Also coming this Wednesday is Frogger 2, which includes 15 levels of action, boss battles, two new online multiplayer modes, and no free beta version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, all for 800 Microsoft points.

I am sensing a clear winner here.

This week on Arcade: Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 and Frogger 2 [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

In fact, I came this close to beating Commando 3 on my third attempt, making it to the final boss solo. While the game supports up to three players at a time, it's not much of a challenge to take down the game's five levels on your own. That's mostly due to potentially too powerful guns, plus copious power ups and screen-clearing attack ammo.

If Commando 3 has a fault, it's that there's not much of a challenge to it, making for occasionally dull play. With familiar Smash TV-style controls and constant flow of bullets (or flamethrowers or rockets), mowing down scores of rebels is easy for any arcade vet.

Commando 3 is certainly lacking in depth, as the power up system sticks closely to its arcade roots. There are a couple of secrets that one can find in each level and multiple difficulties, adding a dash of replay value that may help justify the purchase price.

Vehicle sequences weren't memorable, but perhaps in a multiplayer setting, they could add brief respite from the constant din of machine gun fire.

1942: Joint Strike shares some of Commando 3's shortcomings, with just five levels, a rather simple difficulty and little in the way of variety to keep interest high. The top down shooter certainly has a more appealing style to it and 1942's cooperative aspects add a nice change of pace, but 194X fans will probably feel like the game is a bit of a step back for the series.

It's not intended to a "bullet hell" kind of vertically scrolling shooter—the series has never been a one hit, one kill affair—but 1942: Joint Strike can dip into dull territory on default difficulty. Regardless of the rather tame action, 1942 adds some nice set pieces and cool effects to keep things interesting, mixing it up where Commando 3 sticks to tradition. Flying over an active volcano, for example, adds a bit of graphical ooh and aah and taking out war boats is so much more cinematic in 3D.

1942: Joint Strike's most attractive gimmick is the titular "joint strike", a special attack that requires cooperation between both players to fire an electrical arc or paint a bomb target between them.

Playing both games back to back gives the impression that the XBLA and PSN games meet pretty much the minimum requirements. They share some of the same quirks, will a strikingly similar presentation and very short length. Both games look like they can be blown through in about 30 minutes or less, especially if you've got a co-op buddy helping you out.

Both titles are planned for a tiny investment, meaning that even if you drop $10 on each you'll probably get your money's worth. Just don't expect a return to the series on par with some of Capcom's other digital efforts.

The best thing about Commando 3: Wolf of the Battlefield isn't the demo for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix—god those are some verbose game titles—it's the ability to shoot lots and lots and lots of things. The sequel to Commando and Mercs is coming to Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network soon (we hope). Let's revisit Forgotten Worlds soon too, Capcom. Please?

COMMANDO 3 Product overview

Lock and Load! Commando 3 takes the no-holds-barred arcade spirit of its predecessors and crafts an all-new furious cooperative shooting adventure for the next generation!

General Ratiev, evil leader of the Zalestad nation must be stopped. At the player's disposal is a huge arsenal of weaponry, controllable vehicles, and a rag-tag group of specialized soldiers, each with their own unique characteristics. Thankfully, players aren't alone in this mission; up to three players can enjoy the classic arcade-style experience together on a single console or online. Commando 3 even compensates for the multiplayer mode by dynamically shifting difficulty levels based on the number of players in the game, ensuring that the game always poses a challenge. The Commando 3 soundtrack is being created by Norihiko Hibino, an international composer well-known for his work creating music for the Metal Gear series of games. With a comprehensive scoring system and online leaderboards, players can see how they compare to the best digital soldiers in the world!
Key features
• Four playable soldiers with their own unique characteristics.
o Antonio Ramirez Carranza aka "Animal" - A grizzled former marine, Sgt. Carranza enjoys his work a little too much. Known for shooting anything that moves.
o "Smoke" - Not much is known about Smoke. Her records have been wiped clean, nevertheless, her skills at espionage and covert ops are known and feared far and wide.
o Roy McMurray aka "Boomer" - The cranky vet of the bunch, specialist McMurray has been involved in full blown war, covert ops and police actions. He is renowned for his love of explosives.
• Multiple weapons, including rocket launchers, grenades and shotguns.
• More than 10 unique power-ups, including deadly "M-Crash" superbombs.
• Controllable co-op vehicles allow for maximum destruction! Up to three players can team up together to make vehicles mobile fortresses! One player drives while the other two shoot.
• Support for up to three players simultaneously, both online and on a single console.
• Four difficulty levels, which automatically adjust based on the number of players in the game.
• Comprehensive scoring system.
o Score Multipliers allow players to maximize their points tally.
o Online Leaderboards let players vie for the best online rank against the world's greatest commandos.