Section 8 leads PSN update

The saying goes that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but Sony's last PlayStation Store update of the month is more fearsome than fearful. Beyond the expected assortment of game add-ons, trailers, and other features, the PlayStation 3 and PSP each see five new games introduced to their respective downloadable catalog.

Beginning today, PS3 gamers can download TimeGate Studios' sci-fi first-person shooter Section 8 for $29.99. Released on the Xbox 360 and PC last year, Section 8 for the PS3 includes tweaks to the graphics and multiplayer match-up system, as well three extra maps originally available as downloadable content for the other versions of the game.

For more cerebral gamers, Buzz! Developer Relentless Software has launched the first three episodes of its Blue Toad Murder Files for the PS3. The murder mystery games are available for $7.49 each or can be purchased as a bundle for $14.99. Though they are available separately, episodes two and three each require the first episode be installed on a system in order to play. Episodes four through six are expected to launch April 29.

A pair of prolific PSN developers also have new games available for the PS3 this week, as TikGames launches the Super Monkey Ball-styled Hamsterball for $9.99, while Creat Studios' Wakeboarding HD offers exactly what the title suggests for $14.99. Rounding out the PS3 releases, Anarchy: Rush Hour brings arcade racing based on real locations to the system for $7.99.

Over on the PSP, Aksys Games releases Cho Aniki Zero, the latest installment of the imported Japanese side-scrolling shooter series. Known for its frequently bizarre and suggestive subtext, Cho Aniki Zero sees a pair of scantily clad bodybuilders thwart an evil plan to steal all the protein in the universe and sells for $19.99.

The PSP is also getting a new PSP Mini in the form of the $3.99 offering Alien Zombie Death. The side-scrolling action platforming game sees players assume control of a seemingly doomed astronaut determined to cut down wave after wave of alien zombies before his demise. The game includes a variety of power-ups, medals awarded for in-game tasks, and 14 different levels to shoot up.

The last three new PSP games added to the PlayStation Network this week have all received retail releases in the past. Natsume's role-playing game Adventures to Go! Is now downloadable for $14.99, while Konami's 3D action games Rengoku: The Tower of Purgatory and Rengoku II: The Stairway to H.E.A.V.E.N. are now available for $11.99 each.

Finally, Sony has added one more game to its lineup of original PlayStation games that is playable on either the PS3 or the PSP. Gray Matter's 1996 beat-'em-up Perfect Weapon is now available to download for the standard PSone Classics price of $5.99.