Activion’s new Marvel: Ultimate Alliance downloads have begun to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace.  A little over a week ago, Activision announced their intentions to unveil 8 new playable characters for the game as well as picture packs and themes.  The picture pack (80 Microsoft Points) and themes (150 Microsoft Points) are now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace while the playable characters are expected April 10.  Currently an issue with the Marvel picture packs exist and they’ve been pulled.  As soon as the word is passed that the problem is fixed, I’ll update this article.   *Picture pack is now working. 

The expansion packs feature eight (8) new playable characters: The Incredible Hulk, Magneto, Hawkeye, Sabretooth, Doctor Doom, Cyclops, Nightcrawler and Venom, each complete with new signature powers, skins, dialog, conversations and achievement points.  That’s right!  There are more achievements headed your way as well.

Screenshots: Ultimate Alliance DLC

“The signature gameplay of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has made it a favorite among fans, as well as the best-selling Super Hero game on the Xbox 360 to-date,” said Rob Kostich, vice president of global brand management, Activision, Inc. “By adding some of the biggest names in the Marvel Universe to the roster we’re enabling Xbox 360 gamers to build a variety of all-new teams and enjoy the epic action in brand new ways.” 

The Hero Pack and Villain Pack will each be 500 Microsoft points ($6.25) and the Combined Hero and Villain Pack will be 800 Microsoft points ($10).