In case you have not logged on to your favorite console yet to see, Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s 5^th (yes, 5^th) VIP Map Pack is now available for download.

If you were hoping that this, the 5^th (again, the 5^th) VIP Map Pack would finally be the one with new maps, consider your hopes mostly destroyed.  VIP Map Pack 5 (5) follows the same formula as VIP Map Pack 1, VIP Map Pack 2, VIP Map Pack 3 and VIP Map Pack 4 where old maps are combined with old game modes to create a… new-ish experience.

Also, as with the first four VIP Map Packs, this one is 100% free—as long as you have the VIP code that came with all new copies of the game.  If you bought the game second-hand, you’ll need to download the VIP code for $15, which will give you access to all of the VIP content.

The yummy bits this time consist of being able to play White Pass in Rush Mode and Nelson Bay in Conquest Mode.

Hey, at least EA and DiCE continue to release free content on a pretty regular basis!

After seeing the image of that *alleged* special edition Halo: Reach controller on the internet earlier this week, it should come as no surprise that Microsoft announced a whole Reach console bundle yesterday.  The limited edition Xbox 360 bundle will include all the goodies that the newly released slimline version has (Kinect ready, WiFi, 250GB HDD, etc.) but all in a silvery UNSC paint scheme.  It also comes loaded with sounds from the Halo universe (like a charging energy shield when you open the disk tray!).  The bundle comes with two of those silver controllers, a special edition Reach headset, limited edition Elite armor, some other media and a copy of Halo: Reach.

The Reach bundle will be available September 14^th for $399.  The limited edition controller and headset will be available separately in late August for $59.99 and $49.99 respectively.

Well, it has been an interesting few days to say the least!  We’ve been really busy bringing you guys this contest and appreciate those of you who have been super-cool and supportive of what we’re trying to do.  We want to build a community of likeminded gamers who not only love KontrolFreek products, but want to be a part of something and help us shape what we’ll be doing in the future.  Doing things like giving away Xbox 360s is just our way of giving back—and honestly, it’s a lot of fun.  So congratulations to the last two winners and stay tuned for more cool stuff coming soon!

The winners are:

James Lutz

Robert Cumming

Thank you all!

KontrolFreek

Well, that was unexpected… Not just one, but TWO insane (apparently) people did not claim their Xbox 360s.  Seriously, who doesn’t claim a completely free and beautiful Xbox 360 slim?  You guys really blew it!  But if you happen to be stuck in a well or something equally as bad we are really sorry.

Anyway, we’ve decided to pick a new pair of winners—but there’s a little twist this time: The 2 winners will be chosen randomly from a list of today’s customers who use the code “KFXBOXSLIM” at checkout.  That’s right, you have to buy something!  But what’s great is that you’ll now have an even better excuse to try out those Stealth on Stealth FPS Freeks you’ve been eyeing for awhile—and in doing so, you’ll substantially increase your chances of winning one of the Xbox 360s!  You’ll also get 10% off your entire purchase.  Can you say “Win-Win”?

So get over to the store and remember to enter the code “KFXBOXSLIM” at checkout!

We will announce the 2 winners tomorrow at around the same time (12:00pm ET) on Facebook.

After the 12:00pm announcement you really, reALLY, REALLY lucky two winners will be getting a friend request on Facebook from me (Trevor).  FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD IN THIS WORLD, ACCEPT IT!*

As for the rest of you, please don’t come back to the Facebook page whining again about not winning—it’s not cool.  Just hang in there and try not to be turds.  We promise we’ll do something like this again soon.

Love you.

KontrolFreek

*Winners have 72 hours to claim their prize… blah, blah, blah.  Seriously, who’s not going to claim this?

MAG was [is] one of those games that you either loved in spite of its shortcomings or hated because, shortcomings or not, it was pure trash.  I’m still not 100% sure which side I’m on.  I love the massive amounts of action taking place on-screen but loathe most of the rest.  Well, no matter.  Enough people out there on PSN still play enough MAG to warrant its first batch of paid DLC.

On June 22, you (apparently) thousands of really quiet MAG fans will be able to download the “Interdiction” expansion pack from the PlayStation Network for $9.99.

From Zipper Interactive:

“But what’s in it,” you say? Well, for starters, we’re introducing a brand new gametype that we’re calling (what else?) “Interdiction.” Built for up to 128 simultaneous players, Interdiction challenges two rival factions to be attackers and seize control of three command posts with the aid of several heavily-armed convoys on three brand new maps (Lake Bayano Spur, Sovot Motorway, and Iron Cree Quarry). To make it even more interesting, we’ve made all three maps completely faction neutral – allowing all sides to play any map whenever they want – in addition to supplying every squad with their own APC vehicle (that’s 16 APCs on the map at once!). To win, players must capture and hold as many objectives as possible to increase their score while concurrently depleting their enemy’s. In short, Interdiction mode = crazy battlefield mayhem.”

Zipper is also including in the Interdiction pack a new “Heavy Improved” armor set and some new medals, ribbons and trophies.

Since I mostly play Conquest and Rush, I’m only a little excited about this.  But BF: BC2’s VIP Map Pack 3 will be available tomorrow.  VIP Map Pack 3 will unlock Squad Deathmatch for Nelson Bay and Squad Rush for Laguna Alta.

Although this is the 3^rd round of “Map Packs” without any new maps, it’s still pretty cool that EA continues to make new content available for a game that’s already so good out of the box.

Really, though, a true map pack would be greatly appreciated some day soon.  Some new unlocks would be nice, too—you know, for all of us that unlocked everything a week after release.

Oh well, at least all three of the map packs have been free for those of us who bought new copies of the game.

For those of you who saved $5 by buying a used copy at GameStop, you will need to purchase a VIP code for $15 from EA’s in-game store in order to access the new modes.  It’s a bummer, but at least at this point you are getting some worthy content.

Sometimes you don’t know about stuff until someone that does know stuff about stuff tells you about it.  I guess it's the nature of getting older and more intelligentier.

Yesterday, I found quite possibly the best 2D Super Mario Brothers game that has ever existed—and it’s free to download!  Super Mario Bros. X v.1.2 is a homebrew Mario game that takes all the best things about the 2D Mario games and packages them together for an experience that’s so good it has to have Nintendo pissed-off.

This newest version of Super Mario Bros. X features an exceptional co-op mode that seamlessly splits the screen.  So when the person you’re playing with decides to go all rogue-like and leave your ass behind, it won’t matter a bit.

The new version also features a level editor that works in real-time, so if you don’t like the obstacles ahead, you can just change them to better suit your mood.  All of your favorite power-ups, characters and music are here, too, so everything feels like it actually came from 1990 Nintendo.  This is not a cheap rip-off.  The people who created this game obviously love Mario and gave him the royal treatment here.

If you want to play it for yourself and see what I’m talking about, just click here!