Omega Five blasting off January 9

SIDEBAR: Between Rez HD, Trigger Heart Excelica, and Ikaruga, the traditionally niche shooter genre is expanding on the Xbox Live Arcade in a big way. Hudson Entertainment today announced that its side-scrolling Omega Five will take aim at the Xbox 360's online service next Wednesday, January 9.

Developed by Natsume (creators of the Harvest Moon franchise), Omega Five combines 2D side-scrolling gameplay with 3D graphics. The game supports up to two people locally and features unlockable characters and play modes. Omega Five will sell for 800 Microsoft points ($10). The game is rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.