Capcom arms 1942: Joint Strike

Capcom has been hitting its stable of classic franchises hard as of late, delivering to Microsoft and Sony's online platforms such arcade-inspired hits as Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and Bionic Commando Rearmed. Today, Capcom said that its next classic redux, 1942: Joint Strike, has counted out its whole nine yards and will take wing on Xbox Live beginning July 23, with the PlayStation Network edition arriving as part of Sony's weekly Thursday update on July 24.

Drawing its inspiration liberally from Capcom's classic 1984 shoot-'em-up 1942, Joint Strike features the franchise's signature vertical-scrolling 2D action, in which would-be aviators sail the unfriendly skies in "a seemingly WWII-like era." Emphasizing this break from historical accuracy, Capcom notes that Joint Strike will feature new weapons and power-ups.

Capcom has once again tapped Backbone Entertainment to handle this arcade throwback. Joint Strike brings the 194X series into the high-definition age, and will incorporate both 3D art and a widescreen format. The game will also feature both local and online co-op play for two, and as noted in GameSpot's hands-on with the game, the developer has tempered the frenetic shoot-'em-up with four difficulty settings.

1942: Joint Strike will be available for $9.99 (800 Microsoft points).