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XBLA sale this weekend

Plus next week's games.

Microsoft is having a little car boot sale to celebrate US Labour Day this weekend, meaning we'll all be able to download four Live Arcade games for half price.

On the chopping block are Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe, trimmed down to 400 points (GBP 3.40, EUR 4.80); plus Gauntlet and Dig Dug hacked down to 200 points a pop (GBP 1.70, EUR 2.40).

The slashing will start on noon this Sunday, and run through until one minute before midnight on Monday.

Microsoft also wanted us to know what next Wednesday's Live Arcade additions will be, wheeling out Cyberball 2072 and Fatal Fury Special before us.

The first of these is a futuristic take on American Football, where the players are robots and the ball heats up and explodes, destroying whatever is holding it. Every time your team of nuts and bolts has a down, the ball will heat up a notch (downs give teams four attempts to advance further than 10 yards. If they do, they move to a first down, and get another four goes to move another 10 yards. Mess it up, or reach your fourth down without getting a touchdown or scoring one of those kicking goals, and the ball is turned over to your opposition - just off the top of my head).

To stop the ball exploding in the hands of your robots, you'll need to keep it moving, resetting the status to "cool" by crossing the 50 yard line. You're probably not even reading any more.

Fatal Fury Special, on the other hand, is a fighting game from Arcade big shots SNK. The aim is to smash your limbs into faces and progress your way to the ultimate showdown with boss Wolfgang Krauzer, ruler of the made-up Southtown city. You'll get to pick from 12 burly brawlers, too, and punch your friends in multiplayer mode.

Both come with the usual spattering of 12 achievements and 200 Gamescore points, and will cost you 400 points a piece (GBP 3.40, EUR 4.80).

Look out for our thoughts on them nearer the time.