now it’s Zen Studios’ ability to consistently create unique and fun tables. And I can’t think of a better way to avoid estranged family during the holiday than by trying to top my score on the Moon Knight table.
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Andrew Hurst
andrewhurst@comicattack.net
@andrewEhurst
Thanks for the Arkham City skins code, I love it. I’ve just started the game, but I got the skins pack. Playing as the different versions of Batman is so very cool. It only adds to the coolness of this game.
I only got the Batman Inc. skin 🙁