Xbox Live Arcade - Contra, other upcoming titles

After weeks of little to no new Xbox Live Arcade action, Microsoft's casual games group is about to put the 360's new Arcade demo auto-download feature to the test. Wednesday's release is Contra ($5), with both original and HD-enhanced modes and new co-operative multiplayer over Xbox Live. Additional titles promised by year's end include:

• Assault Heroes
• Defender
• Heavy Weapon
• Novadrome
• Small Arms

Also, Atari has thrown its hat into the ring, announcing its classic games will start hitting Arcade in January:

• Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe
• Battlezone
• Centipede/Millipede
• Missile Command
• Tempest
• Warlords

All of these titles will fill in Microsoft's coin-up classics section nicely. As a result, they plan to shift focus from retro titles to new and indie games in 2007...