CONTRA! And other XBLA Titles Coming...

[KEEZY]

Contra is coming to XBL this Wednesday, according to IGN.

Classic Games Fill XBLA's Future:
This week we get Contra, and Atari classics are coming soon.
by Daemon Hatfield

November 6, 2006 -
Starting this Wednesday the original co-op alien-blasting shooter Contra will be available on Xbox Live Arcade. The game features an enhanced mode that updates the graphics and sound, and now two can play on separate TVs through Xbox Live. 12 achievements are waiting to be achieved and the leaderboards will show how you rank alongside the rest of the world's Contras. The game will cost you 400 Microsoft Points.

Then in January 2007 Atari will begin releasing classic games from its stable, including Centipede/Millipede, Battlezone, Asteroids, Missile Command, Tempest, and Warlords. Each game will come with the original and "enhanced" versions (though "enhanced" will surely be a matter of opinion for many retro gaming enthusiasts). Graphical enhancements include effects like motion-blur and particle-based explosions.

Some of the Atari classics will be getting bells and whistles unique to each title. Battlezone features new multiplayer modes like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag. Players can also use the Xbox Live Vision camera to fire when they see the whites of their opponent's eyes. In Warlords, players can import their own pictures to personalize their castles.

On top of all this classic gaming, several original games from independent developers are on their way to XBLA. Small Arms features frantic multiplayer brawling combined with action and precision shooting, Novadrome is a futuristic racer, Assault Heroes lets you blast waves of foes in top-down, co-op action, and Heavy Weapon is an irreverent, original side-scrolling action game that supports up to 4 players simultaneously.

Linkers

That is great news... I have been looking forward to this for a while! I can't wait for some Contra co-op! I also like what they are doing with the other retro titles.

[Frodo 13]

WOW! MS really knows how to make someone feel old.

[Quo]

great games. I feel more points purchases coming on...

The one I'm still waiting on is Tournament Cyberball... where'd it go? I thought it should have been out by now.

[dmiller68]

I can't wait for Battlezone it was my all time fav growing up...

[Jon Liu]

I heard about all these on the Major Nelson Podcast! It's great news! I loved Contra, but I am not sure whether or not I am gonna get it with Gears of War and CoD3 coming out.

[KEEZY]

It's not going to be Super Contra, right? I really liked that one!

[ProPain]

I used to plunk my hard earned quaters in Tempest. I'm wondering how they will master the controls. That game had a Dial knob. and you had to spin fast and be precise. I guess we'll wait and see if the joystick will work. I'm guessing it will. same with centipede, that had a trackball. hmm

[Kid Pyrrhic]

I'm actually hoping the Atari games are a little less. Even with extras, I can't recall Asteroids being so engaging.

[dmiller68]

I can just play Asteroids here... I would like to see these around 200 points... but I'm guessing 400 points like all the rest of them that have come out.

[D_Litch]

I can't wait to play Contra. SNK needs to get Metal Slug on marketplace.

[CoryB23]

Originally Posted by D_Litch

I can't wait to play Contra. SNK needs to get Metal Slug on marketplace.

Agreed. I want Metal Slug and Baseball Stars 1 and 2 from SNK on the marketplace.

[Fragmintz]

Originally Posted by dmiller68

I can't wait for Battlezone it was my all time fav growing up...

I don't even remember Battlezone and I was gaming back when Atari and the C-Vision systems were out????

[KEEZY]

It was the wireframe 3d game, where you drove a tank around, and tried to shoot other tanks. If you were lucky, you got to shoot the UFO!

[dmiller68]

Don't forget the missiles... It was one of the first true 3D video games... It rocks... Sorry showing my age again...

[Peench]

I totally remember that game!

[D_Litch]

I enjoy the Battlezone cabinet thats at our arcade.

Even though the game came out a decade before I did!

[BrewCityUpstart]

When is Castlevania coming out?