Crazy Taxi hits XBLA next to Fable III, Mafia II DLC

Leading the pack is Dreamcast revival title Crazy Taxi (800MS points, or $10). The title drops on November 24 and has been updated with 720p HD visuals, leaderboards, and achievements. Like the original game, the rerelease features 16 minigames, as well as arcade and remixed game modes. It is the second Dreamcast title to catch a second wind, following September's Sonic Adventure.

Gamers looking to add to the warmly received Fable III can pick up new content for the action role-playing game today. In the Understone Quest Pack (800 MS points, or $10), players will uncover a subterranean town built beneath the streets of Bowerstone. Carved out by eccentric inventor Montague Hummes, Understone offers players a host of new houses and stores to own. It also plays home to a mystery, and gamers will be presented with a new moral decision in their effort to uncover the origins of a "voice" that controls the city's denizens.

Beyond the main quest line, the Fable III add-on also includes the new Shooting Range minigame, which is set in a mercenary-camp-turned-tourist-attraction. Lastly, the DLC pack includes the Wheel of Misfortune minigame, an arena-based combat challenge set within the old home of Reaver, the ex-pirate-turned-slaver from Fable III.

Other notable DLC out this week is for 2K Czech's Mafia II. Joe's Adventures (800 MS points, or $10) will pick up with Vito Scaletta's titular paisano, during the years in which the Mafia II protagonist is locked away. The single-player adventure serves as an extension to the events in the full game and delves into the "truth behind Vito's prison sentence" and other underpinnings of the Clemente crime family.

New locations that can be explored in the game include a train station, a cathouse, and a boatyard, as well as new buildings within Empire Bay. An unspecified number of story-based missions and city-based quests will also be available in Joe's Adventures, as well as a host of new clothes, collectibles, and classic '40s and '50s tunes.

Added to the Games on Demand tab today was Remedy Entertainment's Alan Wake ($30). The title follows writer Alan Wake as he retreats to the sleepy Northwestern town of Bright Falls. The psychological thriller pits the title character against a mysterious darkness that has taken over the townsfolk, turning them into nightmarish specters. The only way to break through an enemy's darkness shield is with light, and the gameplay focuses on fighting off ghostly foes with flashlights, flares, and other dark-dispelling tools.

Gamers seeking to sample prior to purchase can download the demo for the poorly received Sonic Free Riders. The trial gives players a glimpse at the Kinect title that launched with the hardware on November 4. As for the title, Free Riders is a Sonic-themed racing title with colorful visuals that gives players full control of the in-game racing board by manipulating their bodies.

This Friday marks the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season, better known as Black Friday. However, it seems Microsoft didn't get the memo and has started the savings today. DLC, videos, avatar items, and games have been marked down up to 50 percent this week. For a full list of freshly discounted virtual items, check out Major Nelson's blog post. Discounted prices run through November 29.