Mafia II target of Jimmy's Vendetta Sept. 7

PlayStation 3 gamers got the first taste of add-on content for 2K Games' Mafia II, which landed to a warm critical reception for Sony's system, as well as the Xbox 360 and PC last week. Titled The Betrayal of Jimmy, the exclusive downloadable content was offered free to those who purchased a new copy of the game, and used-game purchasers could gain access by ponying up $10.

Now, Xbox 360 and PC gamers will also have a chance to extend their Mafia II experience, as the Jimmy's Vendetta DLC will be available on all three platforms beginning September 7. Unlike the PS3-excluisve add-on, Jimmy's Vendetta will carry a $10 (800 Microsoft points) charge, irrespective of whether gamers picked up a new or used version of Mafia II.

With wiseguy Vito playing the central role in Mafia II's storyline, Jimmy's Vendetta focuses on the titular hit man as he acts as the mob's cleaner across Empire Bay. The add-on pack includes more than 30 new quests, with Jimmy engaging in various acts of skulduggery ranging from assassinations to high-speed chases. Jimmy's Vendetta also introduces new leaderboards, whereby gamers will compete to achieve the highest scores in the aforementioned missions.

While Mafia II fans are likely to rejoice at the addition of new content for the game, UNICO National will find only more reasons to take exception. After the Italian-American heritage foundation issued a vociferous objection to Mafia II's release earlier this month, the organization has returned today to boast "one small, satisfying victory in a much longer, more sophisticated campaign within the Italian American community opposed to Mafia II."

That victory, according to UNICO president Andre DiMino, was in relation to Take-Two's Mafia II launch party, which occurred on Saturday in New York City at the 92nd Street Y's Tribeca Center. According to the organization, the event was a "dismal failure" due to low turnout.

"A sparse group of mostly young people trudged into 200 Hudson Street Saturday night," UNICO's statement reads. "No Take-Two executives were anywhere in sight, least of all Strauss Zelnick, company chairman, who had belittled opponents of the new game." DiMino went on to lambast Take-Two for its continued efforts of "demeaning and stereotyping Italian Americans," due to the organized crime element of Mafia II.

Take-Two had not responded to GameSpot's request for comment on UNICO's announcement as of press time.