Indie developers have dusted off and recontextualized old genre after old genre. Yet one of my favorites – the sidescrolling shooter in the Contra vein – has gotten relatively little love. Is this becuase this type of game doesn’t lend itself to thoughtful mechanics or narrative? As the PA Report writes, Bleed is about to change that:

Bleed may not be as overly poetic, thought-provoking, or philosophical as some indie games, but it’s simple, it’s fast, and it’s fun. 

This game appears to combine the gameplay of Metal Slug with the color palette and music of Sonic the Hedgehog, which is awesome, and it’s only five bucks for XBLA or PC. I know what I’m playing this weekend.