More KumaWar games released

Kuma Reality Games, maker of the KumaWar series of war games based on real-life events, has announced the release of its two latest games, both involving the ongoing war in Iraq. Mission 76, "Payback in Iraq," and mission 75, "The Death of al-Zarqawi," are now available on the company's Web site, according to FiringSquad.

New game missions, released under the KumaWar 2 title, are powered by Valve Software's Source engine, which the Bellevue, Washington, developer used on Half-Life 2.

The company is partially calling "Payback in Iraq" a response to the Iranian government's condemnation of Kuma Reality's prior games, most of which take place in the Middle East. After the release of mission 58, titled "Assault on Iran," an Iranian government-run newspaper dismissed the game, saying that "Americans have a deep craving for an attack against Iran, but they are going to have to settle for this make-believe assault," according to a Reuters report in October 2005.

Older missions of KumaWar reenact the battles of Tora Bora, Fallujah, and the search for Saddam Hussein. Kuma Reality Games made headlines during the last US presidential election when the 24th game mission reenacted the 1969 Vietnam swift boat mission, for which the 2004 democratic candidate, John Kerry, earned a Silver Star.