JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Hops into HD

Capcom's PSOne / Dreamcast fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is the next game in line for a high definition spruce up. Originally released way back in 1999, it'll be coming to PlayStation Network with a shiny new paint job next month.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. is based on a long-running Japanese manga about the mishaps of the powerful Joestar family. It'll feature sharp new graphics, but if the reworked visuals aren't your bag you can swap to the original pixel art instead.

As in the likes of Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, there'll be online matchmaking through which opponents can be picked according to their location, skill level and connection speed. You'll be able to earn Battle and Player Points to clamber up those worldwide leaderboards.

A new eight player online lobby will also be part of the package. Players will fight for the right to continue; whoever wins gets to stay in a match and continue against a new opponent, while the loser is forced to spectate until it's their turn again. Replays can be saved and uploaded for all to study.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. will battle onto the US PlayStation Network on August 21st for $19.99. There's a separate, all-new JoJo game coming courtesy of Asura's Wrath developer CyberConnect2, too: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All-Star Battle. You can find out more about that here.

JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE RETURNS FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
Arcade Fighting Title Confirmed for the PlayStation®Store and Xbox LIVE Arcade with HD Graphics and All New Online Features

SAN MATEO, Calif. — July 16, 2012 — Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. will be available to purchase from PlayStation®Network on August 21st for $19.99 and Xbox LIVE® Arcade on August 22nd for 1600 Microsoft points.

A fighting game based on the popular Japanese manga series and previously released arcade games, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. features stunning HD visuals and unique, original gameplay mechanics that can be seen today in other Capcom fighting titles. Fans of the series will still be able to enjoy the classic arcade style appearance with an option to play in Arcade SD Mode, preserving the high-quality pixel art seen in the original releases.

In JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. the story centers around the powerful Joestar family, including well known hero Jotaro Kujo. Players will be able to unleash powerful super combos and perform special attacks with their characters by executing their supernatural powers, known as Stands. Each character’s Stand appears in-game just as they did in the manga, offering another strategic layer of fighting and unique gameplay. For example, players can use Jotaro’s Stand, ‘Star Platinum’ to perform ‘Blazing Fist’ and attack enemies together with Jotaro, causing massive damage to the opponent.

For the first time since the original Dreamcast™ version launched over eight years ago, the ability to play against competitors online will be revived in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. In an online matching system fans will recognise from Super Street Fighter® IV and Marvel® vs. Capcom® 3, gamers will be able to choose their opponents based on various factors including location, skill and connection speed. Battle points can be earned for characters and player points for individual player strengths, both of which will increase your skill and push you further up the global leaderboards.

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. introduces an all new multiplayer lobby system where fighters will be able to compete with up to eight players. It’s a battle of winner stays on as players fight to keep their place in the game or be forced to become a viewer as another replaces them in the clash to be champion. Gamers will also be able to share those victorious moments from their fights and learn moves from the best via the new video function that allows them to save the replay of their fight and share it with others online.