Battlestations: Midway Marketplace levels release tomorrow

Tomorrow , the fast growing community of Xbox 360 Battlestations: Midway players will get the chance to engage in fresh new Pacific battles as two new historical battle maps and brand new vehicles become available on Xbox Live ® Marketplace for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

The new battle maps will re-enact two epic battles from the Pacific war: The Battle of Sibuyan Sea and The Raid on Truk. Both maps and five new vehicles will be available to download from March 1st.

The Battle of the Sibuyan Sea provides a new multi player experience based on one of the major battles of the Leyte Gulf Campaign, the greatest naval warfare battle in history that effectively destroyed the Japanese fleet in October of 1944. Players command either the US Fleet featuring the USS Iowa and USS Enterprise or Japan's finest fleet, Kurita, featuring the super battleships Yamato and the ill-fated Musashi.

The single player battle, The Raid on Truk, is based on Operation Hailstone, a massive naval air and surface attack launched by the United States Navy against the Japanese naval and air base at Truk. The devastating attack took place in mid-February 1944. Players command the US Fleet in a four phase battle starting with a P-38 air strike and leading to the command of the USS Enterprise and her screening force.

The new battles will also feature a new and unique set of air, sea, and undersea vehicles that will challenge the player's skills and naval strategies:

P-38 Lightning

A fast, powerful and distinctive twin-engine interceptor and one of the most important American fighters of the Second World War. Its long range and twin engines made it well suited for duty in the Pacific.

Nakijima J1N1 Gekko

The first Japanese aircraft designed and built specifically to intercept and destroy other aircraft at night. It was deadly against Bombers and as a powerful kamikaze plane against ships.

USS Iowa (BB-61)

The lead battleship of its class. Nicknamed "The Big Stick", this famous flagship fought in numerous and significant battles in World War II and the Korean War.

IJN Shimakaze

The IJN Shimakaze ("Island Wind') is considered to be the fastest and most powerful Destroyer of World War II and she was the only one of her class built.

Type A mini-sub

The Type A mini-sub was a two-man submarine. Difficult to detect, the Type A submarines were used during the attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and throughout the war.

You can download some new assets showing the new levels and units from our press site at http://www.eidospress.com/

Battlestations: Midway is available now on Xbox 360 and PC DVD.

www.battlestations.net

IGN

"Battlestations: Midway excels as a flying game, a submarine game, a warship game, an action game and a strategy game."

X360 magazine

"An Xbox Live experience like no other."