I know it’s early days but we might already have a contender for the coolest game name of the year award! From Thursday January 7th the awesomely named Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond will be available to download from the PlayStation Network for your trusty PS3. It’s great to see one of video gaming’s 8-bit heroes from way back in 1983 resurrected for this blood-soaked return to his glory days.

In the game, Matt’s old nemesis General Neutronov has reactivated all of Matt’s great foes from his original games such as The Adventures of Matt in Hazard Land, with the dastardly aim of destroying the past version of Matt and therefore simultaneously ending his existence in the present. Crafty! Modern-day Matt must therefore travel back in time to stop the old him being erased for good.

“The main character Matt Hazard breaks down the fourth wall in a combination of hilarious storyline and adventure with an old-school action shooter that will entertain all,” said Peter Andrew, vice president of product development, D3P. “Play as Matt Hazard on your own or join in co-op action as Dexter Dare to take down General Neutronov through an assortment of classic arcade levels with a twist.”

As you can see from the screenshots, Vicious Cycle Software has done a great job of recreating the feel of the 8-bit side-scrolling era using the latest 3D graphics technology, with the result being non-stop running-and-gunning action. In either single-player or co-op mode players get the chance to explore such exotic locations as a pirate hideout, an ancient Japanese castle, the Old West, Siberian ice mines, and the moon, all the while indulging in some classic old-school bloody arcade shoot-em-up action!