Marvel vs. Capcom 2 takes on Xbox 360, PS3

After months of speculation and rumor, Capcom today finally revealed that it is indeed planning to rerelease the arcade fighter Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes as a downloadable game for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A countdown site for the game expired this evening, officially confirming that the game is on its way to the current generation of systems.

While the game won't feature the HD Remix treatment given to Super Street Fighter II Turbo last year, it will include one notable extra in the form of online multiplayer. In fact, Capcom said Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on the Xbox 360 and PS3 will feature "the same great online experience" from that title and will have the same visuals as the original game. None of the game's previous North American releases (PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Dreamcast) included online multiplayer, although at one time the feature was originally announced for the Xbox edition. Additional tweaks include an optional visual filter to hide some of the game's blemishes in high definition and a "quarter match" online mode that allows a group of four spectators to chat while two others fight it out.

The game isn't set for release until this summer, but PS3 owners won't need to wait that long to put it through its paces. A Marvel vs. Capcom 2 demo is set to hit the PlayStation Network this Thursday. The sample includes six characters (Ryu, Chun Li, Strider, Spider-Man, Iron Man, and Wolverine) and an array of backgrounds.

Last October, the Entertainment Software Rating Board added the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 to the list of consoles for which it rated the title. That was followed up last month by a public acknowledgment from Capcom vice president of strategic planning Christian Svensson that Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was its most requested title for an HD Remix, adding that it "would be great to do."

When it arrives this summer, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 will sell for $14.99 (1,200 Microsoft points).