SNK has announced that they’re bundling up a selection of Hamster’s ACA NEOGEO titles into a couple of physical volumes. Right now, they’re only announced for Switch in Japan (thanks, Gematsu), though I personally expect that they’ll probably make their way over here eventually. If not, they’re very importable as, judging from normal Arcad??e Arc??hive releases, you’d be able to select from North American and Japanese versions.

Do you own none of the ACA NEOGEO releases and want to own all of the ACA NEOGEO releases? Well, too bad because each collection only has 10 of them. The selection on them is diverse but also kind of bizarre. Only two of the Metal Slug games appear in the collections, but while Metal Slug X is an obvious choice, the second one is Metal Slug 4, which is sort of the bastard of the series. Diversity is great, but why Metal Slug 4?

They also mix some sports titles into the mix, which probably wouldn’t be anyone’s first choice either, but at least that makes a little more sense when it comes to dive??rsity. You may not have played them before, and it’s a good reason to try them. 

On the other hand, this might also be a way to make up for slow sales. Like when a grocery store takes a pork cutlet that has gone grey ben?eath the fluorescent lights, throws it in some bread crumbs, then puts it back on the shelf for another week as ready-to-cook schnitzel.

Anyway??, here’s a closer look at the two collections:

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 1

• The King Of Fighters '94
• Metal Slug X
• Garou: Mark of the Wolves
• Samurai Spirits V (Samurai Shodown V)
• ASO II Last Guardian (Alpha Mission 2)
• Riding Hero
• Top Hunter: Roddy and Cathy
• Top Players Golf
• Fūun Mokushiroku: Kakutō Sōsei (Savage Reign)
• Shock Troopers

ACA NEOGEO Selection Vol. 2

• The King Of Fighters '95
• Metal Slug 4
• Samurai Spirits (Samurai Shodown)
• Fatal Fury 2
• Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad
• Ghost Pilots
• Baseball Stars Professional
• Mutation Nation
• Big Tournament Golf (Neo Turf Masters)
• Stakes Winner 2

The Japanese release date is December 12, 2024 o?n Switch. They’re selling for 5,940�?? which is roughly $41 USD at today’s exchange rate if the internet isn’t lying to me. No word on a North American release.

The post ACA NEOGEO Selections wrap up some great games and al?so Metal Slug 4 appeared first on Destructoid.

Hamster and Taito have announced that the next game for the Arcade Archives is 1992’s DinoRex. The title was initially part of the Taito Milestones 2 colle??ction, but on November 16, it wi?ll be available separately.

As someone who appreciates kusoge, I loved the Taito Milestones 2 collection because it contained a bunch of terrible games amongst its gems. DinoRex was the one that captivated me the most because it is just so, so bad. It sort of feels like a bad attempt at Primal Rage. You control a cave guy who orders a dinosaur to fight other dinosaurs. Big, chubby dinosaurs who look like they were ripped from 1933’s King Kong. Little harmless-looking toy dinosaurs.

It controls like absolute butt, which kind of adds to the charm. But on top of that, if your dinosaurs get really into it, there’s a bunch of fun level destruction. Then, there are bonus dream vignettes where your dinosaur lives out their fantasy of stomping around in modern cities. It is absolutely incredible.

I’m not saying it’s good, but if you also appreciate playing crappy games, DinoRex is top-tier. I cannot ex?press how amazingly awful this game is, and I really think you should check it out for yourself.

DinoRex will be joining the Arcade Archives series on Switch and PS4 on November 16

The post Majestic kusoge ??fighter Din?oRex comes to Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

It’s been great to see a lot of obscure arcade titles being dredged up and ported, and one of the best at this is Arcade Archives. They’re not the best in terms of features, but rather in terms of sheer quantity and the depths they’ll dive to pull up even the most unmarketable of g??ames.

Ten bucks isn’t too bad for an old arcade title when you think of it on an individual level, but then you see it add up. Released last year, Taito Milestones was a decent way to pick up 10 of the titles with a bulk discount. Specifically, ones that were published by Taito. This year, they’re back with Taito Milestones 2. Both collections have been rather eclectic compilations of some rather obscure titl?es, but this year is complete madness.

While I could eas?ily just sum up my thoughts on the overall curation of the games, I think it would be more fun to give a mini-review of each of the included games. So, here we go.

Taito Milestones 2 (Switch)
Developer: Hamster
Publisher: Inin Games
Released: August 31, 2023
MSRP: $39.99

[caption id="attachment_400610" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Ben Bero Beh (1984)

During my recent shopping spree of Arcade Archives games, I nearly bought Ben Bero Beh based on its wacky look, but instead went with Pistol Daimyo. I made the right choice, since it wound up in Taito Milestones 2. Not to disrespect Pistol Daimyo, but I like Ben Bero Beh better.

I was kind of afraid there’d be nothing beneath the quirky art style, but while Ben Bero Beh is a rather simple single-screen arcade title, it’s actually a lot of fun. The idea is simply to get the protagonist, Dami-chan, down to the bottom of the screen to reach Nao-chan, who I presume is his girlfriend. Meanwhile, Dami-chan is only equipped with a fire extinguisher, and the building is falling apart around the pair. You simply need to navigate downward while avoiding gas explosions, broken fluorescent lights, and Chack’n from Chak’n Pop.

I love it. It kind of has the Donkey Kong formula, but the sprite work here is excellent. Everything is so expressively animated, which is a real delight. This is going to ma??ke me sound really boring, but the fire extinguisher controls are also amazing. You can press down to spray it at your feet or hold up to arc it further. Just try it; the fire extinguisher feels great.

[caption id="attachment_400611" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

The Legend of Kage (1985)

Legend of Kage is one of the more recognizable titles in the collection. H??owever, I also don’t really like it. The controls are just so floaty, the combat so sparse, that it feels almost pointless to engage with the enemies unless you really have to. It was released in 1985 before the mech??anics of platformers were firmly planted, but that just means it’s kind of rough.

You play as a ninja trying to save a captured princess. You start off running through the forest before scaling a castle and rescuing her at the top. Then, as is typical with arcade games of the era, you start back at the beginning, but everything is more difficult. Better combat might have made Legend of Kage more worth??while, but what can you expect from a game made in 1985?

Also, ?it's "Legend of Kah-Gey," not "Legend of Cage."

[caption id="attachment_400612" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Kiki Kaikai (1986)

As a fan of the Pocky & Rocky games, I’m very familiar with Kiki Kaikai. I even got the chance to play it on a candy cabinet when I was in Japan. It’s among the titles in Taito Milestone 2 that I already owned. However, I don’t love it.

If you’re familiar with the Pocky & Rocky games, you’ll know that they’re colorful, fast-paced run-and-gun shooters, and Kiki Kaikai is not that. It certainly sets t??he foundation and the gameplay is incredibly similar, but it’s a lot slower, less exciting, and the backgrounds are mostly dirt. It’s not a bad game and was quite popular in Japanese arcades, but you’ll need to set your expectations accordingly.

[caption id="attachment_359676" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via Hamster[/caption]

The NewZealand Story (1988)

I have an affinity for The NewZealand Story. The arena in a town near where I grew up had a few arcade cabinets when I was a kid. It’s where I first played Final Fight when I was so small that my mother had to lift me up by the legs so I could reach the controls. I also played New Zealand Story back then, and I remember being so enamored ?b?y it, I broke out the watercolor pucks back home and started painting scenes from it.

In any case, it’s still a pretty fun game that has a lot in common wi?th run-and-gun shooters. You play as a strange kiwi that is yellow and has a short beak for some reason. One of the big inventive mechanics in it is the ability to kill off enemies and steal the balloons that they ride on. There are a bunch of secret warps, some tricky platforming, and it’s all-around a pretty fun game.

[caption id="attachment_400617" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Darius 2 (Three-Screen version, 1989)

This is a bit of an odd one. We already got Darius 2 as part of M2’s Darius Cozmic Collection - Arcade. However, that collection only had the more common dual-screen setup. The version in Taito Milestones 2 is the one for three-scr??eens, which spreads the game out in a wider panorama.

This is where the difference in port quality is most evident. M2’s version has a whole bunch of extra features, like various customizable HUD elements and quicksave. In comparison, this version is more of a straight port. It still has the usual Arcade Archives features?? like filters and suspend states, but it’s just not quite the same gusto as what M2 puts into their ports.

As for the title itself, I’ve never really been able to get into a Darius game. I feel like the first two titles (??which include this one) are more of an arcade experience than enjoyable shoot-’em-ups. The b?ig cabinets with their multiple monitors and cool sound system drew people in, rather than the gameplay. They’re okay, but I feel the series only really started getting good when it cut itself down to one screen and focused on its strengths.

Liquid Kids (1990)

Mizubaku Adventure is one of Taito Milestones 2�??�s most brilliant gems. You play as a, uh�?That’s supposed to be a hippo? My first guess was Capybara, but I couldn’t explain the str?ips.

The hippo can conjure giant bubbles full of water, exactly like those special bubbles you could pop in Bubble Bobble. The ones that turned the level?s into waterslides. Yeah, those. You can pump up your bubble for even larger bursts of water to try and flush out enemies.

Liquid Kids is bright and colorful. It feels like a true Taito platformer in the same vein as New Zealand Story and Rainbow Islands. It doesn??’t really matter if you win or lose; slotting a quarter will calm your brain w??orms.

[caption id="attachment_400619" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Gun Frontier (1990)

Here’s a vertical ?shooter where you literally just fly a gun. There’s this sort of Wild West, industrial-era aesthetic going on, but it’s all really just rather standard. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. Some of the enemies get blown apart in neat ways, and you can collect power-ups to build up your bomb, but that’s about all it really has going for it.

On the other hand, Shinobu Yagawa, the programmer behind Recca, has said it’s one of their favorite games, so perhaps I’m just a philistine.

[caption id="attachment_400620" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Solitary Fighter (1991)

This is a sequel to a rather obscure fighting game called Violence Fight. Like many pre-Street Fighter 2 fighting games, it’s really not very good. However, what makes it worth playing is the awkward, terrible translation. This includes an unintentionally hilarious text crawl that states the “Violence Fights�?are in vogue with “Mafia, reckless drivers, and general businessmen.�?/p>

The combatants are all rippling mountains of unco??oked steak with names “Lick Joe.�?The game sometimes shows horrible onomatopoeias in comic fonts, like “dogoon,�?which is fine in Japanese, but an Anglophonic brain sees it as “doggone�?at best and “doo-goon�?at worst. For some reason, a woman in fishnets walks into the arena mid-fight and tries to stab wh?oever’s in the lead.

Solitary Fighter is a worthwhile addition to Taito Milestones 2 mostly because while Violence Fight was in 2006’s Taito Legends 2, I ?don’t think the sequel has ever been ported. It’s mostly just a hilarious mess, but that’s a lot better than it just? being a normal mess.

[caption id="attachment_400622" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Metal Black (1991)

Metal Black is introduced as “Project Gun Frontier 2,�?but beyond being a shoot-’em-up, it doesn’t have much in common with Gun Frontier. The movement is flipped to the horizontal, and there’s a lot more inventiveness here. It actually feels closer to a Darius title but a lot less space-fishy.

The major ??twist is that you collect little molecules to power up your weapon, but can expend all your power-ups in one big blast. However, I feel it’s more memorable for its trippy visuals. You leave Earth to travel to? the moon, then the painkillers kick in, and the godless vacuum of space is suddenly a lot more flavorful. It’s not the greatest shoot-’em-up, but it’s one worth seeing.

[caption id="attachment_400624" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

DinoRex (1992)

Fucking Dino Rex. It’s the perfect example of a game that’s both awful and necessary to play. It’s not fun. The controls are clunky and unresponsive, the combat is shallow, and it all feels rather routine. But just look at it. It’s majestic.

It’s like a prototype of Primal Rage. You select a dinosaur and then pit it against another. The dinosaurs, however, look like dopey children’s toys. The whole thing plays out like a deleted fight scene from 1962’s King Kong vs. Godzilla. These big chubby dinos throw down in destructible environments, it’s just too bad that the whole thing controls like one of their chubby dino butts. And then there are bonus scenes where you just rampage through modern cities, and the translation is just hilariously bogus. The whole thing is a spectacle for anyone with an appreciation of kusoge. Phenomenal, really. Like watchi??ng a pair of toothless pugs fighting over an uncooked steak.

The Collection

What you need to keep in mind about Taito Milestones 2 is that it is literally a bunch of Arcade Archives games compiled with a launcher. A few of these games have yet to be released on the??ir own, but all of them come packaged as the?y were first launched. This means that the menus don’t always line up, and some of them default to an ugly soft filter that you need to turn off in the options. I kind of wonder why Hamster hasn’t unified the backends of all of their games via updates, but that inconsistency shows itself as a nuisance when they’re all stacked together.

Otherwise, I’m pretty happy with Taito Milestones 2. It has a few games I’m already well acquainted with, alongside a few other obscure titles that I might not have tried on their own. It gives me the comfort of familiarity and the thrill of exploration. Sure, some of the games aren’t very good, but they’re at least bad in an almost impressive way. It’s a lot like Taito and Hamster put together a mix tape speci?fically for me and left it in my locker.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Taito Milestones 2 appeared first on Destructoid.

Rick-rolled

We've had some real treats join the humongous Arcade Archives range this past month. Not only did we get rare puzzler Tetris: The Absolute Grand Master 2 and run 'n' gun classic Rolling Thunder 2, but this week sees Hamster delve back into the Namco catalog and emerge with its controversial horror scrapper, Splatterhouse!

Released to Japanese arcades in 1988, before he??ading west the following year, this ultra-iconic release has managed to retain its brand power over the ensuing decades, despite ultimately being a series of visually exciting, but fairly average titles. Inspired by an array of hyper-violent horror franchises, Splatterhouse sees hero Rick sally forth into the mansion of Dr. Henry West, on a do-or-die mission to rescue his girlfriend, Jennifer, from the truly ??unholy creatures that reside within.

I??mbued with the power of the mysterious "Terror Mask", and armed with an array of improvisational weaponry, Rick presses on through seven surprisingly tough stages, (though this is frequently down to his sluggish movement rather than challenging design). Going beyond your regular ghouls 'n' ghosts, Splatterhouse boas?ts a disgusting array of enemies, from strange-skinned fetuses to creepy water ghouls, possessed furniture, limbless demons, and grossly vulgar body horror monstrosities.

You get check out all the guts 'n' gory glory in the trailer below, courtesy of Hamster itself.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRlxd6O1CW8

Splatterhouse is hardly a deep or even competent title, but it is, undeniably, arresting from a design standpoint. Shamelessly horrific and as unashamed of its own violence as much as its plagiarism. It also features a monster wielding a chainsaw and wearing a sack on its head before Leon S. Kennedy had even brushed his first fringe. Splatterhouse walks a line between being repetitively easy and hard-as-nails and, while flawed, is o?ddly compelling in its own clumsy fashion.

The arcade edition of Splatterhouse would receive heavily censored home ports on the PC Engine and several Japanese computers, before receiving two sequels on the Sega Mega Drive. Perhaps one of its most enjoyable iterations is the very silly Famicom version, known as Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti, which is well worth checking out. In 2010, Splatterhouse returned in a hack 'n' slash remake for PS3 and Xbox 360. This release was cri??tically panned, but fans of the series were able to find fun in its janky nature, which seemed oddly fitting given its predecessors.

Whether we ever see Splatterhouse again remains to be seen, but it would be a shame for the franchise to remain undead and buried for t??oo long.

Splatterhouse is ?available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch??, priced at around $8.

The post Namco’s iconic gorefest Splatterhouse hits the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Mars Needs Cheerleaders

Following a fortnight of run 'n' gun action and top-tier puzzling, we're going back to the stars with Hamster's favorite genre, the shmup �?Available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, it's the Arcade Archives' newest entry, Taito's Megablast!

Released to the coin-op market in 1989, Megablast is one of a tidal wave of (admittedly forgotten) shmups that filled out smoky arcade centers up and down the country. While the action is fairly typical of the era, the storyline is one for the ages. E??ssentially, World Peace has been achieved on Earth, but the planet has been ravaged by an en masse disappearance of women. As it turns out, a dying intergalactic populace known as the Zancs cannot interbreed, and is instead abducting Earth's women in order to help it repopulate its own race. Big ol' yikes on that one, Taito.

And there's no sign of Roddy Piper anywhere.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.

//www.youtube.com/watch???v=jlaXGd-SUbY&ab_channel=WorldofLongplays

And thus, fighter pilots Dawnson and Bogey are dispatched to confront the Zancs, speed up the extinction process, and bring back the planet's ladies, one of whom is Dawnson's own gal pal. What ??follows is standard horizontally-scrolling shmup action, depicted in Taito's typically oversized and kinda vulgar fashion. Power-ups can be gathered in order to boost the players' weaponry. Not explained is how our heroes plan to bring all of the women back to Earth in their two tiny, one-man vessels. But if? ask too many questions, then the minute of this carefully crafted narrative begins to come undone. So don't.

Megablast i??s available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, pri?ced at $8.

The post Rescue Earth’s women in Arcade Archives’ oddly-plotted Megablast appeared first on Destructoid.

Bravo, man

There's nothing a love more for a Saturday than giving you all the good word on a particular oddity joining the Arcade Archives range �?And this week's entry sees "oddity" doing some heavy lifting, as Hamster unleashes Bandai Namco's Transcendent Lovers Bella Bowman onto PS4 and Switch.

Released to the Japanese coin-op market in 1986, Transcendent Lovers Bella Bowman, (also known by the far less interesting name of Bravoman), is a simplistic side-scrolling actioner in the vein of the tokusat??su genre, as a mild-mannered salaryman dons the costume of a powerful superhero in order to stop the machinations of the evil Dr. Bakutu, (Dr. Bomb). Utilizing his telescopic limbs, Bella Bowman battles an army of minions across 33 stages, gathering powerups, defeating bosses, and receiving occasional assistance from his super-heroic f?riend, Lottery Man.

Check out the very sill action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSKS5U5b9o4

On release, Transcendent Lovers Bella Bowman was highly praised for its colorful and satirical visuals, cute animation, as well as its fun score, and use of pressure-sensiti?ve buttons, (which frequently broke). Today, however, it's frankly pretty terrible, although there is no denying the absolute charm with which it depicts the tokusatsu ?aesthetic.

While frustratingly difficult and not a whole lot ?of fun, it's still pleasing that this rarity is now finally available in the Arcade Archive catalog, as it represents not only a window into gaming culture, but also one of Japanese pop culture. As such, it retains a level of intrinsic value in spite of its gameplay shortcomings.

Transcendent Lovers Bella Bowman is available to download now on PS4 a???nd Nintendo Switch.

The post Transcendent? Lovers Bella Bowman brings its gor??geous name to the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

The true test of ergonomics returns

Another pretty special release has joined the Arcade Archives release, as publisher Hamster rolls out the intensely puzzling and bizarrely titled Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus �?now available to d??ownload on PS4 an?d Nintendo Switch.

Developed by Arika and published by the last bastion of the coin-op, Psikyo, Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus, (known in the community as simply "TGM2" or "TAP"), hit Japanese arcades in 2000, launched as a last-minute update to the original TGM2 board. Much like its predecessor, Tetris The Grand Master, TGM2 is an expert-level iteration of Alexey Pajitnov's classic block-bust?ing puzzler, and tasks players with us?ing adaptation and forward-thinking to manage a rapidly filling playfield of Tetrominos.

Check out a bout of TGM2 T.A. Death in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Masterjun3.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcjqNkiT8q0

TGM2 retains the complex gameplay of its predecessor but adds a casual player-friendly "Normal" mode, as well as an evolved edition of "Master" mode, which features huge acceleration after level 500. Also part of the update is the incredibly challenging "T.A. Death" mode, which features fixes 20G gravity settings, as well as a consistently high speed from the get-go. It is considered one of the most difficult challenges in Tetris history. The arrival of TGM2, (and previously TGM), on the Arcade Archives plugs a gap that has been in the collections of Tetris fans the world over for generations.

Well, at least in an official capacity... Now get droppin'!

Tetris The Absolute Grand Master 2 Plus is available t??o download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

The post Tetris The Absolute Grand Master? 2 Plus drops into the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Shmup No. 5,483 hits retro range

It's Saturday, and that means it's time to take a look at this week's Arcade Archives offering �?Once again, publisher Hamster is looking to the stars to save it, with the arrival of another galaxy-blasting shmup from yesteryear: Ark Area, now ??available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switc??h.

Developed by UPL and released to the coin-op market in 1987, Ark Area is a multidirectional shmup that chooses not to follow any strict horizontal/vertical plane to provide full 360, alien-zapping action. A loose sequel to UPL's own Nova 2001, Ark Area puts one or two players in the pilot seats of cute lil' ships, which must fend off extensive waves of enemies, which can attack from all directions. In typical shmup fashion, power-ups can be acquir??ed to increase firepower, and meaty boss battles are peppered throughout the game's 23 stages.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber SBH Gameplays.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJqDE7pAJpE

Following a fairly standard run on the arcade market, Ark Area simply faded into the annals of time, only to be resurrected by this here Arcade Archives release. It's a fun, formative little trip into shmupland, but even on release,  Ark Area was already being eclipsed by some of its flashier and more exciting contemporaries. Still, for completionists, yo?u now have another finger-mashing zapper to add to your collection, no doubt bursting at the seams by this point.

Ark Area is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at $8. Next week's Arcade Archives release will be Namco's excellent run 'n' gunner, Rolling Thunder 2.

The post Multidirectional blaster Ark Area warps int??o the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Go Nagai's legendary series hits the shmup scene

Something a bit special from the retro funsters of Hamster this week, as Banpresto's coin-op adaptation of the much-loved manga/anime series Mazinger Z has joined the Arcade Archives, and is now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released? to the Japanese arcade market in 1994, the vertically scrolling shmup is an adaptation of Go Nag?ai's iconic mecha franchise, which spawned numerous manga, anime, and theatrical films. Players choose from one of three vessels �?Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, or Grendizer �?before embarking on a mission to defeat the endless forces of The Mechanical Beasts, Mycenae Forces, and The Vegan Empire, which have combined their powers in a joint plan to conquer the world. What follows is eight stages of frenetic arcade action, as the Mazinger forces battle the three factions and the mastermind, Dr. Hell.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ1EgpzT??EjU&ab_channel=HAMSTERCorporation

While the arrival of Mazinger Z is very much a welcome one, it comes at something of a price, quite literally. In order to secure the license to release Mazinger Z, Hamster was pressed to roll out extra Yen to the license holders. The publisher is looking to pass this cost on to the player, as Mazinger Z will retail for twice the price of all Arcade Archives entries. This is the first time that Hamster has had to pay the additional licensing fee, which suggests that any future re-releases based ??on popular and lucrative brands might also see a lift in their retail costs.

It's rough, especially given that many Arcade Archives releases are already a little princely for their longevity, but for Mazinger fans, the extra bucker??oos wil?l probably be seen as a bill worth footing.

Mazinger Z i??s available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch priced at around $15.

The post Mazinger Z blasts off of th??e page and into the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Do the Wild Fang

Draw your swords, pick up your spellbook, and take my axe, as this week's entry to the Arcade Archives sees Hamster treat us to Koei Tecmo's high-fantasy brawler Tecmo Knight, now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to arcades in 1989, hot on the heels of Tecmo success Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Knight, (known in Japan as Wild Fang), sees the titular, muscle-bound hero battle their way through the Kingdom of Valdik, on a quest to rescue the town?speople from the clutches of the terrifying Beast Demon Army, (Beasts? Demons? Nah, both). Tecmo Knight is ably assisted by his tiger pal, "Tiger", who absolutely isn't Cringer, and? Smokeman, a deity who provides additional attacks and abilities.

Additionally, Tecmo Knight can call upon the power of a dragon, who can defeat any opponent with a single blast of fiery breath. Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Punch Pedia.

//www.youtube.com/watch??v=FWHuuRt_lho&;a?b_channel=PunchPedia

While Tecmo Knight at first glance appears to be Tecmo's take on Sega's own hit, Golden Axe, (and in many ways it is), Tecmo's offering is a little more finicky and precise in its controls, ala Ninja Gaiden, which makes it a trickier challenge and thus kept it from becomin?g a truly well-rememb?ered classic.

Oh, and like Ninja Gaiden, it has an a?nxiety-inducing Continue? screen, which sees the Tecmo Knight being eaten by a giant monster as he screams in pain. Failing to add a credit in time sees a helmeted beast hack through the screen, yelling "NO FUTURE!" like a 1978 British punk. A famously violent attract sequence was also ultimately censored before release, with further bloodletting, (decapitations in particular), ensuing throughout the game.

Tecmo Knight is definitely wor??th checking out, though it certainly lacks the? pace and energy of other brawlers of the day. It is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at $8.

The post Fantasy ??scrapper Tecmo ??Knight charges the Arcade Archives appeared first on Destructoid.

Silly shump returns

Something particularly fun and adorable from Hamster this week, as it bolsters its mammoth Arcade Archives range with the addition of Namco's cutesy '90s shmup Cosmo Gang the Video, now available to download on ??PS?4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to Japanese arcades in 1992, before receiving a home release on Super Famicom shortly thereafter, Cosmo Gang the Video is a spin-off shooter featuring characters that appeared in iconic redemption game Cosmo Gangs, a title which saw the player battling to prevent a squad of crazy-eyed creatures from stealing energy boxes to take back to their home planet. Cosmo Gang the Video adapts these characters and settings to ??a vertically scrolling shmup format, a genre in which Namco had proven itself a frontrunner.

//youtu.be/kfI4Z_P5joA

One to two players pilot the "Hyper Beat" space vessels, on a mission to fend off the Cosmo Gang, who has returned to cause further mayhem across the galaxy. The player battles waves of formation-based enemies over the course of 30+ stages, picking up power-ups and new weapons in order to even the odds against the Cosmo Gang's seemingly endless numbers. It should be noted that, despite its latter-day release date, the title is simplistic, even dated, when compared to the contemporary shmups of the day. Despite this, the arcade saw great success?? in ?its native Japan.

Cosmo Gang the Video is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. You Check out the very silly action in the video above, courtesy of YouTuber Insert Coin.

The post Join the Cosmo Gang for this week’s Arcade Archives action appeared first on Destructoid.

R-Trope

You might find yourself doing a double-take at this week's Arcade Archives release �?And nobody could blame you for suffering something of a sense of deja vu, as Hamster reaches into the bottomless well of old-school shmups and pulls out Allumer's suspiciously familiar Rezon.

Released to the arcade market in 1991, Rezon is a space-themed horizontal shmup, which puts the player in the cockpit of a hi-tech vessel, blasting off in a hazardous mission to the stars. As you battle your way through waves of enemy ships, ground walkers, and snaking, pattern-based baddies, your ship can be outfitted with a variety of cool new weapons and abilities, all of which will be more than necessary to redress the balance, as Rezon is nothing if not absol?utely rock solid �?borderline relentless.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Martinoz.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwXmOUfCpEQ&ab_chann?el=Martinoz

But let's address the elephant in the room: It's R-Type. It's shamelessly R-Type. Not in the sense that titles such as SNK's Last Resort are "kinda R-Type". Rezon is almost a direct clone, with carbon copy stage layouts, enemies, weapon designs, and general gameplay flow. Allumer's rip-off doesn't have the excellent bosses of Irem's 1987 hit, but it has practically? everything else.

Unsurprisingly, Rezon did not make its way to any home platform, perhaps more than aware of the questionable legal situation it might find itself in if too many eyes looked its way. Still, despite its xeroxed nature, it should be noted that Rezon provides a helluva challenge for hardened arcade fans, and is still worth a quick blast for the more? dedi??cated of shmuppers.

Rezon is ava?ilable to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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Do you think Niven got royalties?

This week's Arcade Archives entry is a particularly curious case, as publisher Hamster has reached right back into the dawning days of the coin-op era to present us with Namco's Navarone �??Now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released way back in 1980 �?the same year that Namco would blow the whole scene wide open with its seminal release, Pac-Man �?em> Navarone is a single-screen shmup that tasks the player with circling a battlefield, blasting away at gun encampments and debris in an effort to destroy the central base located at the center of the screen. It is similar, in a fashion, to titles like Atari's Centipede, althoug?h it offers more in the way of return fire, as well as movement acr??oss three sides of the game screen.

Check out the exceptionally old-school action below, courtesy of Old Classic Retro Gaming.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa??_k2xFH69g&ab_channel=OldClassicRetroGaming

Beautifully, the title attempts to sell the title as an adaptation of sorts to J. Lee Thompson's legendary 1961 movie The Guns of Navarone, itself an adaptation of Alistair MacLean'??s 1957 novel. One can only assume that this was not, however, an officially licensed Columbia Pictures product, which may go some way to explaining why Navarone would not receive a releas?e outside of Japan. Besides, once Pac-Man Fever gripped the planet, the lo-fi thrills of Navarone would quickly fade into the background.

Navarone is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, pric?ed at around $8.

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Back like a Bat Outta Hell

This week's Arcade Archives addition is a real forgotten gem, and sees Hamster reach well into the past to deliver Taito's unique and mythical platformer Bonze Adventure to PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Originally released to the arcade market in 1989, before later finding fame in a successful PC Engine port, Bonze Adventure, (or Jigoku Meguri in its native Japan), sees a Buddist monk venture into the bowels of the underworld itself in order to confront its monarch, King Emma, who has gone a little bit doolally and has thus lost control of Hell's denizens, which are escaping into t?he ??human realm.

Check out the action in the video below, from no less than Hamster Corporation itself.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk1jszprGlQ&a??mp;ab_channel=HAMSTERCor??poration

The surprisingly holy adventure sees Bonze venture through Emma's domain, defending himself with powered Buddist "Mala" beads, and warding off an array of demons, monsters, ghosts, spiders, and other creepy enemies and he picks his ways through a variety of glum, but strangely cute, environments. Several powerups can be gathered, and help is occasionally provided by an arriving Deva. A neat mechanic sees time represented by a series of melting candles. Despite its success, both in arcades and on the PC Engine, Bonze Adventure would f??all into relative obscurity, not receiving any sequels.

Bonze Adventure is available to download now on PS4 and Ninte?ndo Switch, pri??ced at around $8.

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*Now in 2D

This week's Arcade Archives entry is another Namco oddity, as Hamster has prepped and readied little-seen sequel 3D Thunder Ceptor II, now available to download ?on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released in 1986 as a pseudo-sequel to the original Thunder Ceptor, (which only launched earlier that same year), 3D Thunder Ceptor II ii an into-the-screen shmup/rail shooter, which sees the player pilot the titular vessel is fast-blasting sci-fi action. Devised as Namco's answer to Sega's hugely successful Space Harrier, Thunder Ceptor II features similar gameplay, (though nowhere near as fast), although it does include a rudi??mentary HUD, offering up information such as weapon selection and enemy position.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Replay Burners.

/??/www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeTC9pVdt44&ab_channel=ReplayBurners

In the arcades, 3D Thunder Ceptor II turned heads due to its groundbreaking use of stereoscopic 3D. The cabinet itself utilized a variety of layered windows in order to create false depth, making the enemies seemingly leap off the screen and toward the player. While the game itself wasn't widespread, its utilization of 3D technology was praised, with other developers following with their own 3D titles in the following years, including Namco's own Starblade. Of course, it goes without saying that the Arcade Archives release does not include 3D support, kind of re??moving a key element of game's concept.

3D Thunder Ceptor II is available to download now on? PS4 and Ninte?ndo Switch, priced at around $8.

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Flying cars and don't ask question

This week's Arcade Archives entry comes from the first-draft-name developer Video System, and sees us once again returning to the bottomless well of late-'80s/early-'90s shmups �?Now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, its vertically scrolling blaster Turbo Force!

Released to the arcade market in 1991, Turbo Force is the predecessor of smash release Sonic Wings, (better known in the west as Aero Fighters), and was a standout release for the shmup market, due to its support for up to three players over the typical genre standard of two. The "Turbo" of the title apparently refers to the player vessels, which are essentially flying sports cars packed out with powerful weaponry. Why, you ask? Frankly, it's hard to tell, as Turbo Force was developed as somet?hing of a mish-mash, a confusing project that shifted direction multiple times during its production period.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Paul Eales.

//www.youtube.com/watch??v=Q38QE0kW6DQ&ab_ch??annel=PaulEales

As such, while Turbo Force has a lot going for it �?with fast action, cool pixel visuals, and an army of varied enemies and boss characters �?the game is something of a tonal and directionless mess, lacking in story, purpose, or definitive theme. Regardless, lessons learned in the development of Turbo Force would lead to the inception of the Sonic Wings series, which would offer up a bounty of explosive hits both in the arcade and on home formats. Ultimately, Turbo Force was the "training wheels" for bette?r things to come, and stands today as more of a shmup curio than anything else.

Turbo Force is available to download now on ?PS4 and Nintendo? Switch, priced at around $8.

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Chocks Away!

A Namco rarity is joining the Arcade Archives this week, as Hamster reaches deep into its big bag of obscurities and pulls out Japan-only shmup sequel Sky Kid Deluxe, now avail??able to? download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the arcade market in 1986, Sky Kid Deluxe is was debuted on Namco's all-new System 86 hardware. Like its predecessor, the simplistic shmup features dogfighting action between a battalion of biplanes. The player is armed with a machine gun for sky-to-sky action, and bombs to take out battleships and other enemies lurking on land. Curiously for the genre, the horizon scrolls from left-to-right, rather than right-to-left, which is unique, but feels extremely weird given the (literal) direction the genre would take. The Deluxe edition also features alternate colors, ??weather effects, and ne?w enemies.

You can check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Were1974.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nyEeHx4i4s&ab_channel=?Were19?74

Unfortunately for Sky Kid Deluxe, it launched at a time of a genre renaissance, with the arrival of a plethora of great, groundbreaking shmups such as R-Type, Gradius, 1942, Parodius, and many others. As such, Sky Kid Deluxe looked, (and played), pretty much archaic in com??parison and would only perform modestly in Japan. Namco would choose?? not to port the sequel overseas, and it would not receive an official release in the west until its inclusion in the Namco Museum Virtual Arcade release in 2008.

Sky Kid Deluxe is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8. The original Sky Kid is also available as part of the Arcade Archives range.

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Tank you very much

?After spending several weeks in the land of Taito, retro purveyor Hamster is taking another trip into Namco's past, with the arrival of the obscure cyber-tank battler Gr?obda, now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the arcade market in 1984, Grobda is a side title in the Xevious shmup series, and sees one of the enemies of that game repurposed as a mighty battle tank. Essentially a futuristic version of the golden age Atari game, Combat, Grobda sees players control the titular tank against a battalion of enemies in top-down, maze-driven action. The player must utilize the Grobda's laser weaponry to destroy t?heir opponents while dodging return fire across a ?gauntlet of 99 stages.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Old Classic Retro Gaming.

//ww??w.youtube.com/watch?v=TAXdlXLPlRQ&ab_channel=OldCla??ssicRetroGaming

Having launched just on the verge of the Video Game Crash, Grobda would swiftly vanish into the void, though home versions were developed for Japanese platforms such as the Sharp X1 and the NEC PC-6001. Grobda development team featured some notable Namco luminaries, including Tower of Druaga designer Masanobu Endo, and Dig Dug composer Yuriko Keino. Always a pioneer, Keino devised a mechanic that allowed Grobda to speed up her s?core as the action heated up, a fun little gimmick for the time. Development was smashed out in a mere three months from conception to release. Wild days.

Grobda is available to download?? now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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The rules are simple, yet frightening...

Having treated us to a couple of bonafide back-to-back classics in January, retro-loving publisher Hamster is kicking off the new month with something especially obscure for the Arcade Archives, with the arrival of Seta/Allumer's digital card game Magical Speed, now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Hitting the Japanese coin-op scene in 1994, Magical Speed is an anime-infused version of the classical "Speed" card game, which sees two players go head-to-head in a race to shed their respective hands? as quickly as possible. Players simultaneously attempt to match cards in their deck with the top card in a central pool �?constantly pulling from a side deck in a bid to be the first to deplete all cards in hand. It's simpler than yer boy is making it sound, but perhaps not so much when presented in Japanese by shouting anime characters

Deal yourself a hand in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber edzvision.

??//www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_dVkoBuOrM&ab_channel=edzvision

Magical Speed, which was generally presented in cocktail cabinet form, follows the rules of the tabletop classic but adds cutesy characters and a thin "adventure" storyline, as a hero makes their way through a fantasy kingdom, taking on a variety of opponents. As this Arcade Archives release represents the Japanese ROM, there is no English localization, although an English manual is included. While perhaps the nichest Arcade Archives release in some time, this obscure oddity is worth a look for tradi??tional card game fans. Who knows, you? might end up searching for cocktail cabinets on eBay.

Magical Speed is ava??ilable to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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It's all Greek to me

A pretty special shmup release has joined the ranks of Hamster's Arcade Archives this week, as Namco's mythological and controversial blaster Phelios is now av?ailable to download on PS4 an??d Nintendo Switch.

Released to the Japanese arcade market in 1989, before later being ported to the Sega Mega Drive, Phelios is a vertically-scrolling shmup that is (very loosely) patterned after Greek mythology. Players don the mighty armor of the sun god Apollo, who mounts his mighty steed Pegasus and embarks upon a mission to rescue his wife, Artemis, who has been ?abducted by the serpentine god, Typhon. Players guide Apollo through seven famously challenging stages, taking on notable boss characters such as Medusa, Antaeus, Cerberus, and The Sirens. Dusa would never.

Check out the button-mashing action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Replay Burners.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsQeeVpFYsU&ab_channel=ReplayB??urners

While Phelios was a massive success in its native Japan, it would, unfortunately, be rarely seen outside of its native territory. Much like Namco's previous Rolling Thunder, players were greeted with images of the damsel, Artemis, chained and tortured between stages, which left Namco a little nervous about shipping the title westward. Phelios is also one of the harder shmup titles of its day, with even standard enemies often requiring multiple shots to dispatch. With its sexual content and high di?fficulty, Phelios would not become a mainstay of North America's arcade centers.

Still, it remains a genuinely tough and engaging title. And the now ultra-mild "sexual scenes", along with the hilariously loose use of Greek mythology, (from Apollo riding Pegasus as a pet, to the use of the famously heterosexual hunt goddess Artemis as his "princess wife"), makes Phelios one of the more interesting examples of the late-'8??0s shmup g?enre.

Phelios is available to download now on PS4 and Ninetndo Switch,? ??priced at around $8.

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Cutesy platforming legend returns on PS4 and Nintendo Switch

A real Taito gem has been added to the Arcade Archives this week, as Hamster has re-released the veteran arcade developers' ultra-cute, ultra-challenging platform actioner The NewZealand Story, now ava?ilable to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the arcade market ??in 1988, before swiftly being ported to a wide variety of home computer and console platforms. The story concerns a charming, dot-eyed kiwi known as Tiki, who is the sole escapee from a flock of his brethren, abducted by a huge, nefarious walrus. Seriously outnumbered and outweighed, Tiki donss his best pair of kicks, grabs his trusty bow-and-arrow, and ventures forth across a highly-stylized "NewZealand", determined to rescue his party of pals and the love of his life, Phee-Phee.

You can check out the adorable action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Shadowserg.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdyRIX4q0MY&ab_channel??=Shadowserg

What follows is some delightfully cartoonish platform action, as Tiki navigates four distinct zones, each containing four stages. At the end of each zone, a huge level guardian awaits, who Tiki must defeat to save?? a pal and journey into the next sector. It's a wonderful example of the genre, recognized for its fun visuals, infectious music??, and cute characters. As playable today as it ever was.

The NewZealand Story would be a smash hit in both the arcade and the home markets, selling an amazing amount of copies on platforms such as the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, and Commodore Amiga. Such is the legacy of Taito's '80s hit, our loveable hero Tiki, despite only cameoing in a few titles since, is stillone of gaming's most instantly recognizable characters, even to those y??et to experience his iconic adventure.

The NewZealand Story is now available to download on PS4 ??and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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Tanks for the Memories

Once again, retro-lovin' publisher Hamster is reaching into the past of legendary studio Namco for another addition to its massive Arcade Archive range �?This week sees the arrival of one of the developer's lesser-known '90s hits, Tank Force, ??now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the arcade market in 1991, Tank Force is the third release in Namco's unofficial "Tank Battalion" trilogy �?preceded by Tank Battalion (1980) and Battle City (1985). This multi-directional shooter se??es up to four players ?battle it out in top-down, caterpillar-rolling action. A total of seven different tanks are available, all featuring their own respective traits and weapons, and a massive arsenal of 15 weapons and power-ups can be picked up to turn the tide of battle in your favor.

Check out the warfaring action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber VideoGaming4U.

//www.youtube.com/watch??v=DsRkKaIYdYo&ab_channel=V?ideoGaming4U

Featuring maze-like maps, destructible environments, land hazards, and winner-takes-all gameplay, Tank Force can be seen as something of an alternate to multiplayer hits such as Irem's cutesy hit Bomberman, though it obviously lacks the charm and charisma of the Hudson Soft series. Tank Force would not be ported to the home market of the 1990s, though it would make a reappearance as part of a number of Namco classic compendiums. Today, Tank Force's dynam?ic, score?-attack-based gameplay has helped attract a niche but devoted community, still chasing those '90s high-score dreams.

Tank Force is available to download now on PS??4 ??and Nintendo Switch, priced at around $8.

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Tanks a Lot

For this week's addition to the Arcade Archives, retro-funsters Hamster have gone way back to the early gaming years of Tecmo, with a revisit of the developer's tank-based blaster Senjyo, now available t??o download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.

Released to the fledgling arcade market in 1983, Senjyo, (or "Battlefield"), sees players manning the cannon of a hi-tech tank, charged with taking down an attacking force of alien invaders. The player can rotate the tank through a 360-degree landscape, utilizing radar to locate the attackers. Senjyo was highly praised in its day for using parallax scrolling and forced perspective to give the illusion of 3D visuals, though ??some players were frustrated by the sluggish m??ovement of the tank itself.

Check out the action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber Old Classic Retro Gaming.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM2HUV??Ma8vQ&ab_channel=OldClassicRetroGaming

Senjyo would head to western arcades in 1984, arriving just in time for the market crash. Undaunted, developer Tehkan would eventually return with several sizeable hits for the home and arcade market, eventually changes its name to the more localization-friendly "Tecmo". As I'm sure nobody needs reminding, Tecmo would merge with Koei in 2009 to form Koei Tecmo, which is today best known for franchises such as Dead or Alive, Dynasty Warriors, Monster Rancher, and Fatal Frame.

Senjyo is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo?? Switch, priced at around $8.

The post Experience Tecmo’s formative years with Arcade Archives’ Senjyo appeared first on Destructoid.

Gal-Ag-Ah?

Following on from last week's addition of Taito's iconic Bubble Bobble, Hamster has got another pioneering classic lined up for that Arcade Archives, in the form of Namco's legendary shmup Galaga, now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo?? Switch.

Launched in 1981 as the sequel to the genre-defining Galaxian, Galaga is one of the most instantly recognizable titles of the formative years of the arcade. Players control a lone ship, piloting through the stars and taking on the invading forces of Galaga. Building upon Galaxian's award-winning action, Galaga offered an imp??roved audio/video package, as well as cool new features such as the famous "Tractor Beam" enemy, and the ability for both the player and the enemy to morph into boosted variants of themselves.

Check out the classic interstellar action in the video below, courtesy of YouTuber World of Longplays.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=29VVkfuXkVI&ab_chann?el??=WorldofLongplays

Designed and developed by a small team within Namco, led by Shigeru Yokoyama, Galaga far surpassed the company's expectations, gaining the attention of the executives, which lead to increased efforts in marketing and shipping of the finished product. Galaga was a global smash on release, and would continue to be a mainstay of arcade centers well through the crash and into the late '80s. A gaming icon, Galaga has popped up in multiple movies �?including WarGames, The Karate Kid, and The Avengers �?/em> and has even had an extinct species of prehistoric shark named after it!