Retro/Grade has quite the story behind it.  This downloadable game for PlayStation Network has been in the works for some time, introducing a new style of music/rhythm gameplay that ties in with a space shooter -- in a way.  We've seen it at a number of events, including last year's PAX Prime in Seattle, but upon seeing it at this year's PAX East 2012 event, we were treated with some good news.  The game is finally coming out later this year, as part of Sony's push to bring innovative new downloadable experiences to the PlayStation 3.

Sega’s downloadable game slate is looking incredible.  We certainly won’t lie.  Along with a revamped version of Jet Set Radio, the recently released House of the Dead 4, the upcoming original game Hell Yeah (more on that shortly) and the return of Sonic the Hedgehog (part four, episode two), Sega has a lot of genres covered.  You can count fighting in there as well, as the company is bringing Virtua Fighter 5 back to market with the upcoming expansion Final Showdown, set for release on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

What is it about Sour Patch Kids that has us so addicted?  Is it the sweet taste that’s underlying the start-off sour flavor?  Or is it the fact that they’re so small that you can devour many of them at a time?  Either way, we were pleased with what Capcom shuffled to our office this week, a game code for the Sour Patch-licensed World Gone Sour game, along with a package of Sour Patch Kids to munch on while we play.  We thought the true validation of this package would be the candy – but believe it or not, the game’s not half bad.

With Harmonix shying away from the troublesome MTV Networks and essentially becoming its own entity, it was free to do whatever it pleased.  And with that, it continued to support Rock Band 3, its latest rock machine, with a number of great new songs, including offerings from Rick Astley, Huey Lewis and the News and, recently, Shinedown and Evanescence.  But who knew that it would also be feeding a different rock monster than the one it’s already created?  Silly us.

Dragon’s Lair is one of those games that could be considered an immortal classic.  It got its start way back in 1983, when laser disc technology was king (we’re talking the big flipper discs, not the Blu-Rays as you know them now) and Don Bluth’s animation shined down on arcades, ushering in an interesting new technology that took the gaming scene by storm.  Now, almost 30 years later, the game lives on through Digital Leisure’s re-releases, and the company has confirmed that it’s now coming to Xbox Live Arcade – with a twist.

Once upon a time, fighting game giants refused to work with one another, instead competing for attention in the arcades with their own individual products.  But then someone got the crazy notion, “Hey, we should team up our franchises and see what comes up.”  And thus, crossovers was born.  Many companies have done it, including Capcom and SNK with their Capcom vs. SNK games, respectively, and soon Street Fighter x Tekken will be knocking around the streets, set for a release tomorrow.  But are you possibly ready for…Sega versus Tecmo?

Dungeon Hunter has had a successful run of releases across various platforms, and why not?  Gameloft effectively channels in the classic Gauntlet vibe with this game, providing hours worth of hack and slash fun, whether alone or with friends.  But the main appealing factor was the game’s price.  Up till this point, you could get your skill set on for no more than $13.  But with the PlayStation Vita version of the game, titled Dungeon Hunter: Alliance, you get the same old dungeon crawling action for a startlingly hiked price.  Worth it?  Not really.

What is it with old-school arcade revivals this year?  First The Simpsons Arcade Game made a comeback on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, entertaining a whole new generation of gamers without the need to break out a roll of quarters.  Now THQ is hitting the wrestling ring with a remake of WWE Wrestlefest, a game that originally body slammed into arcades back in ’91 under Technos’ direction.  And just like it did back then, Wrestlefest promises to be button-mashing fun.

Sega’s House of the Dead games weren’t out to change the world by any means.  The company merely put them together to give arcade goers the chance to blow off dozens of zombie heads without feeling remorse or worrying about how the world would end up after we cleaned house.  You know, none of that Walking Dead crap.  Now, ten years after making its debut in arcades (and sometime later on Xbox and Nintendo Wii), The House of the Dead III has come to PlayStation Network, complete with Move support, some slightly updated graphics, and a few other features.  Is it still worth it?  Absolutely, if you don’t mind the carnage.

Gotta love it when you see rumors leading up to the release of a big title, but without confirmation from the company that's releasing said title, and then they come out of nowhere and release it anyway, and the audience remains just as thrilled as they would be if it was announced.  Konami, you sneaky devils.  Anyway, after 21 years of being stuck strictly in arcades (we'll forget the crappy PC port exists), The Simpsons Arcade Game has finally gotten a home release for digital download.  And as expected, it's been worth the wait.

If there's a company that has proven that old-school games do big business, it's Konami.  A few years back, it brought back the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game to Xbox Live, attracting a whole new crowd to the old-school beat-em-up antics, complete with online play.  And last year, it continued to capitalize on such success with the enjoyable X-Men: The Arcade Game.  Next week, it'll be back once more with the long-overdue -- and highly requested -- The Simpsons Arcade.  And yes, it's officially coming, at least from what Sony says.

The bitter break-up between Rock Band developer Harmonix and the game's publishing arm at Viacom has been a messy one.  Following the somewhat expensive development of The Beatles Rock Band (due to licensing) and the release of Rock Band 3, Viacom unceremoniously dumped the developer, who purchased themselves back for $50.  Ever since, the companies have been battling back and forth over payments due over the series' release and royalties.  But it looks like the final decision could be leaning in Harmonix's favor...