The first time I laid eyes on an NES was at a family friend’s house, where their son was playing Ghosts n Goblins. What an impression it made! I was smitten, and within a few months had saved up enough to buy my own NES, and eventually a copy of that Capcom gem. By the time I beat the game I’d really gotten my money’s worth! Loved the sequels on Genesis and Super Nintendo, too.
I’ve waited 5+ years for a physical release of G&G Resurrection, but I guess it’s never going to happen. Such a shame!
@PKDuckman I agree! I’ve enjoyed those games on the Egret II Mini, especially Elevator Action Returns and Lightbringer (Dungeon Magic), but it’s a shame they’re not available a la carte on Arcade Archives. It’s odd that Hamster has ported Namco’s more recent and advanced games, but not Taito’s.
Maybe Taito/Squeenix set up a licensing deal with City Connection or somebody that is boxing out Hamster? Who knows? But I hope they can resolve it.
Like I mentioned on Nintendo Life, this collection overlaps a lot with the Egret II Mini’s library, but I’ll still pick it up to have a shelf copy I can play on Switch.
While promoting Milestones 5 on the Arcade Archives livestream this morning, Hamster prez Hamada-san promised to have the trackball and paddle games (Arkanoid 2, Plump Pop, and Marine Date) patched up to be ready for HORI’s modular multi-arcade controller that releases next Spring. But the question is - will HORI offer the controller to customers internationally? The controller’s preorder window is closed already and it was restricted to Japan residents only (I had to jump through serious hoops to get around that, and shipping/trump tariff is going to cost a fortune).
I liked Prehistoric Isle on the SNK 40th. The way you rotate around the “option” pod to shoot in different directions a la Forgotten Worlds makes me wonder if the arcade cabinet originally used a “loop lever” joystick like Ikari Warriors?
Really I thought this was already on Arcade Archives. But nope, it was only the sequel.
@Quick_Man @mjparker77 Thank you both. I appreciate the validation today, and agree with both your points!
To try and keep this brief and not ruffle more feathers, I'll just say I'm not what you'd call a purist either. Nor am I a very technical person. I don't even game on PC or MAME! But I do love video games, ever since I was a young kid and first set eyes on a Space Invaders cabinet. And I do appreciate what Hamster is doing, bringing out so many old arcade games and now, old console games. You could say they are bare-bones releases, but they usually perform well enough and are priced fairly enough, compared to the market.
I just like having a legitimate way to buy and play some of these vintage titles, and seeing some history shared for posterity. Just this morning (Thu night in Japan), they had 9 guests from Namco on the weekly livestream, talking and laughing about the challenges of developing Ace Driver Final Lap, and how cool the deluxe sit-down version was, with it's tilting seats. Granted, all the conversation was in Japanese, but it will be translated and accessible at some point, I hope, so people can get a better sense of the role Hamster plays preserving these games, and the fun they are having doing so.
@mjparker77 Believe me, I know! I spoke up in defense of Arcade Archives a few weeks ago and now his vendetta against them includes me, too.
I’ve loved Hamster’s work on Arcade Archives, though Console Archives is a much muddier arena for them to navigate, and they’re going to disappoint more people there. I can understand why people are bummed when Hamster doesn’t offer the English localization of those console games, but getting licensed with the foreign IP holders is probably a bridge too far for them.
So yeah, disappointment I understand. But outright hating a company that’s done so much good work, I don’t get.
I still have my old used copy of the Japanese PS1 game. I think I bought it in ‘97 and played it a lot back then. I’ll have to fire it up again and see if it still works!
@gmar
How much did Hamster pay me??
Friend, I wish!
I just showed up to give people a counterpoint to your complaints. As much as you seem to dislike Hamster, I respect them and appreciate what they’re doing. If I read what feels like unfair criticism of them, I’ll tend to jump in and defend. There’s not many companies I’d bother to do that for!
I get it, though. There’s a culture divide at work, and it can seem like Hamster is distant and doesn’t care about foreigners. I don’t think that’s the case. There are just limits to how much they can do within the mission they set out for themselves.
Ah yes, hello, I am the problem person with Japanese language ability that @gmar refers to, the one who loves Hamster.
Surprise! Gmar is here today complaining about a untranslated game. How entitled! How predictable! Apparently gmar feels that every one of the 600+ games that Hamster has ported over the last 12 years should be multi-lingual, sold in every region, and cost less than a cup of coffee, or else Hamster is “unscrupulous!”
This is not EA or Activision we are talking about here. Hamster is a modestly-sized company with modest means. Their main market is Japan. They license and port games from IP holders in Japan. The vast majority of Hamster’s releases are available in multiple languages, but some are Japanese only.
I suspect Hamster would love to translate every game, had they the resources to do so. But some of these games, like The Drug Store, never left Japan and never had an official English translation. Some games were released overseas previously, but the translations have foreign rights holders. If you feel Hamster can afford to translate all such titles or contract with all the different foreign IP holders, you misunderstand their business model. They’re not publishing 5-10 1st-party games annually, it’s more like 52-100 games annually, and as a licensor most of the time.
Look at it this way: they could restrict the untranslated games to the Japan eShop only. Would you prefer that? At least they offer the game to players overseas who are willing to try. And yes, there’s even some weirdos like me who studied the language and like having the option, translated or not.
TLDR: The untranslated games shouldn’t be interpreted as some kind of haughty insult towards the foreign customers. It’s due to lack of time, resources, and ROI.
@PKDuckman
SEGA on Arcade Archives would be awesome! I wish Sega didn’t abandon their Sega Ages line.
But when I saw footage of UAG this morning, and those sampled explosions, it instantly reminded me of Twin Eagle, the only Seta arcade game I remember encountering back in the 80s. That was a quality vertical shmup that took a bunch of my quarters for a time. I hope it makes it to Ake-Aka or Egret II some day soon.
Speaking of UAG, though, I have to go back and try it again on the Egret. It just didn’t grab me when I played it last.
@gmar Umm what? Are you still sore Hamster charged full price for Space Invaders? And you call MY opinions “rubbish” and “nonsense?” Oh, that is rich!
Just because you feel Hamster overcharges for games does not make them an unscrupulous company. I’d say there are plenty of other companies WAY more deserving of the label. Hamster delivers a consistent product, every single week, and I feel the pricing is within reason.
And yeah, my opinion of them is informed by my Japanese fluency, and experience living in Japan for almost a decade. So what?? If anything, it provides me a fuller picture of what they’re doing, which is honest, hard work. The Hamster president and all the developer guests who appear on their livestream most weeks love games, and they’re excited to preserve and bring back some of these lost gems. I feel their enthusiasm, and it comes out in my posts here. Hey, at least I have an informed opinion! How about you?
Actually, forget I asked. Someone who dismisses others as “Wapanese” must have some pretty ingrained biases, so I’m not going to bother arguing further with you.
@h3s
Ooh yeah Mazinger Z! I’ve been meaning to buy that ever since it launched. I really liked the other licensed Banpresto games (Macross and Macross II) but for some reason I kept waiting for a sale on Mazinger that has never come. I’ll pick it up eventually - thanks for the recommendation!
It’s true that Arcade Archive news is really sparse in the West, sadly. There’s info in Japan, though you have to get around the language barrier. I lived in Japan and have decent language ability, so I really enjoy watching Hamster’s livestream every Thursday morning. They talk about the weekly releases, do some gameplay, and often have some of the original devs come in as guests to describe how the games were built. There may be some auto-subtitle option on YouTube these days that could help, if you ever wanted to check that out. Even the modest older games have pretty interesting origins, when you look at them in context.
@h3s Hmm well tastes vary, but I’d say Warrior Blade is worth it if you’re fond of the original Rastan or beat ‘em ups like Golden Axe.
Ninja Warriors is a side scrolling slash ‘em up arcade classic, presentation was top-notch for the era with its multi-screen stretch layout and wild theme song. Probably more style than substance, but it’s a quality game!
I personally will be getting Front Line, for a couple reasons. 1) It’s the granddaddy of games like Ikari Warriors - an older game but a fun one I played a ton on Colecovision growing up. 2) Hamster will be build in compatibility with the “loop lever” revolving joystick on the HORI modular arcade stick I managed to preorder. I’ll be keen to try that out.
Elevator Action might even be worth it for you, if you’re not averse to older games or enjoyed the NES version.
If they stretch the Taito sale to a 3rd week and include Elevator Action Returns, though, definitely jump on that!
Sorry to drone on. I’m just a fan of Taito and Arcade Archives in general. 😅
Hmm interesting - not one that’s come to Egret II, and no surprise, either, since it was dual-screen game like Rastan 3 (aka Warrior Blade, which is on sale this week with some other Arcade Archives Taito games). I’ll look forward to seeing more about the game during Hamster’s livestream for it in November. Apparently it’ll be the first home port of the dual-screen version of the game.
If anybody’s wondering how to pronounce the title, it’s read “ikujiizasu” in Japanese, so “ickzeesus” is probably close enough. 😁
Had it been a real cartridge, I would have considered upgrading from the Switch 1 collections I bought. But nope! Not gonna spend the moolah for a lousy game key card.
@KingMike Yeah I thought that was interesting - missed shots result in craters which hem you in. That really incentivizes accuracy!
We will now have Balloon Bomber, Crazy Balloon, King & Balloon, and VS Balloon Fight all available on Arcade Archives. Games from a more buoyant time! 😌
I always meant to watch this movie, back in my college days, but even with free rentals (I worked part-time at a Blockbuster Video at the time), I never got around to it. I was too infatuated with Japanese giant robot productions! It wasn't until much later (Pacific Rim) that I paid any attention to Western takes on the genre. Unless The Mighty Orbots counts? That was a US/Japan coproduction.
I do love my mech games, though, so I'd definitely welcome a Robot Jox game of some kind. After somebody makes a Mighty Orbots one!
@MontyCircus Hamada-san seemed determined and enthusiastic about this collab with HORI. I think it is a safe bet that Hamster eventually will adapt all their relevant past releases and all new ones going forward to use HORI's new trackball/spinner/loop lever inputs. After a few tries, my "Amazon JP pay" transaction worked on HORI's webstore, so I successfully preordered a controller. It's going to cost a mint to import such a huge piece of hardware next spring. I just hope it arrives intact! I'm really looking forward to trying the Arkanoid games and a few others with it.
HORI is saying it is a preorder-only item, and the window closes in early October. I sincerely hope they offer it to NA and European players, too, though!
I love the original Mr. Do! and would have insta-bought this one, too, but Mr. Do's Castle is one of the games coming to the Egret II Mini in next spring's Universal/Irem expansion pack. I'm tempted to double dip! I know I'll enjoy it, even if it's not a game I've ever played or seen in the wild - other than it looking fun on the old STARCADE game show.
The Hamster livestream this morning also reminded me I have to pick up Dacholer / Kick Boy, though I don't need Time Attack mode, so maybe just the original Ake-Aka release. Hamada-shacho also pledged full Hamster support for HORI's upcoming Arcade Classic Pro controller, with the nifty trackball, spinner, and loop lever modules. He said there are like 40 games on Ake-Aka that can take advantage of those input types, and they would roll out patches as quickly as they can.
@MontyCircus One nostalgic feature of the Console Archives release is that it lets you use dual NES/Famicom controllers held in "tate" fashion to play the game, just like the original. So you can bust out your NSO controllers on Switch/S2 (mine are underutilized, lately). Even so, I would rather play the arcade version or its sequel, for sure. They've been on my wishlist for a while!
The single most heroic voice of 80’s TV. Mr. Cullen, the way you breathed life into Optimus inspired a generation of kids. You’ll live on in our memories. ❤️🔥
Yes! I was starting to feel like Taito would announce this next expansion soon. I love my little Egret (I’ve got all the expansions and peripherals so far) and look forward to more Egret goodness every December.
@Shiryu @Gojiguy Like @Moroboshi876 said, I also advise using Amazon JP to shop for Egret stuff. Usually the new expansion pack and any new or restocked accessories go up for preorder right after the Famitsu presentation ends, and I jump on them quickly. It’s usually “open preorders” for a few weeks, but then Taito locks down the production quantities and then things can sell out fast depending on the demand.
It would be nice if they finally give the trackball set a proper re-release, for everyone who missed out.
Last year they hinted right away that we’d be getting 3rd party games in the expansion pack, but looks like they’re not committing either way yet this time. If they go 3rd party, I hope Irem is in there and Egappi-san pulls Kung Fu out of his magic hat. If we go back to Taito games, I’ll never stop begging for Chase HQ. A steering wheel peripheral would be cool, as there’s a number of driving games they could offer then.
If anything deserves an arcade cab replica, it’s Outrun. I’m truly tempted, if only I had a bigger house! Hopefully the build quality is good and the games feel right.
If box art leaked for PS5, that bodes well for a Switch physical, too! I’ve already got Jaleco Arcade Collection 1 on Evercade, but would gladly invest in these 2 fairly generous volumes if they are proper Switch /Switch 2 carts.
@MontyCircus
Agree 100%! I never witnessed my mom play a video game, but she always came through with excellent titles or replacement Coleco controllers (we broke those things constantly) at Christmastime! I’m pretty sure that’s how we got Lady Bug.
It really was a fun and compelling game from Coleco, and got plenty of screen time.
I bet Arcade Archives Cosmic Avenger is in the pipeline, too. 🤞
Looks decent, even if it's not a theme that would immediately draw me in. Steve Ritchie designs some fast pins, so he's a perfect fit! Hopefully I'll come across the table one day.
I think the BEMs ("Bug-Eyed Monsters") somersaulting down seem pretty cute! Just good-naturedly building their death robot with the cheerful voice samples. I'll have to dig up my copy of SI Invincible Collection to give the game a try.
I picked up a copy of the Wizardry game released on Switch a few years ago, but it’s been waiting its turn patiently in the backlog. I’ve read of how popular a game it was, especially in Japan, and I’m sure I’ll dig it once I finally start it up. Happy Anniversary to an important game!
Robert Woodhead’s name sounded so familiar - it’s because he founded AnimEigo, the anime licensing company! I watched a bunch of their VHS tapes back in the 90s.
Cameltry (I have to keep reminding myself to pronounce it as “camel - trai” like Taito does in Japan) is quite fun on the Egret II Mini with the paddle & trackball controller. I imagine it might play decent enough with an analog stick, but paddle is definitely the intended and best UI.
@slider1983 Nor did I insinuate you were my bro — just that the people offended enough by Damien’s distaste for GenAI to dog-pile on him here in the comments may be aggrieved tech-bros. Because I can’t imagine who else would rush to AI’s defense? I see any benefits of AI being far outweighed by its potential risks.
On topic: I was a Kickstarter backer for this Mega-Man book, and thoroughly enjoyed flipping through it. I love Phil’s style, and his enthusiasm for the characters and stories of the classic games he has covered (his earlier LOZ guide is probably my favorite). Phil’s books are like the ultimate evolution of the simple maps and notes that so many of us sketched when we played those 8- and 16-bit games back then.
Based on his Kickstarter blog and a couple of friendly emails we exchanged, I imagine Phil would have zero problem with his art being characterized as a refreshing breath of creativity in an age tainted by AI slop.
It’s funny how some people expect the chief editor of a nostalgia-laced retro gaming site to embrace Gen AI.
Please @Damo , don’t cater to the tech bro minority hoping for big returns on their Anthropic and data center stock investments. I’m sure the majority of your readership don’t want AI. We don’t need AI. And we certainly don’t mind when you call it out as the soulless, destructive slop it is.
I didn’t even know this was a home port of an arcade game! I played Air Busters on Genesis at length with a good friend. I can’t remember, but one of us bought the game or else traded for it, and we didn’t exactly have high hopes based on the cover. What a surprise to learn it was actually an awesome 2-player co-op game! One of the best in the genre at the time, and I still have fond memories of the tunnel sequences and the game’s overall quality.
It’s actually a title I’d love to try and re-acquire now, if it’s not ungodly expensive. Thanks for the reminder, Damien!
Edit: now that I look at eBay listings, yow! It is a premium game now. Can’t say I’m surprised. And maybe we never did try the Kaneko glove - it looks different than what I was thinking of. Must’ve been some other game glove. Memories from the early 90s are rather spotty at this point!
@gmar Hey we’re all entitled to our own sense of values. If you feel that $8 per game is too expensive, well, that’s your valid opinion and I’m not going to try and change your mind. Our circumstances and how much we value these old games varies, right?
I grew up in the eighties playing these arcade games, and back then I’d pay $40-$50 or more to play an inferior NES, SNES, or Genesis port of them at home. Arcade envy was real back then. Now I can buy a virtually arcade-perfect port optimized for home and with online leaderboards, for the cost of a sandwich! I’m not complaining. Go to the arcade in 1985 or 1992 with $8 and see how long it lasts you!
Yes, Capcom and Sega and others have sold compilations where the per-game cost is cheaper, especially when they go on sale. But those are their first-party games. They get to set the sell price as they wish. They aren’t licensing the games and aren’t beholden to the IP holder like Hamster is. No doubt Hamada-san wishes he could slash prices like Sega! But often you can get Arcade Archives games for closer to $5 each, if you wait for sales, or if you’re able to import the physical Taito or NeoGeo collections they’ve produced. I feel Hamster’s pricing is fair, if it helps them stay in business and bring nearly forgotten old games like Mr. Do! to modern consoles, one game every week! It’s incredible, if you ask me.
Another thing I hope you’d understand is that Hamster is a Japanese company porting Japanese games. Their focus primarily is on the Japanese market. They don’t have the capital or reach of a large, multinational company. And while Hamster has had extraordinary success securing game rights in Japan, we can’t expect them to track down and broker deals with all the far-flung foreign IP holders - especially with the console games now. So yeah, there are going to be some games that are Japan versions only, unfortunately. You and I are free to skip those, if we wish. Not even Nintendo bothers to translate everything!
But I’d strongly disagree that Console Archives is “interfering” somehow with NSO/Nintendo Classics. Hamster was a contractor for Nintendo, porting Virtual Console games in the past, and I’m sure the Switch/Switch 2 is the most valuable platform for Arcade Archives. Hamster is not going to impose exclusivity clauses or anything that would harm their relationship with NCL.
But even if Hamster does pull a few games away from NSO, I’d rather have the option to buy and retain a few games I especially like, than have the games all disappear totally when my subscription runs out, or when Nintendo decides to de-list here and there.
@gmar Friend, why such animosity? Were you watching the same livestream as me? Because trust me, Hamada-san is not up there boasting. He grew up playing many of these arcade games and genuinely loves them and his job at Hamster, managing Arcade Archives. You can feel his enthusiasm and his reverence for every game creator and guest that appears on his livestream. I worked with men like him in Japan, and speak Japanese well enough that it’s clear to me he is not boastful, nor doing this just for the money. Are you a Japanese speaker too? Maybe you’re reading some bad translations?
Also, Hamster hasn’t acquired Universal Entertainment. Hamster is merely in a licensing arrangement with them, same as with Namco or Taito or 26 other brands.
@mjparker77 @MontyCircus Do! Run! Run! sounds great! I think all the Mr. Do sequels will be insta-buys for me, when they hit Arcade Archives. And I say "when," because Hamster president Hamada-shacho really made a big deal of Universal joining Ake-Aka on today's livestream. It sounds like he has every intention of releasing more Universal games in the future. Fingers crossed!
Today marked Arcade Archives' 12th anniversary, and they welcomed esteemed guests and Mr. Do! creators Mr. Ueda (planning & director) and Mr. Kubota (level design) on the show.
One interesting story they shared was when director Ueda was wracking his brain trying to make a "Dig-Dug" like game per the company president's request. He didn't want to make an uninspired rip-off, but he was running out of time. It was around then that he went to the company loo and noticed somebody left a bouncy rubber "superball" on the windowsill. That's when he thought up the Power Ball idea! And the rest of his Mr. Do ideas just fell into place after that. Ueda-san loved pinball machines at the time, which inspired him to include the "E-X-T-R-A" feature to earn an extra life (like in his earlier game, Lady Bug), and he even included a way to earn a replay (free credit) in the game (pretty rare for video arcade games, but a ubiquitous pinball feature).
To earn an extra credit in Mr. Do!, you have to break open apples and collect a diamond, if it appears. Arcade operators could choose the probability of a diamond appearing: either 1:500 apples, or 1:2,000! So one way to enjoy Mr. Do! is to just farm apples. I don't remember ever seeing a diamond playing Mr. Do! on Colecovision. But then again, it was like 40+ years ago!
Also, I never realized that each level in Mr. Do! reflects its stage number! I.E, before you start digging up the levels, stage two clearly has a big "2" on it, and stage three clearly has a big "3" on it. (Stage 1 is the exception - it looks like "oD" which looks like "Do" backwards to me.) I wonder if the screen layouts on the Colecovision port were different? Again, I can't remember. Memory is the first thing to go, as you age!
I picked up NeoGeo 1 for my Evercade VS-R (had to have Magician Lord!), and I'd buy more, but I already have all 10 volumes of Hamster's ACA NeoGeo Selections on the shelf, and an AES+ console and some games coming hopefully later this year. That's enough NeoGeo for me! Still, it looks like Blaze is continuing to put together some good collections.
I may be tempted to add Activision 3 to my collection, as I've got fond memories of playing Barnstorming, Laser Blast, and Kaboom! from (yikes!) 40+ years ago. Kaboom won't be the same without a paddle controller, though.
@MontyCircus @mjparker77 Wholeheartedly agree that I winced when I saw Mr. Do! described as a Dig-Dug clone. With the power ball, do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-da cherry collecting, and lots of apples to drop, I always felt that Mr. Do had a personality and feel all its own. A mere clone of Dig-Dug wouldn't elevate the experience in such a way.
@MontyCircus
I hear every word you're saying! My mom never once played our Colecovision (or any game console, for that matter), but my siblings and I all loved the Coleco and Mr. Do! got a lot of screentime. Like you, I never met Mr. Do! outside of Coleco, so it'll be interesting to see how the arcade version feels.
Interestingly, I read that all the Japanese fans are wondering if this Ake-Aka port will play the Mighty Atom theme song when you score an extra life, like it did in the original arcade version.
(EDIT: The theme is intact! Mr. Hamada said during this week’s livestream that they were granted permission by the rights holder to use the music as-is. He gave a vague warning that the situation could change in the future, though.)
This release is rather special - as their first-ever port of a Universal, Ltd game, I think Hamster was saving it for their 12th anniversary celebrations, going on this month. I'm really excited that we may potentially get Lady Bug, and I'm with you - I'd love to try those Mr. Do sequels.
Also, Hamster started a sale of 15 Namco games just this week! I'll have to find time to buy and play Mr. Do! and now Mappy, too!
I’m thrilled to see Mr. Do! come to Arcade Archives. I played so much of this single-screen classic on our family’s Colecovision back in the early-mid 80s. And it’s the first port of a game from Universal! I can only hope that Hamada-san and Co. also bring us Ladybug, Cosmic Avenger, and the Mr. Do sequels.
Comments 168
Re: The Haunting History Of Capcom's Ghosts 'n Goblins Series
The first time I laid eyes on an NES was at a family friend’s house, where their son was playing Ghosts n Goblins. What an impression it made! I was smitten, and within a few months had saved up enough to buy my own NES, and eventually a copy of that Capcom gem. By the time I beat the game I’d really gotten my money’s worth!
Loved the sequels on Genesis and Super Nintendo, too.
I’ve waited 5+ years for a physical release of G&G Resurrection, but I guess it’s never going to happen. Such a shame!
Re: Taito Milestones 5 Brings Together Space Invaders, Hat Trick Hero and More Arcade Hits on a Single Switch Cart
@PKDuckman
I agree! I’ve enjoyed those games on the Egret II Mini, especially Elevator Action Returns and Lightbringer (Dungeon Magic), but it’s a shame they’re not available a la carte on Arcade Archives. It’s odd that Hamster has ported Namco’s more recent and advanced games, but not Taito’s.
Maybe Taito/Squeenix set up a licensing deal with City Connection or somebody that is boxing out Hamster? Who knows? But I hope they can resolve it.
Re: Taito Milestones 5 Brings Together Space Invaders, Hat Trick Hero and More Arcade Hits on a Single Switch Cart
Like I mentioned on Nintendo Life, this collection overlaps a lot with the Egret II Mini’s library, but I’ll still pick it up to have a shelf copy I can play on Switch.
While promoting Milestones 5 on the Arcade Archives livestream this morning, Hamster prez Hamada-san promised to have the trackball and paddle games (Arkanoid 2, Plump Pop, and Marine Date) patched up to be ready for HORI’s modular multi-arcade controller that releases next Spring. But the question is - will HORI offer the controller to customers internationally? The controller’s preorder window is closed already and it was restricted to Japan residents only (I had to jump through serious hoops to get around that, and shipping/trump tariff is going to cost a fortune).
Re: SNK's 1989 Dino-Themed Shmup Staves Off Extinction (Again) With A Brand New Arcade Archives Release
I liked Prehistoric Isle on the SNK 40th. The way you rotate around the “option” pod to shoot in different directions a la Forgotten Worlds makes me wonder if the arcade cabinet originally used a “loop lever” joystick like Ikari Warriors?
Really I thought this was already on Arcade Archives. But nope, it was only the sequel.
Re: Korean Ratings Board Lists Capcom Console Releases Inc. NES & SNES Final Fight, Mega Man, & Breath of Fire Games
Oh enticing! If it (they) are physical releases for Switch or S2, I’m ready for them. I’ve always wanted to try Mighty Final Fight and Final Fight 3.
Re: Classic PS1 Shmup Compilation 'The Raiden Project' Fires Its Way to Nintendo Switch 2 & PS5 Tomorrow
@Quick_Man @mjparker77
Thank you both. I appreciate the validation today, and agree with both your points!
To try and keep this brief and not ruffle more feathers, I'll just say I'm not what you'd call a purist either. Nor am I a very technical person. I don't even game on PC or MAME! But I do love video games, ever since I was a young kid and first set eyes on a Space Invaders cabinet. And I do appreciate what Hamster is doing, bringing out so many old arcade games and now, old console games. You could say they are bare-bones releases, but they usually perform well enough and are priced fairly enough, compared to the market.
I just like having a legitimate way to buy and play some of these vintage titles, and seeing some history shared for posterity. Just this morning (Thu night in Japan), they had 9 guests from Namco on the weekly livestream, talking and laughing about the challenges of developing Ace Driver Final Lap, and how cool the deluxe sit-down version was, with it's tilting seats. Granted, all the conversation was in Japanese, but it will be translated and accessible at some point, I hope, so people can get a better sense of the role Hamster plays preserving these games, and the fun they are having doing so.
Re: Classic PS1 Shmup Compilation 'The Raiden Project' Fires Its Way to Nintendo Switch 2 & PS5 Tomorrow
@mjparker77
Believe me, I know! I spoke up in defense of Arcade Archives a few weeks ago and now his vendetta against them includes me, too.
I’ve loved Hamster’s work on Arcade Archives, though Console Archives is a much muddier arena for them to navigate, and they’re going to disappoint more people there. I can understand why people are bummed when Hamster doesn’t offer the English localization of those console games, but getting licensed with the foreign IP holders is probably a bridge too far for them.
So yeah, disappointment I understand. But outright hating a company that’s done so much good work, I don’t get.
Re: Classic PS1 Shmup Compilation 'The Raiden Project' Fires Its Way to Nintendo Switch 2 & PS5 Tomorrow
@gmar
Hey sup gmar?
What are you even talking about?
Go outside, breathe the air, your family misses you. ✌️
Re: Classic PS1 Shmup Compilation 'The Raiden Project' Fires Its Way to Nintendo Switch 2 & PS5 Tomorrow
I still have my old used copy of the Japanese PS1 game. I think I bought it in ‘97 and played it a lot back then. I’ll have to fire it up again and see if it still works!
Re: Join Big Pharma: Japan-Only PS1 sim The Drug Store is Console Archives' Latest Prescription
@gmar
Ok then! Have a lovely day! ✌️
Re: Join Big Pharma: Japan-Only PS1 sim The Drug Store is Console Archives' Latest Prescription
@gmar
How much did Hamster pay me??
Friend, I wish!
I just showed up to give people a counterpoint to your complaints. As much as you seem to dislike Hamster, I respect them and appreciate what they’re doing. If I read what feels like unfair criticism of them, I’ll tend to jump in and defend. There’s not many companies I’d bother to do that for!
I get it, though. There’s a culture divide at work, and it can seem like Hamster is distant and doesn’t care about foreigners. I don’t think that’s the case. There are just limits to how much they can do within the mission they set out for themselves.
Re: Join Big Pharma: Japan-Only PS1 sim The Drug Store is Console Archives' Latest Prescription
Ah yes, hello, I am the problem person with Japanese language ability that @gmar refers to, the one who loves Hamster.
Surprise! Gmar is here today complaining about a untranslated game. How entitled! How predictable! Apparently gmar feels that every one of the 600+ games that Hamster has ported over the last 12 years should be multi-lingual, sold in every region, and cost less than a cup of coffee, or else Hamster is “unscrupulous!”
This is not EA or Activision we are talking about here. Hamster is a modestly-sized company with modest means. Their main market is Japan. They license and port games from IP holders in Japan. The vast majority of Hamster’s releases are available in multiple languages, but some are Japanese only.
I suspect Hamster would love to translate every game, had they the resources to do so. But some of these games, like The Drug Store, never left Japan and never had an official English translation. Some games were released overseas previously, but the translations have foreign rights holders. If you feel Hamster can afford to translate all such titles or contract with all the different foreign IP holders, you misunderstand their business model. They’re not publishing 5-10 1st-party games annually, it’s more like 52-100 games annually, and as a licensor most of the time.
Look at it this way: they could restrict the untranslated games to the Japan eShop only. Would you prefer that? At least they offer the game to players overseas who are willing to try. And yes, there’s even some weirdos like me who studied the language and like having the option, translated or not.
TLDR: The untranslated games shouldn’t be interpreted as some kind of haughty insult towards the foreign customers. It’s due to lack of time, resources, and ROI.
Re: This Week's Arcade Archives Release Swaps Greens & Fairways For Military Action & Motorbikes
@PKDuckman
SEGA on Arcade Archives would be awesome! I wish Sega didn’t abandon their Sega Ages line.
But when I saw footage of UAG this morning, and those sampled explosions, it instantly reminded me of Twin Eagle, the only Seta arcade game I remember encountering back in the 80s. That was a quality vertical shmup that took a bunch of my quarters for a time. I hope it makes it to Ake-Aka or Egret II some day soon.
Speaking of UAG, though, I have to go back and try it again on the Egret. It just didn’t grab me when I played it last.
Re: Taito's 1987 Shmup Exzisus Will Be Joining The Arcade Archives In November
@gmar
Umm what? Are you still sore Hamster charged full price for Space Invaders?
And you call MY opinions “rubbish” and “nonsense?” Oh, that is rich!
Just because you feel Hamster overcharges for games does not make them an unscrupulous company. I’d say there are plenty of other companies WAY more deserving of the label. Hamster delivers a consistent product, every single week, and I feel the pricing is within reason.
And yeah, my opinion of them is informed by my Japanese fluency, and experience living in Japan for almost a decade. So what?? If anything, it provides me a fuller picture of what they’re doing, which is honest, hard work. The Hamster president and all the developer guests who appear on their livestream most weeks love games, and they’re excited to preserve and bring back some of these lost gems. I feel their enthusiasm, and it comes out in my posts here. Hey, at least I have an informed opinion! How about you?
Actually, forget I asked. Someone who dismisses others as “Wapanese” must have some pretty ingrained biases, so I’m not going to bother arguing further with you.
Re: Taito's 1987 Shmup Exzisus Will Be Joining The Arcade Archives In November
@h3s
Ooh yeah Mazinger Z! I’ve been meaning to buy that ever since it launched. I really liked the other licensed Banpresto games (Macross and Macross II) but for some reason I kept waiting for a sale on Mazinger that has never come. I’ll pick it up eventually - thanks for the recommendation!
It’s true that Arcade Archive news is really sparse in the West, sadly. There’s info in Japan, though you have to get around the language barrier. I lived in Japan and have decent language ability, so I really enjoy watching Hamster’s livestream every Thursday morning. They talk about the weekly releases, do some gameplay, and often have some of the original devs come in as guests to describe how the games were built. There may be some auto-subtitle option on YouTube these days that could help, if you ever wanted to check that out. Even the modest older games have pretty interesting origins, when you look at them in context.
Re: Taito's 1987 Shmup Exzisus Will Be Joining The Arcade Archives In November
@h3s Hmm well tastes vary, but I’d say Warrior Blade is worth it if you’re fond of the original Rastan or beat ‘em ups like Golden Axe.
Ninja Warriors is a side scrolling slash ‘em up arcade classic, presentation was top-notch for the era with its multi-screen stretch layout and wild theme song. Probably more style than substance, but it’s a quality game!
I personally will be getting Front Line, for a couple reasons.
1) It’s the granddaddy of games like Ikari Warriors - an older game but a fun one I played a ton on Colecovision growing up.
2) Hamster will be build in compatibility with the “loop lever” revolving joystick on the HORI modular arcade stick I managed to preorder. I’ll be keen to try that out.
Elevator Action might even be worth it for you, if you’re not averse to older games or enjoyed the NES version.
If they stretch the Taito sale to a 3rd week and include Elevator Action Returns, though, definitely jump on that!
Sorry to drone on. I’m just a fan of Taito and Arcade Archives in general. 😅
Re: Taito's 1987 Shmup Exzisus Will Be Joining The Arcade Archives In November
Hmm interesting - not one that’s come to Egret II, and no surprise, either, since it was dual-screen game like Rastan 3 (aka Warrior Blade, which is on sale this week with some other Arcade Archives Taito games). I’ll look forward to seeing more about the game during Hamster’s livestream for it in November. Apparently it’ll be the first home port of the dual-screen version of the game.
If anybody’s wondering how to pronounce the title, it’s read “ikujiizasu” in Japanese, so “ickzeesus” is probably close enough. 😁
Re: Psikyo Memories Shmup Collection Jets Off February 2027, Physical Editions Coming For PS5 And Nintendo Switch 2
Had it been a real cartridge, I would have considered upgrading from the Switch 1 collections I bought. But nope! Not gonna spend the moolah for a lousy game key card.
Re: Balloon Bomber (Not The Kirby Villain) Drifts Sloooowly Onto The Arcade Archives This Week
@KingMike
Yeah I thought that was interesting - missed shots result in craters which hem you in. That really incentivizes accuracy!
We will now have Balloon Bomber, Crazy Balloon, King & Balloon, and VS Balloon Fight all available on Arcade Archives.
Games from a more buoyant time! 😌
Re: Balloon Bomber (Not The Kirby Villain) Drifts Sloooowly Onto The Arcade Archives This Week
I thought this looked like a fun Invaders-style game. Most likely it was a conversion board that Taito sold following the Invaders boom in Japan.
Last week was Crazy Balloon and now we have Balloon Bomber. What’s coming next week?? 🤔
Re: Where's My Robot Jox Video Game, Dammit?
I always meant to watch this movie, back in my college days, but even with free rentals (I worked part-time at a Blockbuster Video at the time), I never got around to it. I was too infatuated with Japanese giant robot productions! It wasn't until much later (Pacific Rim) that I paid any attention to Western takes on the genre. Unless The Mighty Orbots counts? That was a US/Japan coproduction.
I do love my mech games, though, so I'd definitely welcome a Robot Jox game of some kind. After somebody makes a Mighty Orbots one!
Re: After Years Of Searching, This Long-Lost Xevious Arcade Commercial Has Finally Been Found
Whoa I don’t remember ever seeing that one back in the day.
What a memory trip seeing TV commercials for newspapers and arcade games!
Re: Clown Around in Mr. Do's Castle, Headed To Hamster's Arcade Archives This Week
@MontyCircus
Hamada-san seemed determined and enthusiastic about this collab with HORI. I think it is a safe bet that Hamster eventually will adapt all their relevant past releases and all new ones going forward to use HORI's new trackball/spinner/loop lever inputs.
After a few tries, my "Amazon JP pay" transaction worked on HORI's webstore, so I successfully preordered a controller. It's going to cost a mint to import such a huge piece of hardware next spring. I just hope it arrives intact! I'm really looking forward to trying the Arkanoid games and a few others with it.
HORI is saying it is a preorder-only item, and the window closes in early October. I sincerely hope they offer it to NA and European players, too, though!
Re: Prep Your Crane Stance: NES Karate Champ Joins The Console Archives Today
@ElitePretzel65
Looks like Amuro is getting disciplined by Bright Noah again!
Re: Clown Around in Mr. Do's Castle, Headed To Hamster's Arcade Archives This Week
I love the original Mr. Do! and would have insta-bought this one, too, but Mr. Do's Castle is one of the games coming to the Egret II Mini in next spring's Universal/Irem expansion pack. I'm tempted to double dip! I know I'll enjoy it, even if it's not a game I've ever played or seen in the wild - other than it looking fun on the old STARCADE game show.
The Hamster livestream this morning also reminded me I have to pick up Dacholer / Kick Boy, though I don't need Time Attack mode, so maybe just the original Ake-Aka release.
Hamada-shacho also pledged full Hamster support for HORI's upcoming Arcade Classic Pro controller, with the nifty trackball, spinner, and loop lever modules. He said there are like 40 games on Ake-Aka that can take advantage of those input types, and they would roll out patches as quickly as they can.
@MontyCircus
One nostalgic feature of the Console Archives release is that it lets you use dual NES/Famicom controllers held in "tate" fashion to play the game, just like the original. So you can bust out your NSO controllers on Switch/S2 (mine are underutilized, lately).
Even so, I would rather play the arcade version or its sequel, for sure. They've been on my wishlist for a while!
Re: Be Honest, Did You Know About This Mushroom-Saving Super Mario Bros. Trick?
Whoa! I never saw that back in the day. 😱
Re: S.C.A.T. Is Back! Tengo Project Returns With A Remaster Of The NES Classic, Final Mission
O beautiful pixels! If it’s another Tengo Project remake, I’m there for it. I’ll pounce on a Switch/S2 physical release, if they announce one.
Re: Peter Cullen, The Voice Of Optimus Prime And Mario, Has Died Aged 85
The single most heroic voice of 80’s TV. Mr. Cullen, the way you breathed life into Optimus inspired a generation of kids.
You’ll live on in our memories. ❤️🔥
Re: Egret II Mini Livestream Announced For Later This Month, With Its Software Library Set To Hit 100 Titles
Yes! I was starting to feel like Taito would announce this next expansion soon. I love my little Egret (I’ve got all the expansions and peripherals so far) and look forward to more Egret goodness every December.
@Shiryu @Gojiguy
Like @Moroboshi876 said, I also advise using Amazon JP to shop for Egret stuff. Usually the new expansion pack and any new or restocked accessories go up for preorder right after the Famitsu presentation ends, and I jump on them quickly. It’s usually “open preorders” for a few weeks, but then Taito locks down the production quantities and then things can sell out fast depending on the demand.
It would be nice if they finally give the trackball set a proper re-release, for everyone who missed out.
Last year they hinted right away that we’d be getting 3rd party games in the expansion pack, but looks like they’re not committing either way yet this time.
If they go 3rd party, I hope Irem is in there and Egappi-san pulls Kung Fu out of his magic hat.
If we go back to Taito games, I’ll never stop begging for Chase HQ. A steering wheel peripheral would be cool, as there’s a number of driving games they could offer then.
Either way, I’ll definitely be tuned in on 8/27!
Re: This Out Run Arcade Cabinet Features Five Games And Costs $629.99
If anything deserves an arcade cab replica, it’s Outrun. I’m truly tempted, if only I had a bigger house! Hopefully the build quality is good and the games feel right.
Re: The Full Line-Ups For Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol.1 & Vol.2 Have Seemingly Been Revealed
If box art leaked for PS5, that bodes well for a Switch physical, too! I’ve already got Jaleco Arcade Collection 1 on Evercade, but would gladly invest in these 2 fairly generous volumes if they are proper Switch /Switch 2 carts.
Re: Random: Evercade Pokes Fun At Sony Killing Physical Media On PlayStation
I love these cheeky takes on Sony’s bombshell this week.
I’m thinking I’ll might preorder those Evercade Visco collections now. 😁
Re: Sunsoft's Cult Classic PS1 Game 'Hard Edge / T.R.A.G' Is Coming To Modern Consoles This Week
@MontyCircus
Agree 100%! I never witnessed my mom play a video game, but she always came through with excellent titles or replacement Coleco controllers (we broke those things constantly) at Christmastime! I’m pretty sure that’s how we got Lady Bug.
It really was a fun and compelling game from Coleco, and got plenty of screen time.
I bet Arcade Archives Cosmic Avenger is in the pipeline, too. 🤞
Re: Sunsoft's Cult Classic PS1 Game 'Hard Edge / T.R.A.G' Is Coming To Modern Consoles This Week
Ladybug is a true classic! I have to pick that one up.
First with Mr. Do! and now Ladybug, Hamster is bringing back my Colecovision childhood.
Re: Sonic Is Getting A New Pinball Table To Mark His 35th Birthday, Designed By The Legendary Steve Ritchie
Looks decent, even if it's not a theme that would immediately draw me in. Steve Ritchie designs some fast pins, so he's a perfect fit! Hopefully I'll come across the table one day.
Re: Taito's Oft-Forgotten Space Invaders Follow-Up 'Space Cyclone' Is Heading To Modern Consoles
I think the BEMs ("Bug-Eyed Monsters") somersaulting down seem pretty cute! Just good-naturedly building their death robot with the cheerful voice samples. I'll have to dig up my copy of SI Invincible Collection to give the game a try.
Re: "I Needed An Interpreter; She Ended Up Being The Love Of My Life" - Wizardry's Co-Creator Explains How The Epic RPG Changed His Life
I picked up a copy of the Wizardry game released on Switch a few years ago, but it’s been waiting its turn patiently in the backlog. I’ve read of how popular a game it was, especially in Japan, and I’m sure I’ll dig it once I finally start it up. Happy Anniversary to an important game!
Robert Woodhead’s name sounded so familiar - it’s because he founded AnimEigo, the anime licensing company! I watched a bunch of their VHS tapes back in the 90s.
Re: "Spin the Maze, Roll the Ball!" - Taito's Quirky Puzzler 'Cameltry' Is Heading To Switch, PlayStation, & Xbox
Cameltry (I have to keep reminding myself to pronounce it as “camel - trai” like Taito does in Japan) is quite fun on the Egret II Mini with the paddle & trackball controller. I imagine it might play decent enough with an analog stick, but paddle is definitely the intended and best UI.
Re: This Mega Man Hand-Drawn Game Guide Is A Delightful Human-Made Antidote To AI-Generated Slop
@slider1983
Nor did I insinuate you were my bro — just that the people offended enough by Damien’s distaste for GenAI to dog-pile on him here in the comments may be aggrieved tech-bros. Because I can’t imagine who else would rush to AI’s defense? I see any benefits of AI being far outweighed by its potential risks.
Re: Can You Match These Konami Arcade Flyers With Their Games?
How fun! I knew that was JACKAL arcade but didn’t know it had a different title in the west.
The marketing back then was truly something!
Now I have an urge to play Rollergames pinball…
Re: This Mega Man Hand-Drawn Game Guide Is A Delightful Human-Made Antidote To AI-Generated Slop
On topic: I was a Kickstarter backer for this Mega-Man book, and thoroughly enjoyed flipping through it. I love Phil’s style, and his enthusiasm for the characters and stories of the classic games he has covered (his earlier LOZ guide is probably my favorite). Phil’s books are like the ultimate evolution of the simple maps and notes that so many of us sketched when we played those 8- and 16-bit games back then.
Based on his Kickstarter blog and a couple of friendly emails we exchanged, I imagine Phil would have zero problem with his art being characterized as a refreshing breath of creativity in an age tainted by AI slop.
Re: This Mega Man Hand-Drawn Game Guide Is A Delightful Human-Made Antidote To AI-Generated Slop
It’s funny how some people expect the chief editor of a nostalgia-laced retro gaming site to embrace Gen AI.
Please @Damo , don’t cater to the tech bro minority hoping for big returns on their Anthropic and data center stock investments.
I’m sure the majority of your readership don’t want AI. We don’t need AI. And we certainly don’t mind when you call it out as the soulless, destructive slop it is.
Re: Random Game Saturday: Aero Blasters / Air Buster (Mega Drive)
I didn’t even know this was a home port of an arcade game! I played Air Busters on Genesis at length with a good friend. I can’t remember, but one of us bought the game or else traded for it, and we didn’t exactly have high hopes based on the cover. What a surprise to learn it was actually an awesome 2-player co-op game! One of the best in the genre at the time, and I still have fond memories of the tunnel sequences and the game’s overall quality.
It’s actually a title I’d love to try and re-acquire now, if it’s not ungodly expensive. Thanks for the reminder, Damien!
Edit: now that I look at eBay listings, yow! It is a premium game now. Can’t say I’m surprised. And maybe we never did try the Kaneko glove - it looks different than what I was thinking of. Must’ve been some other game glove. Memories from the early 90s are rather spotty at this point!
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
@gmar
Hey we’re all entitled to our own sense of values. If you feel that $8 per game is too expensive, well, that’s your valid opinion and I’m not going to try and change your mind. Our circumstances and how much we value these old games varies, right?
I grew up in the eighties playing these arcade games, and back then I’d pay $40-$50 or more to play an inferior NES, SNES, or Genesis port of them at home. Arcade envy was real back then.
Now I can buy a virtually arcade-perfect port optimized for home and with online leaderboards, for the cost of a sandwich! I’m not complaining.
Go to the arcade in 1985 or 1992 with $8 and see how long it lasts you!
Yes, Capcom and Sega and others have sold compilations where the per-game cost is cheaper, especially when they go on sale. But those are their first-party games. They get to set the sell price as they wish. They aren’t licensing the games and aren’t beholden to the IP holder like Hamster is. No doubt Hamada-san wishes he could slash prices like Sega! But often you can get Arcade Archives games for closer to $5 each, if you wait for sales, or if you’re able to import the physical Taito or NeoGeo collections they’ve produced. I feel Hamster’s pricing is fair, if it helps them stay in business and bring nearly forgotten old games like Mr. Do! to modern consoles, one game every week! It’s incredible, if you ask me.
Another thing I hope you’d understand is that Hamster is a Japanese company porting Japanese games. Their focus primarily is on the Japanese market. They don’t have the capital or reach of a large, multinational company. And while Hamster has had extraordinary success securing game rights in Japan, we can’t expect them to track down and broker deals with all the far-flung foreign IP holders - especially with the console games now. So yeah, there are going to be some games that are Japan versions only, unfortunately. You and I are free to skip those, if we wish. Not even Nintendo bothers to translate everything!
But I’d strongly disagree that Console Archives is “interfering” somehow with NSO/Nintendo Classics. Hamster was a contractor for Nintendo, porting Virtual Console games in the past, and I’m sure the Switch/Switch 2 is the most valuable platform for Arcade Archives. Hamster is not going to impose exclusivity clauses or anything that would harm their relationship with NCL.
But even if Hamster does pull a few games away from NSO, I’d rather have the option to buy and retain a few games I especially like, than have the games all disappear totally when my subscription runs out, or when Nintendo decides to de-list here and there.
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
@gmar
Friend, why such animosity? Were you watching the same livestream as me? Because trust me, Hamada-san is not up there boasting. He grew up playing many of these arcade games and genuinely loves them and his job at Hamster, managing Arcade Archives. You can feel his enthusiasm and his reverence for every game creator and guest that appears on his livestream. I worked with men like him in Japan, and speak Japanese well enough that it’s clear to me he is not boastful, nor doing this just for the money. Are you a Japanese speaker too? Maybe you’re reading some bad translations?
Also, Hamster hasn’t acquired Universal Entertainment. Hamster is merely in a licensing arrangement with them, same as with Namco or Taito or 26 other brands.
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
@mjparker77 @MontyCircus
Do! Run! Run! sounds great! I think all the Mr. Do sequels will be insta-buys for me, when they hit Arcade Archives. And I say "when," because Hamster president Hamada-shacho really made a big deal of Universal joining Ake-Aka on today's livestream. It sounds like he has every intention of releasing more Universal games in the future. Fingers crossed!
Today marked Arcade Archives' 12th anniversary, and they welcomed esteemed guests and Mr. Do! creators Mr. Ueda (planning & director) and Mr. Kubota (level design) on the show.
One interesting story they shared was when director Ueda was wracking his brain trying to make a "Dig-Dug" like game per the company president's request. He didn't want to make an uninspired rip-off, but he was running out of time. It was around then that he went to the company loo and noticed somebody left a bouncy rubber "superball" on the windowsill. That's when he thought up the Power Ball idea! And the rest of his Mr. Do ideas just fell into place after that. Ueda-san loved pinball machines at the time, which inspired him to include the "E-X-T-R-A" feature to earn an extra life (like in his earlier game, Lady Bug), and he even included a way to earn a replay (free credit) in the game (pretty rare for video arcade games, but a ubiquitous pinball feature).
To earn an extra credit in Mr. Do!, you have to break open apples and collect a diamond, if it appears. Arcade operators could choose the probability of a diamond appearing: either 1:500 apples, or 1:2,000! So one way to enjoy Mr. Do! is to just farm apples. I don't remember ever seeing a diamond playing Mr. Do! on Colecovision. But then again, it was like 40+ years ago!
Also, I never realized that each level in Mr. Do! reflects its stage number! I.E, before you start digging up the levels, stage two clearly has a big "2" on it, and stage three clearly has a big "3" on it. (Stage 1 is the exception - it looks like "oD" which looks like "Do" backwards to me.) I wonder if the screen layouts on the Colecovision port were different? Again, I can't remember.
Memory is the first thing to go, as you age!
Re: New Neo Geo And Activision Collections Announced For Evercade
I picked up NeoGeo 1 for my Evercade VS-R (had to have Magician Lord!), and I'd buy more, but I already have all 10 volumes of Hamster's ACA NeoGeo Selections on the shelf, and an AES+ console and some games coming hopefully later this year. That's enough NeoGeo for me! Still, it looks like Blaze is continuing to put together some good collections.
I may be tempted to add Activision 3 to my collection, as I've got fond memories of playing Barnstorming, Laser Blast, and Kaboom! from (yikes!) 40+ years ago. Kaboom won't be the same without a paddle controller, though.
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
@MontyCircus @mjparker77
Wholeheartedly agree that I winced when I saw Mr. Do! described as a Dig-Dug clone. With the power ball, do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-da cherry collecting, and lots of apples to drop, I always felt that Mr. Do had a personality and feel all its own. A mere clone of Dig-Dug wouldn't elevate the experience in such a way.
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
@MontyCircus
I hear every word you're saying! My mom never once played our Colecovision (or any game console, for that matter), but my siblings and I all loved the Coleco and Mr. Do! got a lot of screentime. Like you, I never met Mr. Do! outside of Coleco, so it'll be interesting to see how the arcade version feels.
Interestingly, I read that all the Japanese fans are wondering if this Ake-Aka port will play the Mighty Atom theme song when you score an extra life, like it did in the original arcade version.
(EDIT: The theme is intact! Mr. Hamada said during this week’s livestream that they were granted permission by the rights holder to use the music as-is. He gave a vague warning that the situation could change in the future, though.)
This release is rather special - as their first-ever port of a Universal, Ltd game, I think Hamster was saving it for their 12th anniversary celebrations, going on this month. I'm really excited that we may potentially get Lady Bug, and I'm with you - I'd love to try those Mr. Do sequels.
Also, Hamster started a sale of 15 Namco games just this week! I'll have to find time to buy and play Mr. Do! and now Mappy, too!
Re: This Week's 'Archives' Releases Are Universal's 1982 Dig Dug Clone 'Mr. Do!' & A PS1 Strategy Game From 1997
I’m thrilled to see Mr. Do! come to Arcade Archives. I played so much of this single-screen classic on our family’s Colecovision back in the early-mid 80s. And it’s the first port of a game from Universal! I can only hope that Hamada-san and Co. also bring us Ladybug, Cosmic Avenger, and the Mr. Do sequels.