Plants vs. Zombies is already such an established and widely beloved brand that PopCap could easily drop slapdash ports on every console, handheld, phone, and tablet and emerge more or less unscathed. But the casual giant doesn't trade in quick adaptations and lazy cash-ins -- as evidenced by the previous console, handheld, and even iOS editions of Peggle -- so it comes as no surprise that the Xbox Live Arcade version of Plants vs. Zombies has been custom-fit for the Xbox 360, with reworked controls, extra gloss, and worthwhile new features.

Despite being a streamlined offshoot of the tower defense genre, Plants vs. Zombies faces the same hurdles as real-time strategy ports: the immediate sensation of pointing and clicking is difficult to recreate with analog sticks and buttons. But the game's core simplicity aids in the transition to the 360 controller, as the grid-based lawns and rooftops mean you can easily flick between planting spots, and picking up sunlight icons is as simple as moving the cursor or pulling the right trigger. What's here isn't as precise or nuanced as using a mouse -- or the fantastic touch interface of the iPad version -- but it's as suitable a replacement as possible on a standard controller.

Besides its unique look, Machinarium set itself apart from other adventure games by being completely devoid of any actual dialogue. It was previously to be released on the Xbox Live Arcade, but Microsoft declined to publish it due to having previously been released for Mac and Linux. Designer Jakub Dvorsky said at the time, "It means if we want to release the game on XBLA we must throw, probably, most of the profit out of the window -- to the publisher. Just because we created Mac and Linux versions."

Dvorsky revealed that the game had been submitted to Sony in the hopes that it could be released on the PlayStation Network. There's been no word on that front; perhaps it'll still find a home on PSN in the future, but for the time being, at least it'll be released on an additional platform.

Shooter pioneers id made a nice show of Rage running on the iPhone at QuakeCon (above), but Apple's device may not be the only phone to house the game. A job posting at Gamasutra shows that the company is seeking a full-time Android programmer to join id's offices. The description states it is "looking for a talented and experienced programmer to help bring our next big Mobile game to the Android space."

It's important to note here that this job description may not be about Rage. id Mobile, though a relatively small part of id's overall business, has produced a few other games, and they may be planning another we haven't heard about. On the other hand, Android phones are comparable to the iPhone in terms of processing power, and the developer seems keen to get Rage out on as many systems as possible. We'll keep an ear to the ground for official word.

"Look for the long-awaited release of the classic Grand Theft Auto Trilogy (Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) for Mac -- most likely later this year," reads an answer on Rockstar's "Asked and Answered" segment this week. "We'll have much more info and a proper announcement soon."

So there you have it, Mac owners -- a chance to soon play some of the most popular games of the last decade, if you're still interested. But hey, better late than never, right?

The game is also set to be the first from Sega to support Game Center, letting users meet up with friends through its interface to play against each other. Multiplayer can also be handled locally through Wi-Fi, and the iPad version will let four players gather around one device. Eager ChuChu protectors can look forward to playing it in late October.

[Image courtesy of Slide To Play.]

Its existence was actually first made public earlier this year when a listing for an Activision-published game called Death Drive showed up on GameFly, though if didn't offer up any information about the game. Then, earlier this month, "Blood Drive" was rated by the BBFC (via CVG) and a listing with some actual details about the game appeared on Amazon.

Activision officially announced the M-rated title today. The premise is that you're a driver on a TV game show where drivers try to kill each other while also competing against zombies, of which there are many varieties, including zombie frat boys, cops, strippers, and bachelorette partiers. It also promises to have multiplayer support for up to four players who can drop in and out at any time.

There aren't many details available yet, although you can see some gameplay footage in the debut trailer over on GameTrailers. But there aren't any specific new features to glean out of the trailer, besides vague hints from the narrator about "better technology" and "more powerful weapons" and "smarter soldiers."

If you never played the original Section 8, it had a couple of standout features to differentiate it from the glut of other shooters on the market -- most notably the ability to spawn in by dropping from orbit, controlling where on the battlefield your character will land and enter the fray (a feature that'll be returning in Prejudice, as evidenced by shots of orbit-dropping combatants in the debut trailer).

With the folks at Zipper busy getting SOCOM 4 out the door for Q1 of next year, we're not quite sure what to make of this retail slip-up. Could another studio be stealthily assembling a follow-up to MAG for early next year? Was Zipper somehow working on both sequels concurrently? Or is someone at Walmart just really terrible at their job?

We'll keep you updated as soon as somebody announces something.

Nearly half a year ago I reviewed The Penal Zone, the debut episode of Sam & Max Season 3: The Devil's Playhouse. And I came away from that initial experience impressed with how developer Telltale Games managed to craft a bigger, better-looking, and -- most importantly -- better-playing adventure game, but I also found myself asking the question: Could the rest of the season actually maintain the same level of quality?

The short answer: Pretty much, yeah. From its alien invasion beginnings to the Lovecraft-inspired (and surprisingly poignant) finale, The Devil's Playhouse weaves a sublimely absurd tale that's more cohesive and accessible than just about anything else in Telltale's repertoire. And you needn't worry about all these refinements impacting the series' trademark brand of comedy; Sam & Max's latest is still chock full of more laugh-out-loud moments than any other game franchise I can think of.

"You won't see that for Black Ops," said Lamia to MCV, regarding the online pass model. "The multiplayer comes with the game you buy -- you don't have to do anything else for that.

"I want to take that in the other direction and bring consumers really great reasons to keep their games, rather than trade them in," Lamia said. "Multiplayer is critical to the success of this series. It has such tremendous staying power -- there are millions of people playing Call of Duty every day. It's entertaining people on a magnitude that's mind-blowing and we work really hard to make sure it's supported for a long time."