More coin-op classics coming to Xbox Live Arcade

Old games never die; they just wind up being repackaged as direct downloadables. Midway recently confirmed that five more games from its stable of arcade oldies will appear on Xbox Live Arcade this year. The second wave of games joins Joust, Robotron: 2084, Gauntlet and Smash TV, all of which are currently available on the service.

Defender - The first side-scrolling game ever, Defender still makes grown men weep with its complicated five-buttons-and-a-joystick control scheme. More than 25 years later, saving humanoids from alien attackers is still nerve-wracking.

Paperboy - We'll miss the big bicycle handlebar controller that stuck out on the arcade machine, but chucking the daily news with deadly accuracy while avoiding suburban pitfalls still sounds like fun to us.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 - While MKII is generally considered the fan-favorite fighting game of the series, UMK3 has more playable characters and just as much blood-soaked violence.

Root Beer Tapper - Serve as many non-alcoholic brews as you can by sliding frosty mugs down long bars filled with thirsty, advancing patrons. If they get to you without a drink in their hand, you're fired.

Cyberball - Football gets futuristic with a robotic take on gridiron glory. Of the five games on the list, this is the one that's most likely to appeal to the hardcore audience; it's a cult classic with some very devoted followers.

Midway didn't mention any time frame for the release of these new games - merely a nebulous "2006" - nor was pricing mentioned. However, the existing Midway games on the Xbox Live Arcade cost 400 Microsoft Points (roughly $5), so we're expecting the same pricing.