Microsoft Confirms Ten New XBLA Titles For 2007

Representatives from Microsoft have released information on ten of the Xbox Live Arcade titles set to hit the service in 2007, including an XBLA version of PlayStation classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and Team 17's seminal Worms. Two retro titles are confirmed for release from publisher Midway and developer Digital Eclipse, including Atari's 1984 arcade classic Paperboy, and Bally Midway's own Root Beer Tapper, the non-alcoholic version of 1983's quick-reaction game Tapper. The service will also be receiving digitally distributed ports of former console games, including Alien Hominid HD, an updated high definition port of The Behemoth's cult shooter, previously available on PS2, Xbox, GameCube and Game Boy Advance. As previously revealed, Konami's epic platformer Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (pictured) will also be coming to the Live Arcade, marking it the first PlayStation game to hop formats to Microsoft's own. Live Arcade will also be receiving a port of a popular tabletop game with the strategy game Catan, published by Microsoft Game Studios, and in development from Big Huge Games (Rise of Nations). Casual developer MumboJumbo will also be bringing its chart-topping Luxor 2 to the service, and Wanako Games, whose shooter Assault Heroes recently hit the Live Arcade, will be partnering with publisher Sierra Online to 3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures, featuring 36 holes of minigolf in courses ranging from the Old West to outer space. Indie developer Klei Entertainment (now known to be working with Metanet Software to bring its platformer N to the Live Arcade) will be releasing an updated version of its indie hit Eets to the service as Eets: Chowdown, adding new items, 120 new levels, and 'Marsho Madness,' a new action game exclusive to the Live Arcade version. Developer NinjaBee, who previously released the Live Arcade puzzle/platformer Cloning Clyde, will be contributing an original turn-based tactical strategy game Band of Bugs (previously known as Bugs of War), featuring not only an extensive solo mission set, but a level editor for players to create and share their own maps with others. Finally, developer veterans Team 17 will be bringing their long-running classic franchise Worms to the Live Arcade, featuring, as Microsoft puts it, "armies of adorable weapon-toting worms locked in tactical combat." Though Microsoft hesitates to reveal firm release dates for any of the titles, it does note that the first of the ten confirmed games will come to the service starting in February, released per its usual Wednesday service updates throughout the coming year.