Games

New Game Releases 08/11/26 – 08/17/26

Top Releases:

  • Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 14th
  • Madden NFL 27 (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th
  • Pro Jank Footy (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 12th
  • Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns (PC/PS5/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th
  • Duskfade (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th
  • Wild Blue Skies (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th

Well, believe it or not, this is actually a huge week for video games; why? Well, it’s because there’s a brand new Madden NFL game. I know this probably doesn’t mean much to most of us here at The Avocado, it certainly means nothing to me, a guy who lives in San Diego and could give two shits about football, but for most other people, this is the kind of week they take PTO for. Madden is a massive video game franchise here in the U.S., and it often ranks among the best selling games of the year (it was 6th in 2025). I’m sure there’s some new stuff in this edition of Madden, in fact, I the video I posted below shows these updates, but I doubt that will change many of our opinions about it.

Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 14th

Developed by: Hanger 13
Published by: 2K

If Madden NFL 27 is the top game, why would I make Mafia: The Old Country – Man of Honor the header image? Would you have clicked on a thumbnail of Madden? Come on, I gotta try to find a way for people to read this. It took nearly a year for this Mafia DLC to arrive so, for the fans sake, I hope it’s been worth the wait. There are two new story chapters, new missions, new jobs, and new events to discover in free ride mode.

That’s pretty much it for the big stuff. In smaller titles, Pro Jank Footy is your counter-programming sports title, with its weird art style and tone. Remake/Re-release Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns is here to give some nostalgia to the 40-50 year old crowd, while the indie title Duskfade is an original 3D platformer that wants to make the 20-30 year old crowd feel like kids again. Lastly, Wild Blue Skies is a Star Fox-like that tries to out-furry the already very furry friendly Star Fox.

Madden NFL 27 (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th

Developed by: EA Orlando
Published by: EA Sports

Pro Jank Footy (PC/PS5/Switch/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 12th

Developed by: Power Bomb Games/Tinker Town
Published by: Power Bomb Games/Umbrella Gaming

Defender of the Crown: The Legend Returns (PC/PS5/Switch/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th

Developed by: Black Tower Basement
Published by: Nordcurrent Labs

Duskfade (PC/PS5/Switch 2/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th

Developed by: Weird Beluga
Published by: Fireshine Games

Wild Blue Skies (PC/PS5/Series X|S) – Releases Aug. 13th

Developed by: Chuhai Labs/VITEI Backroom Inc.
Published by: Balor Games

Ports and Expansions:

  • The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2) – Releases Aug. 11th
  • Sacred 2 Remaster (Switch) – Releases Aug. 11th
  • BlazBlue Entropy Effect (Switch 2) – Releases Aug. 13th

Everything else:

Notable Releases from 10, 20, and 30 (and sometimes 40) years ago:

Games:

I don’t have the energy today to give big write-up’s here. From 2016 we have No Man’s Sky, a massive space exploration game that promised big and then failed to deliver. The pre-release hype surrounding No Man’s Sky was ridiculous, the game was everywhere, even appearing on mainstream new programs and talk shows, where it was touted as this kind of next evolution in video games.

That it didn’t immediately live up to whatever grand ideas gamers, and the public at large, turned No Man’s Sky into a kind of laughing stock in the gaming world. Developer Hello Games could have easily tucked tail and run but, to their credit, the studio pushed on, making updates to the game that helped to grow its community and raise its profile. The public loves a good comeback story (even when the initial hatred was created by that same public), and No Man’s Sky has certainly become a high point in gaming thanks to the dedication and devotion of the team at Hello Games.

From 2006 we have Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII for the PS2. One of the first Final Fantasy spin-off games, Dirge of Cerberus has players taking on the role of Vincent Valentine as he deals with a mysterious organization known as Deepground. The game is set three years after the events of FFVII and is, so far, the last entry in the series, chronologically.

Unlike FFVII, which is a turn-based RPG, Dirge of Cerberus is a shooter title, playable in either third or first person. There are, however, RPG elements in the game, with players earning EXP in each level, using those points to increase their stats before moving on. Players can also adjust their stats by changing the gun that Vincent uses.

The critical reception to the game was mixed, with critics calling it fun but flawed. The combat was decent but, according to some critics, the story failed to grab their attention, with one critic at Eurogamer lamenting that the game mostly focused on lesser known FFVII characters instead of the core group. Dirge of Cerberus was a modest hit with players, selling over a million copies around the world. In recent years, the game has been somewhat forgotten by Square Enix and, to this day, is still only available on the PS2.

From 1996, we have the Sega Saturn game Nights Into Dreams. Developed by Sonic Team, Nights is often noted as being one of the greatest Saturn games of all-time, with its unique gameplay and exceptional music score. In developing Nights, Team Sonic found that the Saturn’s original controller didn’t quite capture the freedom of movement that they were hoping for so, in response to this, a new controller was created and released. Named the Saturn 3D controller, it was built in a circle shape and contained an analogue stick and triggers, making movement in Nights more fluid and intuitive.

Nights Into Dreams was a critical smash, being hailed as not just one of the best games of the year, but among the best video games of all-time. Critics were dazzled by the game’s then cutting edge graphics and stellar flying mechanics, some of the best ever seen on a home console. Despite the critical acclaim, however, Nights only managed to move about 450k copies worldwide. We could blame the poor reception to the Saturn, but there there were roughly 4 million consoles out in the wild, meaning only about 1.5% of Saturn owners even picked it up.

Still, Nights Into Dreams was considered enough of a sleeper hit that it would spawn a (small) franchise. Christmas Nights, a kinda/sorta expansion would arrive in December and required players to adjust their Saturn’s internal clock to access the new content. A Japan-only re-release would arrive on the PS2 in 2008, and on PC, PS3, & Xbox 360 in 2012. Only one sequel would ever arrive, 2007’s Nights: Journey of Dreams for the Wii. As of 2026, there is no way to play Nights on any modern console.

From 1986, we have the arcade game Rampage. Played over several one screen levels, players take on the role of a giant monster and are tasked with destroying every building on the screen. Getting in their way are soldiers who shoot at them from the ground and the air, who shoot at the players, diminishing their health. When the players lose all of their lives, they are reverted back to their human form and must scoot across the screen completely nude, covering their naughty bits with their hands.

The game was designed by the American company Bally Midway, spearheaded by the designers Brian Colin and Jeff Nauman. The two developers were not fans of arcade games at the time, which relied heavily on earning a high score due to some kind of menial task like collecting items or shooting enemies. The two desire to make a game where there was not right or wrong way to play it, wanting players to just sit and enjoy the thrill of playing. To this end, and because of technical limitations, the idea of monsters destroying buildings became the ultimate goal. A simple enough task, but to be carried out in whatever way the player found to be the most effective.

Released in August of 1986, Rampage became a critical and commercial hit and was among the last successful titles released under the Bally Midway name before the company was sold and had its name changed back to just Midway. Despite the success and cultural impact of Rampage, it would take over ten years for a sequel to be released, 1997’s Rampage World Tour, and would be followed up with three more console exclusive sequels. In 2018, a Rampage film starring Dwayne Johnson would release, with its own video game tie-in, to middling reviews but a successful worldwide box office gross of $428 million.

Movies:

In notable films, 2016 gave us Suicide Squad, the David Ayer one, not the James Gunn one, which contains the atrocious Jared Leto version of the Joker. While Ayer was well known for his grim & gritty crime films, like Training Day, Harsh Times, and End of Watch, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had recently hit it big with the lighthearted Guardians of the Galaxy, with its numerous pop-songs and tongue-in-cheek comedy.

DC’s films, on the other hand, were getting lambasted for being dour, sad sack affairs and Ayers’ Suicide Squad was no exception. To help with this, the film’s trailer played up some of the more jokey aspects of the film, added some requisite pop-songs, and made the marketing materials full of bright, flashy colors.

Changes to the film were made in post-production, as well, with the studio wanting more songs, more comedy, and a less abusive relationship between Harley Quinn and Joker, hoping that teenagers would find their love story endearing & relatable. In the end, we got a messy, muddled film that had a conflicting identity and didn’t seem to please anyone.

Still, it made $750 million at the box office but was, alas, considered a failure. To help correct course, DC hired James Gunn to write & direct the sequel/reboot, 2021’s The Suicide Squad, who just so happened to be the guy who wrote & directed the film they were trying to emulate, Guardians of the Galaxy. As of now, there do not appear to be any plans for further Suicide Squad films, though characters from the two movies have appeared in other DC films & shows, most notably HBO Max’s Peacemaker.

From 2006, we have the movie World Trade Center, Oliver Stone’s 9/11 film. Set during the events of that fateful day, the movie follows a group of New York Port Authority Police Officers who become trapped under the World Trade Center following its collapse. It was only a matter of time before films based on the events of 9/11 would come out, despite misgivings about how to handle the subject, especially in what was seen as a politically charged America (we were so naive).

The year started of strong with Paul Greengrass’ harrowing United 93, and while Stone’s World Trade Center is commendable, it’s a bit more…mainstream, than United 93. It’s more polished, more slick, and more of a crowd pleaser, which is a bit odd for Stone as he is often seen as a button pusher. In any case, the film was still given glowing reviews from critics and was a box office success, even if it didn’t beat the other films it was released against, Talladega Nights, Barnyard, The Descent, and then later in wider release against films like Step Up and Snakes on a Plane.

From 1996, we’ve got the movie Escape From L.A., John Carpenter’s sequel to his 1981 film Escape From New York. The general premise is nearly identical to that of New York, mercenary Snake Plissken is captured by the U.S. government and forced to enter a massive city-sized prison. This time, instead of trying to rescue the President, Snake must find a device stolen by the President’s daughter and taken to the leader of L.A., Cuervo Jones.

Snake only has a few hours to complete his task or he will be killed by a virus injected into his bloodstream. From there, things get wild, real wild, and Snake does his best to make good out of a bad situation while, of course, finding a way to stick it to the man in the end.

Despite the cult following Escape From New York had, Escape From L.A. was both a critical and financial failure, earning only $42 million against a budget of $50 million. The failure of the film led to the cancellation of a video game tie-in, as well as a proposed third film, Escape From Earth, which would have found Snake zooming around outer space (I wonder if Carpenter’s film Ghosts of Mars has any remnants of this cancelled sequel). Escape From L.A. is a flawed, but fun film, that has built a cult following over the last 30 years, but pales in comparison to its predecessor.

Speaking of expensive films that bombed at the box office but has since found a cult following, 1986 gives us the flick Howard the Duck. Loosely based on the Marvel comic of the same name, Howard the Duck tells the story of an anthropomorphic duck named Howard who is pulled to Earth by a science experiment gone wrong. Once here, Howard befriends a young woman named Beverly, a struggling musician in a new wave band, and kinda/sorta falls in love with her (they almost bang, it’s…weird).

The film was directed and co-written by Willard Hyuck, a veteran director and screenwriter who had a long professional relationship with Howard the Duck’s producer, a guy named George Lucas. Yes, folks, Mr. It’s Like Poetry It Rhymes himself, one of the biggest names in Hollywood, was the big head honcho on Howard the Duck, which is a big reason why it had such spectacular special effects.

Still, the weird plot, the odd looking (but beautifully crafted) Howard, and sub-par directing led Howard the Duck to become a financial disaster, just barely earning back its $37 million dollar budget, but still likely lost money after marketing costs are factored in. Critically, Howard the Duck fared even worse, as it was regarded by many as the worst film released by a major studio in 1986.

At the Golden Raspberry Awards, Howard the Duck was nominated in seven categories, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor (Tim Robbins), and Worst Original Song, “winning” Worst Screenplay, Worst New Star (for the six people who were in the Howard suit), Worst Visual Effects (which I take great umbridge with), and Worst Picture. Despite the hatred in 1986, Howard the Duck would earn itself a loyal cult following, largely among the “it’s so bad it’s good” crowd. There has never been a sequel or follow-up, though the character did have a cameo in James Gunn’s 2015 film, Guardians of the Galaxy (the second time we’ve brought that movie up this week).

Albums:

In notable albums, 2016 saw the release of Major Key by DJ Kahled. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the Grammys (losing to Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book). I guess people like this album; I’ve never heard it. From 2006, we have Back to Basics by Christina Aguilera. This album was Aguilera’s attempt to honor her favorite classic singers, including Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Released as a double album, the first disc contains songs that feature heavy use of samples, while the second disc contains (mostly) all original music. The album was a massive critical and commercial success, thanks in large part to the single “Ain’t No Other Man”, which earned a Grammy award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, while the album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album (losing to John Mayer’s Continuum).

From 1996, we have the album Turn the Radio Off from the ska-punk band Reel Big Fish. Released in that short, two-ish year window when ska was a hot commodity, Turn the Radio Off put the band on the map and was, along with the success of No Doubt, one of the reasons why every pop-punk band for the next ten years all seemed to come from Southern California.

Peaking at #57 on the Billboard Top 200, Turn the Radio Off is the band’s biggest charting release to date, thanks in large part to the hit single “Sell Out” which hit #69 (nice) on the Billboard Hot 100 Airplay chart (which is different from the more prestigious Hot 100 chart). If you thought you heard “Sell Out” and countless other Reel Big Fish songs everywhere in 1996 & 1997, that’s because you did! The band appeared on numerous late night talk shows as musical guests, had their music video ran ad nauseum on MTV, and were included on the soundtracks to multiple video games.

While all of their subsequent releases would find their way to the Billboard Top 200 (except their latest), they could never match the success of Turn the Radio Off. Still, Reel Big Fish would continue to find their own success through constant touring and a dedicated fan base. On a personal note, my favorite Reel Big Fish album is 2002’s Cheer Up!, so go give that a listen!

Closing things out this week, from 1986, we have the album Graceland from singer/songwriter Paul Simon. Yes, the same week that the kids were playing Rampage and watching Howard the Duck, their parents were getting down to the smooth, pop-rock of Paul Simon while having sex and smoking a j.

The album was largely inspired by South African street music, which Simon had gotten heavily into after breaking from his musical partner, Art Garfunkle, the break-up of his marriage to Carrie Fisher, and the absolute failure of his 1983 album, Hearts and Bones. Feeling a renewed sense of artistic creativity, Simon poured his soul out on Graceland and was rewarded handsomely by critics and audiences.

Hailed as one of the best albums of not just 1986, but of Paul Simon’s entire career. At the Grammy Awards, Graceland would win Album of the Year, while the song “Graceland” would win Record of the Year (these are the two biggest prizes you can get at the Grammy’s). While the album is fairly milquetoast, it’s got some interesting ideas and sounds, although what you have to say about a white guy taking African music and making it his own is up for debate.

Oh, how could I forget to talk about the album’s big single, “You Can Call Me Al”. Inspired by Simon’s trip to South Africa, the song is most autobiographical and speaks to the depression and midlife crisis that Simon was experiencing at the time. The song would peak at #23 on the Billboard Hot 100, and do even better around the world, where it charted in ten different countries, reaching the top 5 in seven of them.

The music video received heavy airplay on MTV, as well, and was notable for featuring comedian Chevy Chase lip-syncing the words while Simon sat in a chair next to him, failing to take charge of his own song. As a kid, I remember seeing this video non-stop and, as a impressionable five-year-old, assumed that Chevy Chase WAS the one singing it.

I think I’ve talked a lot about this, I was supposed to make these short but, well, that never seems to work out. Paul Simon would take the success of Graceland and use it to extend his career an additional 40 years, as the man does not seem to know how to quit. In fact, Paul Simon just finished a tour, so if you missed him, well, sorry. I’m sure he’ll back out on the road, soon enough.

No Man’s Sky (PC/PS4) – Released Aug. 9th, 2016

Notable Film Release: Suicide Squad – Starring Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Jay Hernandez, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Ike Barinholtz, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: DJ Kahled – Major Key
Click here to listen to the album

Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII (PS2) – Released Aug. 15th, 2006

Notable Film Release: World Trade Center – Starring Nicolas Cage, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Stephen Dorff, Jay Hernandez, and Michael Shannon
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics
Click here to listen to the album

Nights Into Dreams (Saturn) – Released Aug. 20th, 1996

Notable Film Release: Escape from L.A. – Starring Kurt Russell, Stacy Keach, Steve Buscemi, Peter Fonda, Georges Corraface, Pam Grier, and Cliff Robertson
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Reel Big Fish – Turn the Radio Off
Click here to listen to album

Rampage (Arcade) – Released Aug. 1986

Notable Film Release: Howard the Duck – Starring Lea Thompson, Tim Robbins, Jeffrey Jones, and Chip Zien as the voice of Howard
Click here to watch the trailer
Notable Album Release: Paul Simon – Graceland
Click here to listen to album

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