Capcom announced yesterday that it is currently developing downloadable versions of the classic Bionic Commando game for XBox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. The release date is unknown at this time, but it will probably precede the next-gen remake of the game announced in October as a sort of promotion.

The PSN and XBLA ports will feature two-player co-op gameplay and new hidden areas to explore. The story, which was somewhat suspect in the original (it involved rescuing a guy named "Super Joe" and battling a Hitler-ish guy named "Master D"), will have story connections to the new title planned for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. It's unknown how much tweaking they'll do to the original game's story but it may give further insight into the planned remake's plot, which revolves around an enhanced commando (i.e. a guy with a sweet grappling gun) getting framed by the secret agency he works for and battling through a city under siege from terrorists.

I was surprised that there wasn't going to be a port for Wii's Virtual Console too (especially considering Bionic Commando appeared on the NES) but if you consider the re-release of the classic to be a promotional tool, it makes sense. I guess they figure if the next-gen Bionic Commando isn't going to appear on the Wii, why go through the trouble of pumping up those customers by selling the classic game on that console?

The next-gen Bionic Commando is being developed by Swedish developer GRIN and should be released this spring.