Weekend Essentials - Issue 43

Take to the skies, don a super suit, relive an epic adventure and more in this edition of Weekend Essentials.

PlayStation evolves to entertain Aussie families

PlayStation this week confirmed a strong line up of games, new hardware and entertainment services to roll out from this month in Australia.

New content partnerships for PlayStation®3 will offer more movies and catch up TV on demand, with MUBI and Yahoo!7's PLUS7, blockbuster game title Gran Turismo® 5 is set to accelerate software sales, and a new range of pocket money priced classic handheld games will launch with PSP Essentials.

Chronicles to remember

Take your PSP into the stunning world of Valkyria Chronicles II, where you can experience a heady mix of distinctive visuals, addictive gameplay and a compelling story of adventure and peril.

Pick up your copy of Valkyria Chronicles II in stores this weekend or download it from PlayStation Store - and while you're there, you can also download mission packs to keep the voyage going.

So, what are you waiting for? More chronicles await.

Nice suit

Suit up, lock 'n' load and take to the stars in the playable demo of Sega's third person shooter, Vanquish. With giant robots; rocket propelled super suits and a huge arsenal of weaponry, it's the ultimate primer for the full game, which explodes on to PlayStation 3 in October 2010!

Get in on the action for free and download the demo from PlayStation Store.

Lara is back!

This weekend, why not relive some old school videogame memories with Tomb Raider? The PS one classic is available to download from PlayStation Store, and sees you embark on a series of exciting missions as the iconic British archaeologist, Lara Croft.

Head over to PlayStation Store and start an epic adventure all over again...

Sam and Max hit the road again

Everyone's favourite dog and rabbit police partnership has returned to PlayStation 3 - you can now download Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Episode 5 from PlayStation Store. Titled The City that Dares Not Sleep, the end of The Devil's Playhouse season is nigh. Dare you miss the shocking conclusion to this fiendish adventure?

Go on, be a devil and download it today from PlayStation Store.

Deception never felt so good...

This weekend you'll be able to practise your trickery tactics in anticipation of the release of R.U.S.E. on 9th September 2010 with the deception filled demo, available to download now from PlayStation Store.

Get in character

Fancy getting your mitts on some cool Uncharted 2: Among Thieves avatar packs? There are two up for grabs, which feature characters such as Gabriel Roman, Elena Fisher, Eddy Raja and Daniel Pinkerton.

Slip into character and download the Uncharted avatar packs now from PlayStation Store.

New in PlayStation Home

Love the bulbous headed Bomberman, star of Hudson Soft's Bomberman series? Then PlayStation Home is the place to be as an explosive new public space has launched, offering information on Hudson Soft titles. The store features Bomberman outfits and even games to try your hand at. There's also the chance to take part in races featuring the loveable Dolphy creatures, and purchase the Dolphy Apartment where you can raise your very own Dolphy.

Check out the Hudson Gate public space in PlayStation Home and have blast with Bomberman this weekend.

Don't forget to keep an eye on PlayStation Blog at blog.au.playstation.com for the latest PlayStation news as it happens.

Be sure to opt in to receive PlayStation emails when you sign up for a PlayStation Network account. If you already have an account, sign in to your PlayStation Network account settings at au.playstation.com/registration or via the XMB (XrossMediaBar) and opt in. That way, you can keep bang up to date and receive the latest PlayStation news direct to your inbox.

PlayStation Australia has arrived on Facebook. Post comments and share all the latest PlayStation happenings along with the rest of the PlayStation community at the Official Australian Facebook Fan Page.