Voltron: Defender of the Universe announced for XBLA, PSN

by Alice O’Connor

Voltron fans will get to form the eponymous giant robot with their chums this October in Voltron: Defender of the Universe, announced today by THQ. Based upon the original 1980s anime rather than the recent ‘Voltron Force‘ cartoon, it’ll hit Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network with co-op support for up to five players.

Plonked inside the robotic Lion of your choice–each having their own strengths, resistances, and elemental attacks–you’ll get to battle the dastardly King Zarkon across Planet Arus. Ratcheting up the nostalgia factor, the game will be “interwoven with clips from the original animated television series.”

As half the fun of Voltron is in when the Lions combine to form the colossal Voltron robot itself, Defender of the Universe will let you do just that in online co-op for up to five players. Expect arguments over who exactly will get to form the head, and who’ll be relegated to unglamorous roles like the legs. It’ll also support two-player offline co-op.

Due on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in October, Voltron: Defender of the Universe will cost $9.99 (800 Microsoft Points).

THQ has partnered with the folks behind Voltron, World Events Productions, to create two Voltron games. The second is remains a mystery for now, with a 2012 launch win