MICROSOFT ANNOUNCES UPCOMING XBOX LIVE ARCADE TITLES

You'll have to pardon how brief I keep this post, but I'm feeling quite a bit under the weather at the moment and really want nothing more than to crawl back into bed and go to sleep.

My health aside, what we're here to talk about is the Xbox Live Arcade – namely the fact that Microsoft not only announced which title would be seeing release this week (Mutant Storm Empire – 800 points), but also gave us a peek into what games will be coming in the immediate future. 

While Castle Crashers is still nowhere in sight, here are a few of the titles we can expect to see in the coming weeks;

• N+ (Slick Entertainment and Metanet Software) – Play as an acrobatic ninja in this addictive action-puzzle platformer.  N+ features inadvertently homicidal robots, stylish graphics, a level editor and intense multiplayer awesomeness.
• Screwjumper! (THQ) – Players take the plunge in "Screwjumper!" and free-fall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, driving aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment.
• SHREK-N-ROLL (Activision) – Gamers join "Shrek®," "Fiona," "Donkey," "Puss in Boots" and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in this hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages.
• SpongeBob SquarePants: Underpants Slam (Nickelodeon and THQ) – In this quick and fun game, players search the kitchen of the Krusty Krab, the Flying Dutchman's ship and the Armoury of Atlantis for 99 pairs of underpants.
• Switchball (Sierra Online) – Based on real-world physics, "Switchball" is an intricate puzzle game set in a stunning 3-D world where players control an ever-changing ball along a narrow, winding course suspended in midair.
• Undertow (Chair Entertainment Group) – This fast-paced action-shooter sends gamers underwater as they battle up to 16 players for control of the oceans! Players race to upgrade their units as they engage in non-stop conquest-style battles through multiple levels of combat action with some of the most stunning graphics ever seen in an Xbox LIVE Arcade title.
• Word Puzzle (InterServ International) – The classic pen-and-paper word search game is brought to a new level of excitement on Xbox LIVE Arcade, complete with combos, high-score achievements and the ability to compete against others online.

While a few of those titles sound like they could have potential, I have to say that nothing there really gets me excited – then again, the way I'm feeling right now, not much probably would. It's kind of hard to sound enthusiastic when your only goal in life at the moment is to go back to bed.