AU Shippin' Out June 20-June 24: Shadows of the Damned

There's something strange going on in Grasshopper Manufacture's Shadows of the Damned. The hero of this third-person action adventure, Garcia Hotspur, is a heavily tattooed topless idealist who ventures into the depths of hell to save his kidnapped girlfriend Paula from eternal damnation. While the premise may echo tales of old (Dante), there's definitely nothing stale about this version, created by legendary Japanese game design duo Suda 51 and Shinji Mikami. In fact, it appears that almost every element in the game has been designed to mess with your head, from the wise-cracking British floating skull--Garcia's sidekick, who can transform himself into a motorcycle or a weapon at the press of a button--to the myriad of hilarious and often perplexing circumstances that have Garcia kicking demon butt with his distinctive flair.

Shadows of the Damned is out this Thursday on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

If you prefer something a little more traditional this week, the retail version of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition also hits store shelves this Thursday, with a roster of 39 characters and four new additions.

The character that has everyone talking is Evil Ryu, who has been consumed by a rather unforgiving energy that grants him greater powers at the cost of his soul. In combat, this translates to a different set of moves that make him a much more aggressive fighter; for example, he now sports the Shakunetsu Hadouken, an orange-coloured fireball attack that, while powerful, takes a little time to charge. Evil Ryu also has Akuma's teleporting ability and a new scissor-kick move.

Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition is out this Thursday on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

To find out what else is out this week, check out the list below!

June 23, 2011
Shadows of the Damned (X360, PS3)
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (X360, PS3)
Cars 2: The Video Game (PC, Wii, DS, PS3, X360)
Dream Trigger 3D (3DS)
PlayStation Move Ape Escape (PS3)