E3 2011: PixelJunk SideScroller shipping out this summer

LOS ANGELES--PlayStation Network titles didn't receive much attention at Sony's E3 2011 press conference tonight, perhaps understandably so given the service's recent upheaval. However, the publisher does have new PSN content lined up. Today, Sony announced that Q Games will be returning to its PSN-staple PixelJunk series this summer with PixelJunk SideScroller.

Billed as a "retro side-scrolling shooter," PixelJunk SideScroller has been built in the vein of classic arcade shoot-'em-ups, as players traverse levels while avoiding a spray of bullets. The game will also incorporate a number of elements from the PixelJunk Shooter series, including its hazardous fluid mechanic.

PixelJunk SideScroller offers a retro take on gushing lava.

PixelJunk SideScroller will feature a swath of upgrade options for in-game weaponry, in addition to hidden power-ups. Q Games also said that PixelJunk SideScroller will have a number of adjustable difficulty levels, as well as multiplayer action for up to two.

Sony did not offer a price for PixelJunk SideScroller. However, when PixelJunk Shooter 2 arrived to a positive critical reception in March, it carried a sticker price of $10.