D4 Enterprise has announced it will soon be rereleasing the PC-98 version Microcabin's action-RPG Fray on Nintendo Switch.
Fray is a spin-off to the cult RPG series Xak, taking place pretty much simultaneously to the events of the second game. It was originally launched for MSX computers in 1990, but would also eventually end up receiving a couple of additional ports to other Japanese computers, like the PC-88 and PC-98, in 1991.
As the title suggests, the spin-off focuses on the adventure of a young girl named Fray, who is a character that initially debuted in the very first game in the series as a figure that Xak protagonist Latok Kart rescues on his quest to slay the demon Badu.
The story rejoins Fray a few years after the events of the first game as she has just finished training at a magic school in the hopes of proving to Latok that she can be an brave adventurer too.
Hoping to aid Latok on his latest quest, she sets off to his the village of Banuwa only to discover he has already embarked without her, leading her to follow his journey across the map.
Here's some PR:
"This action RPG, released in Japan by Micro Cabin in 1991, is a spin-off starring Fray, a popular character from “Xak.” Unlike the serious tone of the Xak titles, this features a lighthearted and fun adventure.
The game is a top-down action RPG where you can freely explore towns, but in adventure stages, the screen scrolls only upward. You’ll need to use charged attacks and jumping to push forward. Note that the scrolling in adventure scenes is not forced like in shooting games— it scrolls upward only as you move, allowing for a more relaxed play style."
This latest reissue is another entry in D4 Enterprise's ongoing EGGCONSOLE series of retro reissues, which has previously seen company rereleasing emulation-based versions of classic titles for MSX, MSX2, and PC-88 systems on the Nintendo machine.
It will launch on July 3rd, 2025, marking the Fray's first-ever official release in the West. However, there is a bit of a catch that we should probably highlight.
As is fairly common with most of these EGGCONSOLE rereleases, the game won't feature a new English translation, but will instead come with the original Japanese text, along with English instructions on how to play. As a result, it won't exactly be the definitive localization that most Western fans of the series will have been hoping for, but instead a barebones way to experience the title on a Nintendo platform.