After taking us on a trip to feudal Japan last week with its console reissue of the NES title Nobunaga's Ambition, Hamster, the creator of Console Archives, has announced plans to send players to the skies this week with a rerelease of Video System's 1996 PlayStation title Sonic Wings Special.
Console Archives Sonic Wings Special.will be released on March 12th, 2026, on PS5 and on March 13th, 2026, on Nintendo Switch 2, according to the official website, with both versions featuring the usual features associated with these releases.
This includes customizable button layouts, rapid-fire settings, multiple save points, and the ability to adjust the screen layout and filters to replicate the look of a CRT monitor. Both versions will cost $11.99, the same price the company previously charged for Cool Boarders earlier this year.
Originally released exclusively for the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation in Japan (A PS1 PAL version was released later by Phoenix Games in 2004), Sonic Wings Special is the first title in the vertically scrolling shoot 'em up series designed specifically for home consoles. It saw players take control of members of Project Blue, a multinational group of pilots, on a mission to defeat a secret organisation called Fata Morgana, which possesses a weapon capable of wiping out two-thirds of the world's population.
Notably, the game featured levels, enemies, and characters from previous Sonic Wings games, such as Sonic Wings, Sonic Wings 2, and Sonic Wings 3, and would later also go on to serve as the inspiration for the 1997 arcade game Sonic Wings Limited (known as Aero Fighters Special in North America). In the past, the game has been made available on the PlayStation Network in several regions on the PS3, PSP, and PS Vita, and has also received an Android port in 2012.
Here's the official description from the developers:
"12 aero fighters and 24 fighter jets—unite now!
"SONIC WINGS Special" was released by VIDEO SYSTEM in 1996 for a 32-bit home console.
In this shooting game, a diverse group of fighter pilots from around the world battle to stop a coup staged by an evil organization.
The game features a multi-ending system where the story route changes based on the player's choices. Choose your ultimate partner and fight to restore world peace!"