Capcom's World War II shoot-em-up 1942: Joint Strike is set to launch the week after E3, July 23 for Xbox Live Arcade and the day after for PlayStation Network. It will cost 800 MS points (US $10), according to a press release. The game is yet another HD remake for Capcom, after giving similar treatment to Super Puzzle Fighter II and Super Super Street Fighter II.

Developer Backbone Entertainment went the extra mile, however, in creating new backdrops, levels and enemies. The game features a new score by frequent Metal Gear Solid contributor Norihiko Hibino. What hasn't changed? It's still a shoot-em-up, so for better or worse, you know exactly what to expect.

Capcom has posted a list of titles it will be showing off at this year's E3 expo on its official blog. The roster contains the usual subjects – Bionic Commando, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV – but, as we reported last month, the company will have a couple of surprises in store for attendees.

We now know that one of them is titled Flock, and is, as described by Capcom, a "new super-secret project." Well, it's not that secret if we know its name. Still, it's an odd name ... one that conjures up concepts such as social networking or file sharing, not games. We'd normally say it's a working title, but Capcom's update doesn't list it as such.

Its most recent E3 lineup also includes Mega Man 9 and the previously unveiled Spyborgs. Neither were on the earlier list, so either could be the second "Capcom Project #2" it teased. Or, if you're really into conspiracy theories, neither is, and there's still one secret to be revealed. We like surprises, so we're pinning our hopes on that being the case.

Need yet another example of how E3 is going to the dogs? This year, Capcom is offering the chance for common people to attend its E3 booth. Yes, you read that correctly. For an hour and a half on Thursday, the floor of the LA Convention Center will be sullied by regular Joes. If you'd like to participate in this atrocity, instructions are here.

Now, if we can direct our attention on Capcom for just a moment: What the heck are you guys thinking? How do you expect us, the gaming press to feel special if we don't see exclusive stuff that nobody else can see? What if the commoners steal all your swag before we can steal it all? Can you even begin to comprehend what you've wrought? Dogs and cats living together ... mass hysteria, that's what.

We know that Mega Man 9 is all-new and stuff, but after seeing a quick video of its gameplay (found after the break), we're compelled to dig up our copy of Mega Man Anniversary Collection for a nostalgia fix this evening.

GoNintendo discovered the first footage, which definitely has the look and sound of a classic Mega Man game from the '80s (minus slowdown and flicker). Details on the Blue Bomber's return are slowly starting to emerge, but we're hoping to learn a lot more about this WiiWare title soon.

[Update: riot from Gamespark.jp – along with our own Andrew Yoon – let us know this listing has apparently been on Capcom's Japanese website since as far back as 2005. What's the deal, Capcom?]

Rumors that Devil May Cry would be theatrically shooting its way onto the PSP are about as old as the PSP itself. As far back as June 2005, Capcom discussed bringing Devil May Cry to the PSP along with nine other PSP titles; at that time, GameSpot wrote, "Devil May Cry [for the PSP] could see the light of day before 2006." By the time 2006 rolled around, still no sign of Devil May Cry for PSP, save for a mention on Capcom's Japanese website.

So here we are, two years on, and again we're seeing a mention of Devil May Cry for PSP on Capcom's Japanese site. Included at the top of a list of recently released and not-yet-released PSP games, "Devil May Cry" is alone in its absence of a release date, a price, or a linked website. Hit the Source link to see if it's still there or, just in case they've noticed that Dante crawled out of his cage and taken it down, we've got a screengrab after the break. Just a reminder: Capcom's E3 press conference is at 10:30ET on July 15th. Just saying ...

[Thanks, Jared; via VFH]

France may not have the Quarter Pounder with Cheese, but it will soon have Capcom. The publisher is opening offices in the country that brought us such great things as champagne, escargot, and jokes about France as part of continuing efforts to increase sales of its games in Europe.

Capcom Entertainment France will report directly to Capcom Entertainment Europe, and we're sure it will soon be hard at work on localized versions of such famous franchises as Homme de Méga, Combattant de Rue, and Mal Résident.

You can't put a price on nostalgia. But you can put a date on it -- at least if you happen to live in Japan. Our friends at Nintendo Wii Fanboy send word that according to Famitsu, Mega Man 9 will bound onto the Japanese WiiWare service sometime in September.

This gives us hope that the company's irresistibly retro take on the Blue Bomber will soon be released in other regions as well. However, Capcom remains mum regarding its agenda, leaving us to wait until E3 to find out more about its plans for the pixilated hero's WiiWare-only digital launch outside of Japan. Now where did we put those rose-colored glasses?

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

According to Ars Technica, Capcom's two-dimensional return to tradition in Mega Man 9 may not be confined to WiiWare, as was originally revealed in the latest issue of Nintendo Power. The report notes that the game is currently listed as an Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network title on Capcom's E3 roster -- if true, Mega Man 9 would be the first downloadable game to jump through the doors of all three services.

Capcom remains quiet on the matter, however, telling us that we'll have to wait until E3 for further news. Given the publisher's continued support of both XBLA and PSN for its downloadable games, the blue bomber will likely stick with a multi-platform approach. We can't imagine how many gamers would be left seeking retrobution otherwise.

Update: Capcom has reaffirmed to Ars that Mega Man 9 is "WiiWare only."

Okay, it's confession time. This article series, as much as we hope you've enjoyed it, was originally set out to only discuss those titles of the survival horror persuasion that have been cemented into the 2008 release calendar. However, there is an ordnance that says something to the effect that you can't talk about survival horror games without devoting some face time to Capcom's seminal Resident Evil franchise. Or at least there should be. And while a date for when we can expect to continue slaughtering zombies -- or some derivative thereof -- hasn't been announced, we fully expected Resident Evil 5 to ship sometime in 2009.

That said, we nonetheless felt the game would make an appropriate end cap on our week long look at the genre Capcom helped not only create, but perfect, so we ended our week by speaking with producer Jun Takeuchi, and asked him why we should care about Resident Evil 5.

Forget about those fancy 3D graphics and newfangled, over-the-shoulder shooting mechanics you saw in your worst nightmares. According to the latest issue of Nintendo Power, Mega Man 9 is set to hop onto Nintendo's WiiWare service, complete with traditional, two-dimensional platforming and adorable retro graphics.

Scans of the magazine allegedly reveal that everybody's favorite robot boy will once again succumb to his rampant kleptomania, this time pilfering the powers of bossmen like: Magma Man, Galaxy Man, Plug Man ("Please purchase Mega Men one through eight!"), Concrete Man and the one that's sure to elicit a "woah, man," Splash Woman.

We've asked Capcom for comment, as well as permission to play the game immediately. Update: Permission denied, but game confirmed. If you want all the details, pick up this month's issue of Nintendo Power.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

The Super Street Fighter II Turbo Hyper Deluxe Your Mom HD Remix beta started yesterday and, for those who just can't bring themselves to buy Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3, we've placed some videos of what the beta looks like after the break. Although we received numerous complaints yesterday that the beta wasn't working properly, this seems a good a time as any to link the definition: Beta. For those who are playing the SSFIITHDR beta -- and actually have it working properly -- what do you think?

Capcom has announced that Epic's Unreal Engine will be providing the stunning and inevitably shiny visuals for another of its upcoming titles, a new project being developed somewhere in Europe. Keiji Inafune, Mega Managing corporate officer for Capcom, described the technology as "a perfect fit" for the unnamed title, deeming it capable of "ensuring a high-quality game experience." We rather like those.

The developers will also benefit from having "thorough knowledge" of Unreal Engine 3, though if they encounter any problems, they should send an e-mail to the folks working on Capcom's Unreal-powered jetpack-em-up, Dark Void.