Following the one-two punch of Space Invaders and Space Invaders Part II over the Christmas period, Hamster has announced that the next arcade title it will bring to modern consoles will be SNK's 1987 sports game, Touchdown Fever.
It will be released across Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S on Thursday, January 8th, with versions for PS4 and PS5 expected to drop on Tuesday, January 13th.
Touchdown Fever, as the title suggests, is based on the sport of American football, and is not to be confused with the earlier 1970s arcade game of the same name from Telmark. It is presented from a top-down perspective and was released at the time as both a two-player upright cabinet and a four-player cocktail version, with players controlling the characters on the field with two buttons (pass/run) and an 8-way joystick (similar to the one used on the SNK run 'n' gunner Ikari Warriors).
An update/sequel, Touchdown Fever II, followed in 1988. This was also accompanied by a Famicom version of the original game, the same year, which would later be released for the NES in 1991. As you'd probably expect, this version of the game featured simplified graphics and gameplay to fit Nintendo's 8-bit systems.
Here's the official description of the title from Hamster:
"TOUCHDOWN FEVER" is a sports game released by SNK in 1987.
Tap the buttons to push forward—simple controls make it easy to enjoy the flow of American football. With over a hundred formations selected automatically, even beginners unfamiliar with detailed tactics can relax and enjoy the game."
The Arcade Archives version for Nintendo Switch and PS4 is expected to cost $7.99, and typically comes with a bunch of additional display settings, online leaderboards, and modes like a "HI SCORE MODE" and "CARAVAN MODE".
Meanwhile, the Arcade Archives 2 version for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions will be priced slightly higher at $9.99, and also usually benefits from a bonus "TIME ATTACK MODE". A $2.99 upgrade option is also available for those who want to upgrade from the PS4 to the PS5 edition.
Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments!