Darkstalkers Resurrection bundle brings back second and third franchise titles

After years of dropping hints about revisiting 90s gothic horror fighter series Darkstalkers, Capcom's Yoshinori Ono announced that the company will finally be publishing a game from the fabled franchise early next year.

Only it's not really a new one.

Darkstalkers Resurrection will bring two of the franchise's games to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade as downloads: 1995‘s The Night Warriors: Darkstalkers Revenge andDarkstalkers 3, which first hit arcades in 1997.

The two-pack will sell for $14.99 on PlayStation Network and 1,200 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Arcade in early 2013.

The news came during Capcom's Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Celebration panel.

Ono shouted from the back of the packed auditorium just as the panelists were about to wrap things up.

Striding to the stage dressed as Chun-Li, Ono first got the crowd to stand and pose for a picture and then reminded the crowd of his struggle to get Capcom to return to the Darkstalkers franchise.

"I'm here to tell you this is our first step in making our dream a reality," he said before starting a video that showed one of the iconic characters from the game rising from a grave.

Derek Neal, producer for the game, then went to a podium to walk the gathering through the game.

Both games will include GGPO-technology to reduce online gameplay lag, HD filtering with multiple viewing options, replay sharing, spectator mode, and Achievements. There's also a challenge mode which provides in-depth tips to using each character to the best of their ability, and a vault filled with concept art, videos and more, all of which can be unlocked using "Vault Points" earned from completing in-game challenges.

The online matchmaking will follow in the footsteps of Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, which include upgraded matchmaking with additional options such as region matching, ping lock and ping display. The title will also feature YouTube replay uploading.

Neal said the team decided to resurrect the second and third games in the franchise because they appeal to two very different types of fans of the series.

"The community has a pretty big divide over which they prefer," he said. "So we figured that we would give you both games for the price of one."

The fans present seemed sated by the idea that while this wasn't the Darkstalkers 4 then some were hoping for, it was a move in the right direction.

Following the show Yoshinori made his way to Capcom's public booth two floors up to tear away a black shroud covering a massive painting of the just-revealed fighter.

Ono seemed happy, posting with fans wearing a paper hat promoting the game.

"I think fans might have been anticipating Darkstalkers 4," he said, "but I think they understand why we had to do this game first."