Taito's 1982 top-down river adventure game, Adventure Canoe, isn't exactly the best-known or best-documented game from the legendary arcade developer.
If you look it up online, for instance, one of the first search results is a forum thread from 2019 where commenters are questioning whether the game was even real or simply a bootleg that had been mistaken for a Taito release.
As far as we're aware, it's only ever been reissued once, on the Egret Mini II in 2022, and it doesn't even have a Wikipedia page (Japanese or English) or even an entry on MobyGames to reference. Despite that, though, Hamster has decided to pick it as this week's Arcade Archives/Arcade Archives 2 title, with the company announcing plans to reissue the game across Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S tomorrow, on Thursday, February 19th, 2026.
The game, from what we can tell, seems to be very similar in style to other early '80s Taito games like Alpine Skater and Wild Western, but, as the name suggests, puts players in control of a canoe making its way down a river, with the goal being to fight against the current, while avoiding crocodiles, whirlpools, and driftwood.
Players can steer the canoe left or right to take different routes on the river to earn a greater or lesser amount of points, and can also fire ahead of them to attack pelicans that fly across the screen for a bonus.
Brave canoeist, challenge the unknown rapids!
"ADVENTURE CANOE" is an action game released by TAITO in 1982.
Your goal is to paddle your canoe down the river and venture deep into the uncharted backcountry. Watch out for driftwood floating downstream and the fierce river currents.
Rumor has it that terrifying crocodiles and outlaws inhabit these waters... Reach the finish line safely and prove your courage!
The Arcade Archives version of the game (on Nintendo Switch & PS4) will cost $7.99, and comes with an ORIGINAL MODE, HI SCORE MODE, CARAVAN MODE, alongside screen filters and online rankings. The Arcade Archives 2 version (Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S), meanwhile, adds a bonus TIME ATTACK MODE and will be priced at $9.99.