All three next-gen consoles have notable downloads. The Wii's new Virtual Console release is The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES) for $8. Sony is taking a page from Microsoft's abandoned playbook, selling a $3 multiplayer add-on for its recently released arcade shooter, Blast Factor. Speaking of which, Microsoft revealed it's making up for the segmentation of Lumines Live!, which had several features split off as downloadable extras due to a 50MB limit set on Xbox Live Arcade games. (Ironically, the word is that this limit has just been lifted since the need to accommodate memory card users seems superfluous in a world where downloadable HD movies and TV shows make even a 20GB hard drive shudder.) Anyway, this week's release will be a free Lumines skin and two add-on packs: the full Versus CPU and Puzzle Mode packs priced at $1.25 each if bought in the first month (after that, they jump to $3.75 a pop). Other recent 360 downloads include:
- Demos for Crackdown and Battlestations: Midway (free, but available to Gold members only)
- A Gears of War auto-update that does NOT address the recently reported system link issue; it's just a minor compatibility fix for overseas users
- The Call of Duty 3 Valor Map Pack ($10), which was pulled on account of it not actually working - expect a reissue any day now
- A high-definition episode of the Viva Pinata children's cartoon (free)
- Trailers for Battlestations: Midway and F.E.A.R. Accolades (free)
- Several Sonic The Hedgehog themes ($1.50 each) and picture packs ($1.25 each)
