Coming June 9, 2009, Harmonix, Backbone Entertainment and MTV Games bring you Rock Band Unplugged, the award-winning full band experience found in Rock Band and Rock Band 2 right in the palm of your hands! For the first time, PlayStation Portable gamers will be able rock out – anywhere.

Just in time for Summer Vacation, Rock Band Unplugged gives you the ability to take the show on the road. Start a band and tour for fame and fortune while you learn to master lead and bass guitar, drums and vocals as a one man band. The multi-track game design takes the look, functionality and customization options of the Rock Band games and combines them with enhanced options built specifically for the abilities of the PSP. You’ll be able to control all four instruments at once by hitting the colored gems in time with the musical tracks just as you’ve done on other Rock Band games, but now you’ll have the added challenge of switching between instruments on the fly in an attempt to keep those note streaks going.

Rock Band Unplugged’s soundtrack features 41 songs on-disc and an additional 10 songs will be available for download following the game’s launch. You won’t have to worry about listening to lousy covers, either – all the music in Rock Band Unplugged will be master recordings and span all genres of rock from punk and metal to alternative and classic. And then you have Rock Band Unplugged’s in-game Rock Band Music Store which can be used to purchase downloadable content on the first game to enable the PSP’s in-game commerce capabilities.

The lack of mini-guitars and drum accessories can either been seen as a cursing or a blessing. Either you’re completely upset that you won’t be able to pound the skins in the back of your mom’s mini-van on the way to grandma’s house or you fully appreciate not looking like a complete tool in front of the guy next to you on the plane, but one thing’s for sure – at least you won’t be forced to sing in public. Vocals are handled like any other instrument – tap the buttons in time to the colored gems. Every one around you should be happier knowing this.

The Left, Up, Triangle, and Circle buttons on your PSP will handle hitting the notes while the shoulder buttons jump you from track to track as you attempt to keep the show going. The better you do on a certain track determines how much of a buffer you get between each track as you try to keep them from failing out. It looks like this game is going to be quite challenging.

The bright colors seem to make the game easy to see despite the smaller screen and the graphics look right about what you’d expect, though not any worse than a PlayStation 2 game. Hopefully the sound quality will be good enough a pair of headphones without too much lost to compression – if any.

If you’re not completely sick of Rock Band/Guitar Hero style games and desperately need something to do in the car – when you’re NOT DRIVING, of course – this looks like it could really scratch that itch. On the other hand, if half the fun of a music game is the feeling of playing an instrument, I don’t think this is going to cut it for you. In fact, I’d say that plastic guitars and drum kits are more than half the fun, but that’s just me. Also, where’s the multiplayer? If you like the idea of going solo while you’re on the go, again, maybe this is aimed right at you. We’ll see what the game is like once it drops – which isn’t too far away.

Sean Devlin was an Irish racing mechanic before the war took away everything he loved. His friends, his car and his women – all gone. The war, for him, isn’t a matter of choosing sides – it’s something much more personal. In “The Saboteur,” Devlin is out for revenge in this open-world action game set in Nazi occupied Europe. With the help of the French Resistance, British intelligence and his own two hands, those who aimed to destroy his life are definitely going to pay. Blow up zeppelins, derail trains, implode bridges, destroy armored tanks and level enemy facilities in the name of vengeance. They won’t even see it coming…

Welcome to the seedy underground of 1940s Paris. You’ll have to fight, climb and race your way through a uniquely stylized version of Nazi-occupied France in order to hunt down those who’ve taken everything from you. You’ll be living the resistance in this open-world from the top of the Eiffel Tower to the banks of the Seine River. Using a vast arsenal of weapons and explosives, you’ll be practicing your deadly skill of sabotage to single-handedly dismantle and destroy the Nazis from the inside out. Sneak your way into the enemy strongholds, infiltrate their most secure areas and blow your target to pieces as you exact your full measure of revenge. But just because this game relies heavily on stealth doesn’t necessarily mean you always have to avoid the direct approach. Even when you get caught and all Hell breaks loose, take advantage of the cover-based combat system and the full range of weaponry to fight your way out. This is an action game that gives you the freedom to play it like you see it – go in with guns blazing or tip-toe through the back door. You have brawn as well as brains; use them both as best you can.

One of the more interesting aspects of “The Saboteur” will be the stylized graphics that render areas of total Nazi oppression in black and white with slight hints of red to symbolize the crushed spirits of the people. Be prepared to see some pretty heavy stuff – the Nazi soldiers will be treating the people as ruthlessly as possible and it won’t be easy to simply stand by, minding your own business while evil men do evil deeds. As Sean Devlin, your acts of sabotage against the Nazi regime will undermine their authority and show the people that all is not lost, that they can fight back. As you do, you’ll notice the color returning to the world as the Nazis plunge into chaos. You won’t be the lone hero who wins the war against the fascists, but you will play a key role in their failure. By the time they even notice you, it’s already too late.

Brought to you by developer Pandemic Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, “The Saboteur” will be available for the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A release date has yet to be announced.

You don’t have to be crazy to get into Arkham Asylum, but it probably helps – especially when The Joker is in charge. It would seem that Gotham’s worst have set a trap for the Caped Crusader and he’ll have to fight his way out from deep within the facility. Using your wits, your fists and a handy assortment of gadgets, you’ll be taking on the role of Batman on your Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC.

Using Unreal Engine 3, the graphics look amazing – even if Batman does seem to be wearing a thick coat of Vaseline. The Joker appears to be sufficiently psychotic while the areas you’ll be fighting through are notably dark and foreboding, full of bad guys and puzzles to be solved as you make your way out. Details on the villains you’ll be fighting have been rather light, although we’ve seen evidence of Harley Quinn making an appearance in an updated, very revealing costume. Bane will also be in the game, along with Zsasz and a 15-foot-high Killer Croc to give you all the trouble they can while screenshots and videos have hinted at a certain villain who’s quite fond of scribbling green question marks on the walls. Then, of course, you have the endless, unnamed bad guys you’ll have to punch and kick your way through if you hope to survive.

The combat system is going to be somewhat unique. Your health meter only applies in individual fights and refreshes after combat with a particular enemy ends. Also, as you fight, performing certain maneuvers will earn you health and experience points. You’ll be able to take on many enemies at once, this way – just enough to keep things challenging but without the fun-killing frustration of being overwhelmed by too many enemies at once. Depending on how you interact with some of the characters – not everyone needs to be dealt with by punching them in the face – you can build up your experience points to buy new combos and attacks which give you the choice to play the game the way you want, unlocking new combat possibilities.

This game isn’t just about fighting, though. The developers were careful not to overlook Batman’s wonderful toys, such as x-ray specs, goggles that give you special information about your environment and the classic Batarang. Then you have the grappling hook and the cape you can use to glide through the air as you navigate the twisted asylum and its various dangers by searching for alternative routes and hidden passageways.

“Batman: Arkham Asylum” is looking to be a pretty big hit. We’ve seen some terrible Batman games in the past and it would be easy to simply rehash the recent movies into some rather mediocre gaming experiences, but, so far, it would appear that Rocksteady Studios are flexing their creative muscles to give us something other than a knockoff game. Look for “Batman: Arkham Asylum” this summer.

If there’s one thing gamers really like, it’s freedom. An open world to explore and do whatever they want, especially when they have godlike powers that let them morph into any shape and wreak havoc on an entire city. Prototype promises to be that game.

As Alex Mercer, a genetically altered man who has lost his memory, you wield amazing shape-shifting powers which you’ll need to find those responsible for radically changing you and exact your revenge. You’ll have to rip and shred your way through a populated New York City brimming with citizens, military and a faction of “infected” individuals. It’s a three-way war between you, the military and those who’ve been infected by a strange virus. You’ll have to uncover the dark conspiracy that lies at the heart of everything that’s happened to you and the people around you.

One of the ways Prototype sets itself apart from other, similar games is in how you use Alex’s different abilities. By consuming any living person you come in contact with, you actually absorb their memories, physical appearance and any special abilities they had to use at your disposal. As you do this you unlock the memories they had which give you clues to your own identity, solving the overall puzzle of what’s happened to you, and why. Plus, you can mix the abilities and unique characteristics of those you absorb to become even more powerful, combining them into weapons like razor sharp claws, blades, armored skin, shields and more. In effect, you become the ultimate weapon giving you countless ways to play.

Borrowing from games like Mirror’s Edge, the art of “Parkour” was a huge influence on the way Alex moves – nothing is an obstacle for Alex as he smoothly negotiates a bustling New York City. Up walls, over cars and scaling high buildings are seemingly effortless actions for Alex and his super-human strength and agility.

Another unique element present in Prototype is Alex’s ability to blend into a crowd by looking like anyone – a soldier, a citizen or an officer. You can choose a full-frontal assault or go for a more stealthy way of infiltrating the enemy. For example, consume a victim who has access to restricted areas and assume his identity to move in and out, undetected. Want to steal a helicopter but you don’t know how to fly one? Sneak up on a pilot and absorb his piloting skills. Soon enough, you’ll be able commandeer other vehicles, such as cars and tanks, by consuming even more people around you. Use these vehicles to do as much damage as possible and then disappear if the action gets too hot. You’ll easily be able to slip in and out of restricted areas throughout New York City to learn as much as you can about what’s going on behind the scenes.

In a game as big as all Manhattan, you can bet you’ll be in for some seriously tough boss battles! Yet, even in a setting as big as this, you’ll feel the world closing in on you as you are surrounded by thousands of pedestrians, hundreds of different vehicles and a thriving representation of the world’s most famous city.

Set for release in June of 2009, Radical Entertainment looks set to unleash a very promising game full of astounding possibilities for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.