We have told you about Omega Five being released this week a few times already, but it looks like Tron has also snuck onto this week's schedule. The titles will set you back 800 MS Points for the soon to be a classic Omega Five and 400 MS Points for the ancient classic Tron. Both titles feature two player online modes and the obligatory leaderboards. For more information about both of these releases head on over to Gamerscore Blog.

Since most of you are busy with holiday preparations and celebrations I'll get right to the point. Omega Five appears to be slated for January 10th. So says Hudson's Japanese site.

However, seeing as the 10th is actually a Thursday, I have my doubts about the precision of this date. But why add a specific date after listing "early 2008" previously? Hmm. Food for thought.

Previous Omega Five coverage here.

[via Hudson Entertainment, thanks FMsaziri]

This week on XBLA: The Xbox Live Arcade Hits program! Okay, so maybe that's not the biggest news for everyone (since most of you have already snagged those games). But the promise of cheaper games on XBLA over time is certainly a good thing. Mini-woo!

Since the dash update and the rollout of the Hits program seem to be taking center stage this week, Microsoft has been kind enough to tease us with their slated December and January Lineup. The XBLA iceflow will bring us:

Arkadian Warriors, Brain Challenge (ooh, a mystery title), Gripshift, N+, Omega Five, Poker Smash, Rez HD, and (say it with me now, finally!) Sensible World of Soccer.

Now let's just hope we actually get all these games in the next two months, as promised. And now that we're finally getting Sensi (December 19th) where's poor lost War World?

[via X3F, thanks to everyone that sent this in!]

I may not read Japanese, but I know what 2008 means. It means Omega Five has been quietly delayed. Hudson's Japanese site now lists the game for "early" 2008. But with December fast approaching, it may be only 5 or 6 weeks away.

But any delay is painful, and so I end my post here. Services will be held for the old November release date (as told by IGN) in the comments section.

[via Hudson.co.jp (translated version here), thanks FMsaziri]

The team behind the upcoming shmup Omega Five have released a new video featuring the third unlockable character in the game. His name is Sensei and he has a powerful melee attack. In a shooter. Melee attack in a shooter. Repeating it apparently isn't making it easier for me to understand but maybe the video will help all of you.

I'm also including the official trailer after the break (just in case you have yet to see it).

[via Gametrailers.com]

Gamasutra has an interview with Hudson's Daisuke Sato about making Omega Five for Xbox Live Arcade. The interesting part of the interview isn't the team is composed of members of the original teams that developed Wild Guns (SNES) and Dead Moon (Turbo Grafx 16) or that the game will see a simultaneous world wide release. Nope. It's that this game that is extremely fun is an Xbox 360 exclusive (at least for now). With such a small team developing the title, they do not have the resources to port the title over to Playstation 3. Don't get your fanboy bragging rights up to soon though as later in the interview it is mentioned that Natsume is having Hudson publish this game due to it's ability to put the title on multiple platforms.

[Via Kotaku]

IGN helps us get to know a character that goes by "Tempest" in a short character preview of XBLA's upcoming scrolling shooter Omega Five. And they hint at a release date.

Honestly though, all they really needed to tell me about Tempest is that he has four arms and shoots lava and molten metal. He shoots acid too? Okay, why not? Sounds like a death dealing machine to me.

Up to this point we've only really seen a female protagonist but apparently there are more characters and each one provides a different feel and weapon loadout. Variety is the spice of shooters after all.

But most important of all, at the bottom of the preview they proclaim that Omega Five should arrive in November. Any marking of calendars out there?

I still can't get over the fact that Natsume (aka "The House That Harvest Moon Built") is making this game. Really? There's no weeding or petting of animals in this one?

[via IGN]

Excuse me while I weep quietly into my hands. See, I am not in Tokyo right now enjoying the XBLA riches that flow forth from Japan. And that is why I hate Eurogamer so much.

Not only do they get to play games filled with exiting, extending, shooting, more shooting, and even trigger hearts (whatever those are), but they decided to post up their impressions just to rub it in my face. That's right. To spite me. Specifically.

Damn them.

[via Eurogamer]

Continuing the flow of media out of Microsoft's pre-Tokyo Game Show announcements comes these screens for Omega Five.

Omega Five, if you will remember, is the side-scrolling 2D shooter with 3D elements from Hudson Entertainment (Bomberman Live!) and Natsume (Harvest Moon series). The game looks to be shaping up nicely. Let's hope the control issues have been ironed out.

After taking a peek below tell me: anyone more interested now? Less?

[Update]: 1UP's preview of the game indicates the single-stick controls have been ditched for the now typical dual-stick controls. But then they have other issues with the game. Thanks, lastof7.

Here's an old screen:

And here are the new ones (notice the few visual changes since last we saw the game):

Okay, so we all know now how wrong I was about the Brutally Fun site. However, it was not a total loss. Alongside the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 2 was a bevy of Japanese themed XBLA games that are coming.

And guess what is among them? Ikaruga. It even says "available soon."

As awesome as it is to hear Ikaruga's solidly confirmed (not that we didn't expect it), I must say the surprise story for me is the announcement of Rez coming to XBLA. Then again, maybe it shouldn't surprise me after all.

The full list of mentioned XBLA games is as follows: Every Extend Extra Extreme (Q Entertainment), EXIT (Taito), Ikaruga (Treasure Co. Ltd.), OMEGA FIVE (Hudson Entertainment), Rez (Q Entertainment), Triggerheart Exelica (Warashi), Braid (Number None Inc.), Castlecrashers (The Behemoth), and Schizoid (Torpex Games LLC).

I'm too tired to say anything else of value, so just read the details after the break and let all this all sink in.

News Flash from xbox.com after the break.

[via xbox.com]