The above video shows the latest in indie developer goodness, which will be making its way to Xbox LIVE Arcade this Holiday season. Weapon of Choice is an explosive side-scrolling action game pitting the forces of Earth against crazy mutant aliens (as usual).

The story seems basic enough on the surface — players take the role of members of the Solus Contingent who have been sent to dispatch an alien threat on Earth by the United Nations Police. The aliens are grotesque, as they should be, but perhaps not too bright as they seemed to have messed up their entry strategy and the fleet crashed across a series of islands.

Beyond that, things get much more interesting. Each operative has their own weapon of choice and comes with a different strategy for gameplay and dispatching enemies. And these weapons really seem make the game. Imagine playing Contra but being able to keep the spread-shot after getting hit. It just makes things more fun from the start. Players can also expect dynamically branching paths and multiple endings for ultimate replayability.

Developer Mommy’s Best Games is targeting what they call “Prodigal Gamers.” These are the hardcore gamers that have such busy lives that they can’t get into games like they used to. With Weapon of Choice they can sit down for satisfying short bursts of bloody action that will require the expertly honed skills that they still posses. Other gamers should still be interested of course, and who wouldn’t be with action like that, the killer soundtrack and its rich and carefully hand-drawn “Colored Penxil” art style?