Post Game Content

Get 15 Namco Titles for 30% Off in the Latest Arcade Archives Sale

Wed, 13 May 2026 14:56:39 +0900

You know how this works, friends. It’s time for one of Hamster’s somewhat rare sales on some of its Arcade Archives releases. This time around, it’s a Namco sale. A whopping fifteen games are on sale for 30% off until May 27th, 2026. The sale should apply to both Nintendo Switch/2 and PlayStation 4/5, and if you don’t see it yet at the time you’re reading this you might just have to wait until it kicks in locally. Or you’re too late, which would be unfortunate. Anyway, let’s do the usual look at the games.

Baraduke

Baraduke is a fine sci-fi themed multidirectional shooter, and one with plenty of personality to burn. It’s also a crucial piece of Dig Dug/Mr. Driller lore, as the main character here is Mr. Driller’s mother Kissy. Play this game to see why she was cool enough to have such an awesome kid, and also too cool to put up with her hapless ex-husband.

Dragon Spirit

As a shooter, Dragon Spirit only modestly builds on the mechanics seen in Xevious. But this game has both a really appealing premise and an excellent presentation that help bump it up a notch. If you like dragons or old metal album covers, it’s worth picking up.

Galaxian

Namco’s successful riff on Space Invaders not only sports a fancier presentation but also adds to the shooting excitement with more aggressive enemies to deal with. You proably don’t need much of an introduction to Galaxian, though. It’s a slower-paced affair than its sequel but therein lay part of its appeal.

Galaga

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Switch)

Galaga took the template of Galaxian and put even more cool twists on it. Faster gameplay, more dangerous enemies, bonus stages, and the nifty double-ship trick make this a stand-out in the fixed-screen shooter genre. But you probably know that already. You probably don’t need my two cents on Galaga, but in case you do: I love it.

The Genji and the Heike Clans

A clunky but highly cinematic side-scrolling action game with multiple modes of play. I’m not a huge fan of this game but I can’t deny that BIG MODE has some real impact. To me it’s more of a historical curiosity than a game I actually want to play all that often.

Mappy

Mappy is a really upbeat game that I never have a bad time playing. Staying one step ahead of the cats while trying to maximize your score is a nice challenge, and Namco as usual packs a lot of personality into the affair.

Metal Hawk

An overhead helicopter shooter that leans heavily on scaling and rotation for its visual effects, Metal Hawk is probably more neat than good. This game was originally in a deluxe cabinet that would certainly add something to the experience, but we make do with what we have. Your goal is defeat a set number of enemies before your timer runs out, and pulling it off requires increasingly efficient routing. It’s okay, and it’s at least something different.

New Rally-X

Rally-X was Namco’s attempt to build on SEGA’s Head On, with larger mazes, more enemies, bonuses to collect, and so on. You have to move around the stage collecting flags and avoiding enemy cars and other obstacles. New Rally-X makes some improvements based on player feedback and is definitely the one you want of the two. Fun, but quite tough.

Pac-Man

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Switch, Pac-Man Museum+)

I feel silly writing yet another short paragraph about Pac-Man. It’s still Pac-Man. You still know Pac-Man. It’s one of the most famous games of all-time. Did you miss Pac-Man last time? Do you want Pac-Man now? Here is Pac-Man.

Phelios

This is a vertical shooter with a Greek mythology theme and a few interesting gimmicks. Most notably, you have a sword that you can charge up for a big attack if you can find the time to do that. In gameplay terms it’s nothing too amazing, but the presentation adds a lot to it.

Rolling Thunder

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Switch)

A game that inspired a bunch of other games, Rolling Thunder is a run-and-gun game with some platforming elements. For how well the theme fits the video game world, we don’t see nearly as many games where you play as a secret agent as you would expect. Well, here’s a good one. I mean, not much espionage happening here, but plenty of blasting through an enemy lair.

Splatterhouse

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Switch)

Namco’s gory ode to all things 1980s slasher cinema, Splatterhouse might be a little clunky in the gameplay department but it more than makes up for it with its presentation. It’s a game that coasts heavily on vibes, but said vibes really make it worth the trip. I’d certainly recommend it.

Super Pac-Man

(Also Seen In: Pac-Man Museum+)

One of Namco’s many attempts to chase Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man is a little over-stuffed for my liking. You have to collect keys to open doors to reach all the food in each stage, but you can also temporarily turn into Super Pac-Man to smash your way through doors and move at faster speeds. Super Pac-Man can’t defeat ghosts, but you can still collect power pellets to do that. It’s not unpleasant to play, but it never quite clicks either.

The Tower of Druaga

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Switch)

The highly influential action-adventure game that a lot of people can’t stand to play today, Druaga is a game that you really need to learn in order to enjoy. And since most of what you need to learn is obscure nonsense, what you really need is to exchange information with other players or just use the hints Hamster has kindly baked in here. I like this game. Many don’t. Which camp will you fall into?

VS Battle City

(Also Seen In: Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2, sort of)

Like other VS arcade games, this is a lightly tweaked NES game. Battle City is the well-remembered top-down tank action game that seems to be on every pirate multicart in existence. The only real difference between this and the console version of the game is that the stage editor has been removed here. It’s a fun enough game, but I can’t help but think most would be better served buying Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 and not only getting a more full-featured version of the game but also a bunch of other cool Namco NES releases.

Console Archives Round-Up: Rohga: Armor Force

Mon, 11 May 2026 17:36:37 +0900

Price: $11.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: April 30th 2026

Original Platform: Sony PlayStation

We’re finally getting another break from the Famicom reissues with the third PlayStation release in the Console Archives line. This time around, we’ve got some of the finest Data East action you could find in the arcades. Well, one of the console ports of it, anyway. It’s Rohga: Armor Force, or to be very specific it’s Wolf Fang: Kuuga 2001. This is a side-scrolling mech shooter from 1991 that feels like it falls somewhere between Contra and Atomic Runner Chelnov. It’s notable for its customization options, allowing you to assemble your mech and its loadout from a handful of different parts. With a strong presentation, solid difficulty curve, and excellent controls, Wolf Fang is a real standout title from Data East’s 90s output.

Wolf Fang was only ever localized in its arcade form, releasing in the West under the name Rohga: Armor Force. Said localization actually cut out the game’s distinctive branching path structure, cutscenes, and multiple endings. It just lays out all twelve of the game’s possible stages from start to finish with no story. The Japanese version offered this as an option for players who wanted an extra challenge, but it was the only way to play in the Western release. It’s a bit of shame, especially since people who have dug around in the files have found the ending screens were actually localized but went unused.

Wolf Fang got two console ports back in the 32-bit console era. The first was for the Sony PlayStation, arriving in early 1996. The following year, a SEGA Saturn port was released. Neither was released in the West, which isn’t all that surprising given the general sentiment towards 2D games at the time. Both versions sport a relatively similar set of options and extras, and neither is fully accurate to the arcade release. New modes with added presentation features and gameplay mechanics, FMVs to bookend the game, and an arranged soundtrack round out the shared additions. The Saturn version had fewer loading screens and an additional stage, but enemy behaviors stray even further away from the arcade. Both ports are decent enough if you aren’t terribly fussy, though.

As mentioned at the get-go, this is the PlayStation port of the game. It’s presented in its original Japanese form, with the usual Console Archives features like save states, a digital manual, control remapping, and a few other bits and bobs. It does what it needs to, and I think I can recommend it to PlayStation 5 owners since there aren’t really any other options for playing Rohga there. Over on the Nintendo Switch 2, things are a little more complicated. The SEGA Saturn port was released on the Nintendo Switch via the Wolf Fang/Skull Fang Saturn Tribute Boosted in 2025, and it’s not only a slightly better port of the game at its core but also has a more robust set of features in its wrapper. Its $29.99 price is certainly steeper, but it also includes the sequel Skull Fang. It also regularly goes on sale, sometimes even dipping under the ten dollar mark.

Even without localizations, Rohga: Armor Force is a game worth picking up in one of its forms. If you’ve got a PlayStation 5, then this Console Archives release is a fine way to go about that. I think I’d nudge Nintendo Switch 2 owners towards the Saturn Tribute Boosted release over this one, but it’s not like you would feel unhappy if you opted for the Console Archives take instead. I’m glad to see this game here regardless, and I’m hoping it’s a sign that we’ll be seeing some of Paon’s other Data East games hit either Arcade Archives or Console Archives at some point.

Console Archives Round-Up: Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom

Mon, 04 May 2026 02:00:35 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: April 23rd 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

Okay, here we go. The last handful of Console Archives releases have had limited appeal for various reasons, but this time around we’ve got the NES/Famicom version of Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom. This is a great addition to the Console Archives line, as it’s a strong game in a popular franchise that isn’t currently available on either the Switch 2 or PlayStation 5 in any other form. There are no issues that prevent including both the Japanese and North American releases of the game, and in this particular case that’s a critical point.

Irene Lew has been murdered, and the perpetrator is none other than… Ryu Hayabusa? This comes as a surprise to many, not the least of which being Ryu himself. Clearly this is a frame job, but who is behind it and why are they doing it? Ryu needs answers, and the only way he knows how to phrase his questions is in the form of a razor-sharp katana. The theme this time around leans more into biological creatures and science-fiction as opposed to the supernatural fantasy settings of the previous two entries. The story is twisty and told cinematically via cutscenes, per series tradition. Masato Kato took over as director on this entry in addition to carrying on his writing duties. Yes, that’s the same Masato Kato who wrote Chrono Trigger and a good portion of Final Fantasy VII.

The gameplay by and large is similar to that of the previous two NES entries. Run, jump, slash, get knocked into a pit by a flying enemy out of nowhere, die. The Shadow Clones from Ninja Gaiden II didn’t make the cut this time, and the standard shurikens are completely gone. Ryu can now collect a power-up that gives his sword a wider and longer reach, similar to Strider’s sword. He can also grab platforms above him and climb hand-over-hand. There are a few other refinements here, and the end result is that Ryu is more fun to control than ever.

Unfortunately, the level layouts and enemy placements aren’t quite up to the standards of the first two games. This is especially bad in the North American version, which was given the usual treatment both to combat the rental market and appease a fanbase that was far more interested in extremely challenging games. Enemies deal more damage, the placements are busier and less fair, and you only get five continues to finish the whole game with. As a result, it’s probably the hardest of the three NES entries. It’s funny, because its Famicom counterpart is handily the easiest. I don’t much care for the limited continues in the North American version, but otherwise I kind of enjoy it as a Hard Mode take on the perhaps slightly too easy Japanese version. Either way, this is a better game than it generally gets credit for. No, it’s not as good as the first two games, but it’s still a great time.

This Console Archives release gives you the option to play either version. Save states allow you to get around the annoying limited continues in the North American release, and if you’re really having a bad time then the rewind feature is there to support your journey through the story. The options and extras are all similar to other Console Archives Famicom/NES releases, and this is another game where reducing sprite flicker pays dividends now and then. The digital manual isn’t as important here as it has been in some other releases, but it’s a nice thing to thumb through. Virtually speaking, anyway.

I’d imagine that Hamster will eventually add the first Ninja Gaiden to the line-up, and I won’t mind having a copy of that on modern consoles that isn’t tied to a subscription service. I hope they add the Super NES Ninja Gaiden Trilogy at some point, too. For now, Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom will scratch the itch. I’ve wanted the full trilogy of NES Ninja Gaiden games on something newer than the Nintendo 3DS for years, and now we’ve got them. I’m sure next week we’ll be back to something harder to recommend, but I’m really happy with this one.

My 10 Favorite Games: Game Boy Color Edition

Sun, 03 May 2026 16:01:19 +0900

It feels like it’s been a little while since I did the last one of these, but it’s time to get on with it again. In the past, I picked my favorite games for the original Game Boy. At the time I said that I was only considering the original library, leaving hybrid cartridges to a future Game Boy Color list. Well, the future is now. Here are my favorite Game Boy Color games, including both hybrid cartridges and Game Boy Color exclusives. I’m only considering official releases that came out during the console’s original commercial lifespan, as usual. On to the games!

10. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe

Somehow, the Game Boy Color only got one Mario platformer in its whole life on the market. Super Mario Bros. Deluxe brings the original NES game to the handheld, and you can just take it as that and have a really nice time with it. But the extras here really push things over the top, with timed challenges, new collectibles, some unlockable goodies, and even a hidden mode that replicates a good chunk of the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 for you to try out. It puts a fresh lick of paint on a classic, and is easily my favorite platformer to play on the Game Boy Color.

9. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons

The Game Boy Color’s life was relatively short, at least in so far as Nintendo’s efforts went. Nevertheless, it managed to receive two original games in the Legend of Zelda series. They were developed by the Flagship team at Capcom, and released simultaneously. You’re meant to play them one after another to get the full tale. Of the two, Oracle of Seasons is the one I likely slightly less. Still an outstanding action-adventure, but I prefer its counterpart for its puzzles. The season-changing mechanic is a novel way to alter the world, and there are some really interesting boss battles in here.

8. The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages

Here’s the other half of that duo, and it uses a time-shifting mechanic as its big gimmick. There was an intentional focus on puzzles for Oracle of Ages, and it shows. I think a person could go either way with these two games, and it very well may be that I like this one better simply because I played it first out of the pair. Ideally, you’re going to play both games anyway. Taken as a collective, the Oracle series is one of the best and most iconic of Game Boy Color releases.

7. Mario Tennis

Camelot didn’t do things halfway when it was tapped to handle the Mario sports games for the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color. That’s kind of remarkable, because no one would have blamed the developer if it had done a straightforward pair of games featuring the Mario characters. Instead, we got some sports RPGs that still serve as the series benchmarks for many people. Mario Tennis is a great Game Boy Color game. The tennis gameplay is excellent, and the story mode gives you plenty of reasons to master it.

6. Mario Golf

Mario Golf takes a similar tack to Mario Tennis by combining a well-realized take on a popular sport with a light RPG structure. I’m a sucker for a good golf game, and if I can take it on the go it’s all the better. I also really like RPGs, so this game is right up my alley. It’s been one of my go-to Game Boy Color games ever since it came out. You probably have to like golf video games at least a little, though.

5. Dragon Warrior I & II

In the West, the Dragon Quest series took a long break after the release of the fourth game on the NES. That meant that we missed out on the terrific Super NES remakes of the first three Dragon Quest games. Fortunately, we got a good taste of both when the games were ported to the Game Boy Color and localized by Eidos. Obviously, you don’t get the fancy 16-bit graphics here, but you do get a lot of the gameplay improvements from those remakes. That makes these two awesome RPGs even easier to enjoy, and portably to boot.

4. Pokemon Crystal Version

I could have included all of the second generation Pokemon games in this list, and maybe it’s inconsistent that I didn’t. Feel free to mentally add Gold and Silver into this slot if you prefer. Pokemon Crystal Version is the improved third release that Game Freak used to do back in the day, and it adds even more to an already robust RPG. New story stuff, the Battle Tower, some animations for the battle sprites, and the option to play as a female trainer make Pokemon Crystal the best version of one of the best Pokemon games, in my opinion.

3. Metal Gear: Ghost Babel

If you asked me to list my favorite Metal Gear games, you may or may not be surprised to see how high Ghost Babel ranks. My favorite tone for the Metal Gear games could best be described as “GI Joe Comics”, something that Kojima’s entries increasingly got away from after Metal Gear Solid. Ghost Babel hits all the right notes for me, with a little bit of character drama, a lot of excellent gameplay, and a really strong presentation. It’s truly impressive what the development team was able to do with this one.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening DX

I tried to avoid including colorized versions of games from my Game Boy list here, but I can’t leave Link’s Awakening DX out. Sure, the additions aren’t exactly essential. A new dungeon, some new items, Game Boy Printer support, color graphics, and other less obvious tweaks round out the already superb original game. I love how this one looks, even if it loses some of the mood of the original. It’s another one of those games you really should own if you have a Game Boy Color.

1. Dragon Warrior III

This one probably isn’t a massive surprise to regular readers. Dragon Quest III is one of my favorite RPGs, and in some ways I still think this version of the game is my preferred one. It has all the improvements of the Super NES remake, some new stuff of its own, and while it’s not going to match up to the prettier graphics of other versions of Dragon Quest III, I think it looks great for what it is. I’ve played through this game countless times on the Game Boy Color, and I’m happy both that it was made and received a localization.

That’s my list. What are your favorite Game Boy Color games? I’m interested to hear which games stood out for others, as this library is surprisingly big and diverse. If you want to see a larger list of my 25 favorite Game Boy Color games, please consider subscribing to my Patreon. Just $1/month gets you access to this and hundreds of other retro gaming articles. Thanks for reading!

Console Archives Round-Up: Ishin no Arashi

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 16:23:29 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: April 16th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Famicom

Well, I asked for something more “interesting” than a Famicom port of an existing Arcade Archives release, and I guess I got it this week. Ishin no Arashi is another 8-bit historical simulation game from Koei, this one focusing on the most fearful type of warriors the imagination can conjure: “Debate Me” bros. The game is set at the end of the Edo period of Japan, circa 1867, as the long-ruling Shogunate finally gave way to a more modern era. You play as one of a selection of famous figures with the goal of bringing all of the feudal lords of the country together on one path for the future. That would be yours, naturally. There are various means at your disposal to persuade them, some more forceful than others. While the game features some physical combat, the best path to victory is through your words.

Like a lot of Koei’s 8-bit simulation games, Ishin no Arashi tries to offer a deeper, more complex experience than other games on the platform. It began its life on the NEC PC-9801 computer, and the interface is clearly built more for that computer’s inputs than a Famicom controller. This isn’t the most popular of Koei’s simulations by any means, but it has its fans. A couple of sequels were eventually produced, but this first game seems to be the one that is best remembered. And sure, it’s pretty interesting as this kind of thing goes. The novelty of the premise helps a lot here, along with the fact that this wasn’t one of the wells that Koei went back to a dozen times. I don’t think it’s any more approachable than things like Nobunaga’s Ambition or Romance of the Three Kingdoms, though. If you don’t like those games, you’ll find this equally hard to embrace.

That’s not even getting into the elephant in the corner of the room with this Console Archives release. This is a text-heavy game, one that really can’t be enjoyed without being able to read. It’s also a Famicom game that was not localized back in the day, which means we’ve only got a Japanese version of the game here. Hamster has included a hefty fifty-page digital manual that explains the menus, basic gameplay, and some other essential information. With frequent manual access and a lot of patience, someone without the ability to read Japanese might at least be able to brute force their way through some of the game. I can’t see that being very enjoyable, however.

I’ll at least grant that Hamster clearly states in the game’s eShop description that the game is in Japanese. I sure hope this kind of release doesn’t happen all that often, though. If you don’t understand Japanese, you might as well pretend Ishin no Arashi didn’t release at all. Beyond the large manual, this is just like other Famicom Console Archives releases in terms of options and features. This one is really just for those who can read Japanese and aren’t allergic to old console ports of Koei historical simulations. Probably not a huge crowd.

Console Archives Round-Up: Seicross

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:04:43 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: April 9th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Famicom

We’re now eight games into Console Archives, and I can’t say I love the pattern that’s emerging. Six of the eight released titles are Famicom/NES games, with the remaining two being PlayStation 1 games. Five of the eight are games from Hamster’s own catalog, with only three third-party titles in the mix as of now. Also rather unfortunate is that only two of the games released so far include both Japanese and overseas versions of the games in question. On top of all of this, the last three releases have all been Famicom ports of games that are already sold on these platforms in their original, largely superior arcade forms via Arcade Archives. For how long Console Archives was in the planning stages, this sure doesn’t seem like a very strong start.

Anyway, this time around we’ve got the Famicom version of Nichibutsu’s Seicross. This port of the 1984 arcade game arrived in Japan in 1986 with a North American release following in 1988. We only get the Japanese version here, but in this case there aren’t any particularly interesting differences with the Western release that we’re missing out on. Seicross is a sort of side-scrolling shooter, probably most notable in its arcade form for its attempt at creating a sense of depth with its field perspective. You’re a person on a jet bike of some kind, making your way through obstacle-littered environments. Sometimes you’re dealing with other drivers that are trying to push you into danger while at other times you’re facing off with aggressive enemies taking potshots at you.

Sometimes you’ll see people chilling out on the field. If you pick them up and bring them to the goal of the stage, you’ll earn bonus points for each one. It seems like you should pick up as many of them as you can, and in theory you should. However, you also need to manage your energy meter. It will deplete as you go, and it will go down faster when you shoot. The more passengers you’re carrying, the faster your energy will decrease. In the arcade version, you’ll also move more slowly when you have people riding with you. There are pick-ups on the track that will restore your energy, and if you plan on picking up all of the stranded people you should also be grabbing most of those energy packs too.

It’s not a bad little game, but it can be difficult to react in time to incoming obstacles. The Famicom version makes things a little easier because it moves slower and allows you to safely course correct more often. Nudging enemies into obstacles and watching them explode is a good time. Another aspect that works in your favor in the home version is that you don’t take a speed penalty for picking up passengers. There are also some cheat codes you can make use of. On the negative side, most of the visual style of the arcade game has been lost here. As you might expect for a 1986 Famicom release, Seicross is not exactly a looker. Naturally, you also don’t get the extra modes and online leaderboards that you would find in the Arcade Archives release either.

In terms of extra features, this is just like the other Famicom/NES releases in the Console Archives line. Save states, rewind, control mapping, some display and audio options, and a Hamster-made manual you can peruse. The option to reduce sprite flickering is here as usual and quite welcome. I will say that it would have been nice if Hamster had built in the cheat codes as toggles, but that’s not something it usually does so I wasn’t expecting it here. The emulation quality is fine, of course. You have to really work hard to blow Famicom emulation at this point.

I think if you’re looking for a version of Seicross to finish, there are compelling reasons to go with this Console Archives Famicom version. Similarly, if this is the version you have nostalgia for then it would make sense to opt for this release. Otherwise, I can’t really see why a person wouldn’t just grab the Arcade Archives version for the same price. I really hope I don’t have to repeat this little speech too often, but I’m starting to think I will be.

(In case you want to know the easiest and most useful cheat code: hold A and push Start at the title screen to continue from the last stage you reached)

Console Archives Round-Up: Terra Cresta

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 16:42:34 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: March 26th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Famicom

As it has done often with Arcade Archives, Hamster is filling out the Console Archives schedule with titles from its own library. Over the years, Hamster has acquired the catalogues of several defunct companies including Nichibutsu, Athena, UPL, Video System, Allumer, and NMK. These acquisitions have given it a small handful of fairly well-known titles, some intriguing games that flew under the radar, and a lot of useful filler to deploy in order to keep up its brisk release pace. It looks like Console Archives is going to follow a similar pattern. Of the seven games released in the line so far, four have been from Hamster’s large collection.

Here’s the latest, the Famicom port of Nichibutsu’s arcade hit Terra Cresta. Nintendo’s 8-bit console had its strengths and weaknesses, and shoot ‘em ups offered the hardware some real challenges at times. It could more or less keep up with arcade offerings when it first arrived in 1983, but just a few years later things had changed a lot. In careless hands, the Famicom could end up with something as disastrous as Micronics’ port of Capcom’s 1942, a ridiculous flickering mess whose audio profile turned the already irritating arcade audio into a sheer cacophony. Such a fate could have easily awaited the more complex Terra Cresta, but it mostly avoided that outcome.

I won’t call this an amazing port by any means, but it’s more than serviceable. It doesn’t push beyond the Famicom’s sprite limits, it runs at a good speed, the controls are responsive, and everything you’d expect to be here is included. The only real letdown is in the audio, which tries to imitate the arcade music but ends up a lot flatter and sometimes irritatingly shrill. Indeed, when Vic Tokai picked up the title for release on the North American NES four years later, the one big change it made was to beef up the quality of the music. That version sounds quite good, but it’s not included here. We only get the Famicom version, for better or worse. I imagine the rights to the overseas version are caught in the whole Vic Tokai tangle.

Otherwise, this is quite typical of the other Hamster NES/Famicom releases in Console Archives. Similar display and audio options, the ability to remap controls, and a few other options like a toggle to reduce sprite flickering. You can rewind and make save states, and you can also set the fire button to various speeds of rapid fire. That’s quite welcome here. You also get a Hamster-made manual that explains the game and its elements. That’s pretty much it, but there isn’t much more you realistically could ask for here. Yes, that improved Western version would be nice, but I imagine if Hamster could have included it it would have.

The problem with this Console Archives release is similar to that of the previous one. Terra Cresta’s objectively superior arcade version is already available in the Arcade Archives line for the same price as this Famicom version. Unless you have specific nostalgia for this port, you’re far better off buying the arcade version. It looks, sounds, and plays better, and you get online leaderboards and extra modes to buff up the replay value. It’s also very likely that anyone reading this who has memories of the 8-bit Nintendo console port played the Western release, not the Famicom one. So, you know, it might not scratch that specific itch even if you have it.

With all that said, taken in a vacuum this is a fun enough shooter. There are better on the Famicom/NES, but you could definitely do a lot worse. The ship upgrades are cool, and it feels great when you manage to build the whole thing. Plus, you get to shoot fire-breathing dinosaurs. I’d never recommend this version over the arcade original for the same price, but if you’ve already played the wheels off of that original game and just want to change things up a little, Terra Cresta Famicom is alright. That’s more than I can say for last week’s release, so we’ll call this a win for now. Hopefully we’ll get something more interesting next time.

Console Archives Round-Up: Ninja-Kid II

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:30:35 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: March 19th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

Ninja-Kid II is the kind of release I hope we don’t see too much of in the Console Archives line, but I suspect we will get them at least now and then. What we have here is a Famicom port of UPL’s arcade game of the same name. This version of the game was ported by the infamous Micronics, and it only ever saw a release in Japan despite plans for a Western localization. Hamster owns the UPL library, which means it was able to reissue this one without having to deal with any external licensing. As Micronics ports go, Ninja-Kid II is a rather valiant effort. If a person was somehow enamored with the arcade game and wanted to get a similar experience at home, I don’t think they would have been displeased with this Famicom version. For Micronics, that’s a massive win.

Thus far, Console Archives has only addressed two classic platforms: the NES/Famicom and the PlayStation. Options and features seem to be the same from game to game within those platforms, and that’s the case with Ninja-Kid II. The same video and audio options, include an option to reduce sprite flicker. You can remap your controls, make save states, and use a rewind feature. A Hamster-made digital manual is included that has pretty much everything you would ever want to know about the gameplay of Ninja-Kid II for the Famicom. While I have heard whispers of an unreleased English build existing out there somewhere, you only get the Japanese version here. Don’t worry, there isn’t much reading involved.

Ninja-Kid II is a scrolling action-platformer that puts a twist on the original game by featuring more variety in its stage layouts. Sometimes you’re still going up, but you’ll just as often being moving horizontally in this one. Enemies will attack you as you go, and you can make use of a meager supply of weapons to deal with them. Usually you’re stuck with your throwing stars, which can’t keep up with the enemies’ projectiles for very long. You can also be stunned if an enemy hits you from below or above, leaving you a sitting duck for a short time. Stages are cleared by defeating all enemies or finding an exit. You even get the occasional boss battle.

Look, I won’t try to snow you here. I think this release is a dud. We’re still pretty early in this whole Console Archives venture, so there’s probably a bit more focus on each release. In the case of Ninja-Kid II, what we have here is a largely uninteresting console port of a game that already exists in its original form on Arcade Archives. The price is the same, too. The game itself isn’t all that good to begin with, and without any online leaderboards to chase scores on it has even less appeal. There might be some people out there with very specific nostalgia for this version of Ninja-Kid II, but I can’t imagine that’s a large number.

Supposing you are interested in Ninja-Kid II, I implore you to get the arcade version instead. It looks and sounds better, has more features, and allows you to compare scores with others who are playing the game. There’s nothing special about this version that would encourage someone to purchase it over the game it’s ported from. Personally I feel like I wasted my money, but perhaps my doing that can warn off others from doing the same.

My 10 Favorite (?) Games: Tiger Game.com Edition

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:19:35 +0900

Uh, well… let’s try. The Tiger Game.com was in some ways a very ambitious piece of tech, but for every one thing it tried to push forward, it lived five years in the past on something other aspect. Its library has a lot of big names in it thanks to Tiger’s strong licensing partnerships, but there aren’t many good games to play on it at all. Not even many decent ones. Still, I did the hard work and determined what my ten favorite of this bunch were. This might be the only one of these where I don’t even like all of the listed games. Nothing to it but through it, though!

10. Monopoly

This is, without question, a video game version of Monopoly. Yes, I think the Game.com can handle that. Now, does a person want to sit down and play a full game of Monopoly on a handheld? That’s a question I can’t answer with any real degree of accuracy, but it beats playing The Lost World.

9. Batman & Robin

A scrolling beat ‘em up with some light platforming, Batman & Robin is about as good as you’re going to get from this kind of thing on the platform. Choose Batman or Robin along with the toys you want to bring with you into battle. The graphics are okay, the audio is an abomination, and the action is passable at best. That’s enough to get you into the top ten on the Game.com, I suppose.

8. Jeopardy!

Jeopardy! was the subject of a ton of video game conversions, and this is another one. It works like the popular game show, except you have to carefully tap out your answer letter by letter instead of just saying it. Some voice samples help bring a little of the show’s style to the affair. If you don’t like the game show then you’re going to have a bad time here, but I’m fond enough of it that this gets a solid thumbs-in-the-middle.

7. Solitaire

Well, it’s Solitaire. Klondike, to be exact. It’s something the Game.com can easily portray, and the fact that you can use touch controls makes it comfortable to play. It’s extremely low-frills, but you don’t need bells and whistles to make a decent time-waster out of Klondike. Better still, it’s a built-in game. That means you can play it even if you forget all your cartridges at home!

6. Wheel of Fortune & Wheel of Fortune 2

I’m putting both games in this slot since they really only vary in terms of the questions they offer. This is another game show adaptation, but it’s one that has always made for a fairly agreeable video game take in my opinion. Spin the wheel, pick a letter, try to solve the puzzle. It’s well-suited to handheld play and the Game.com manages to not mess it up in any serious ways.

5. Scrabble

Yes, this will do. It’s the popular board game in video game form, and the Game.com take on it is a good one. I love Scrabble, and I think it plays well here. I don’t have too much more to say about this one. If you’re stuck with a Game.com and need to kill some time, you could do a lot worse than this.

4. Resident Evil 2

The Game.com has absolutely no business trying to do a game like Resident Evil 2, and yet this is almost adequate. You have to keep the limitations of the hardware in mind of course, but if you want something somewhat crunchy to chew on in the Game.com library, I think this is the best officially-released game. It’s massively cut-down from the console release, of course. But the slow pace fits the platform well, and it’s an acceptable enough action-adventure on its own merits.

3. Centipede

It’s just about the slowest take on Centipede you can find, but it’s still Centipede enough to be entertaining. A fixed-screen shooter that ramps up its chaos nicely, the original game being more than fifteen years old by the time this port released probably explains why the Game.com was able to do a decent job of it. I would not recommend this over most other ways to play Centipede, but within the context of the Game.com library this is just about as good as it gets.

2. Frogger

Frogger is a game concept that can be realized with surprisingly low hardware power, and this Game.com version is another example of that. It’s a decent take on Frogger and even offers some remixed levels in its enhanced mode. The lousy Game.com display makes some of the moving elements like cars more blurry than one would ideally prefer, but it’s still quite playable and does a good job of giving the Frogger experience on the go.

1. Williams Arcade Classics

Now that we’ve established that the Game.com does an okay job with early 1980s arcade game ports, how about a collection that includes five of them? Joust, Defender, Defender II/Stargate, Robotron, and Sinistar are the line-up here. None of them are perfect recreations of their arcade counterparts, and some of them are even a little silly. You run faster than your lasers in Robotron, for example. But for all of the details this collection gets wrong, there’s enough right here to have about as good of a time on a Game.com as you’re ever going to. That says more about the console than this cartridge, I fear.

That’s the ranking. If you’d like to see a full Game.com library ranking, including the prototype of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, please consider subscribing to my Patreon. Just a buck a month gets you access to that article and hundreds of others!

Do you have any Game.com game opinions? Have you played a Game.com? I wish I could say I’ll cover other quirky handhelds like this, but we’ll have to see how things go. Feel free to let me know your hot Tiger thoughts. Not your hot Tiger Beat thoughts, though. Those belong to you alone. At any rate, thanks for reading!

Console Archives Round-Up: Sonic Wings Special

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:13:57 +0900

Price: $11.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: March 12th 2026

Original Platform: Sony PlayStation

The Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters series of vertical shooters has never been in the conversation for the best of the genre. There isn’t much about them that is terribly exciting or innovative, and the fact that two of the three mainline entries were made for the 4:3 display of the NEOGEO puts them at a disadvantage within the vertical shooter sub-category. Heck, the latter is the reason why the developer Psikyo exists. Still, it’s a series that’s pretty hard to hate. The selection of ships and characters adds some fun variety, the gameplay is easy to understand, and whatever the stages lack in creativity they make up for in spectacle. A shooter series for people who don’t want anything too complicated, more or less.

Hamster has already released all of the mainline arcade games via Arcade Archives, so it makes sense the series would pop up in Console Archives. This is Sonic Wings Special, a PlayStation port of a Saturn mash-up of elements from all three arcade games. It would later make its way into the arcades as Sonic Wings Limited, completing the circle. The series seemingly closed out with a Nintendo 64 game of all things, Aero Fighters Assault. But wait! Last year Sonic Wings made its long-awaited return in the form of Sonic Wings Reunion, one of the more depressing modern-day sequels in a long-dormant franchise.

Well, back to this one. Sonic Wings Special is actually a pretty cool game. There are a whopping seventeen stages in the game, and each one has an alternate version on offer. You’ll only play through nine stages on a single playthrough, giving you a lot of reasons to replay the game. These levels are drawn from all three of the mainline games, so if you’re already familiar with them you won’t see much new here. You can choose from fourteen different characters, with two of them being unlockable. On top of that, finishing the game with any of the standard characters will unlock an alternate ship for them. There’s a lot to do here, and it’s cool to see this kind of formula applied to a shoot ‘em up series. If you like this genre, this is probably going to be worth the pick-up for you.

As for the Console Archives package, this is a fairly straightforward one. You only get the Japanese version of the game, which means none of the wacky dialogue is translated. The European release cut all of that stuff out anyway, so I suppose we’re not missing out on anything. Again, it’s a shame Hamster couldn’t localize the text here. There’s not a ton of it. As far as options and extras, there’s a simple manual that includes some information on how to play the game and details on each of the pilots. You can remap your buttons, play with the usual display/audio settings, and make use of save states. Just the usual stuff.

One thing to note for both Switch 2 owners and those with monitors that support it is that Sonic Wings Special allows you to play in tate mode via the in-game options. The Console Archives UI won’t rotate along with it, but this allows you to play the game with more vertical real estate. It works a treat on the Switch 2 in tabletop mode, and the result might just be the best Sonic Wings/Aero Fighters game yet. It’s nice to see those Sonic Wings 2/3 stages the way they should have looked.

I know this is mild praise given we’re only five games into this line, but I think Sonic Wings Special is the best Console Archives release yet. That’s not really down to anything Hamster did, though the package is up to its expected quality level. The game itself is just really fun, both in short bursts and longer sessions. If you like your shooters and this series in particular, I think it’s a must-have.

Console Archives Round-Up: Nobunaga’s Ambition

Fri, 13 Mar 2026 15:52:13 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: March 5th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

If one were to try to find the exact opposite of the quick pick-up-and-play experiences that Arcade Archives tends to offer, a Koei simulation is as good a candidate as any. The fourth Console Archives release is none other than the NES port of Nobunaga’s Ambition, which was the second game in the series in Japan and the first to get a console port. It’s a turn-based strategy game where you choose a Daimyo and try to take over Japan. You not only need to manage the military aspects of that but also take care of your region’s economy and development. You can choose from two different scenarios in this NES version, fewer than the four found in the original computer game. The controls have also been adapted for a controller.

First, the good news: Nobunaga’s Ambition for the NES was localized back in the day and that version is available in this Console Archives release. You can choose between the Japanese version and the English version. The UI has other language options, but for the game itself those are the two you get. Hamster has also prepared a rather thorough manual for the game, with seventeen pages that explain this relatively complicated game as best as they can. If you’re new to Koei simulation games, it’s a lot to digest at one time, but there’s not much Hamster can do about that. The options here are similar to what we’ve seen in the other NES games in Console Archives, though I imagine the sprite flickering option is of less interest in a game like this one. Save states are certainly welcome, though.

There are no two ways about it: Nobunaga’s Ambition (and its progeny) is a love or hate affair. For its time it was a very dense game, and it’s still quite complex by modern standards. This isn’t a game you’re going to pick up and grasp within a few minutes. Homework is mandatory, and you will probably lose quite a lot before you start getting the hang of how to win. Mostly, it comes down to keeping your people happy and fed (to avoid a revolt), keeping your army strong, keeping your coffers full, and carefully balancing between playing aggressively and defensively. Subsequent entries would add more things to worry about, but there’s still plenty to mull over here when your turn rolls around.

Nobunaga’s Ambition is a decent game that is mainly aged by its poor presentation, and if you get into it you’ll really fall in deep. This NES version is fine enough, though Nintendo Switch 2 players can enjoy an improved take in the Nintendo Classics Super NES app. I appreciate that Hamster included both the Japanese and English versions of the game, and hope that will generally be the case going forward should a localized version exist. With all that said, I don’t think I would recommend picking this up until you know what you’re getting into. There are probably other ways to get a taste of this series at similar price points if you keep your eyes peeled for deals. If you know this kind of game is your thing and you want to see how the earlier entries looked, then by all means. Hamster did its end of things properly here.

Arcade Archives Sale Time: Get 10 Taito Games For 30% Off

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 13:46:41 +0900

It’s time once again for another Arcade Archives sale, and as is often the case it’s a publisher-specific one. These typically involve SNK, Namco, or Taito. Konami doesn’t do Arcade Archives sales. It’s just how it is. Anyway, this time it’s Taito. Ten games in total, 30% off each. All of these should be available on Switch/Switch 2 and PlayStation 4/5, and if you don’t see the discounts right now you need to either wait for them to reach your region or lament the fact that you’re reading this too late. Well, let’s do our usual look at the associated games.

Alpine Ski

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 1)

This is a relatively early arcade game, which is pretty obvious as soon as you start playing it. It’s a skiing game with three types of stages. In the Downhill stages, you’re just trying to reach the end as fast as you can while collecting score icons and avoiding hazards. The Slalom stages work very similarly, but add flags that you need to try to move around. Finally, there are ski jump stages. Alpine Ski is a simple game, but there’s enough to it that it makes an amusing score attacker.

Dead Connection

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 3)

Dead Connection is a multidirectional shooter with an Untouchables-style aesthetic. You choose a character and then need to blast your way through various locales packed with interesting details and lots of things to blow up. You have a defensive ability that allows you to try to get out of harm’s way, but you’ll mostly just be moving around and shooting anything that moves. Enemies will sometimes drop score items or power-ups for you to collect. It’s a surprisingly cool action game, and a ton of fun to play with a friend if you have the option.

Dino Rex

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 2)

This game is hot garbage, but it is incredibly charming hot garbage. It’s a one-on-one fighting game, but it doesn’t function according to the rules most would be familiar with. Battle your dinosaur of choice against other dinosaurs, with the occasional bonus stage where you can destroy some property. The sprites are digitized from stop-motion models, and one of the dinosaurs is a purple T-Rex who may or may not be a relative of Barney. Oh, and Rastan makes a cameo appearance. It feels terrible to play, but I can’t hate it. Maybe you will feel the same way.

The Fairyland Story

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 1)

Taito created one of the best and most beloved elimination platformers ever. This… is not that game. It’s easy to bag on The Fairyland Story for not being as polished or interesting of an experience as its stablemate Bubble Bobble, but if you take it as its own game it’s still plenty of fun. You can use your wand to turn enemies into cakes, which you can then push off ledges to crush other baddies. Dropping the cakes will also destroy the caked enemy. If you’re on the ground floor when you cake them up, worry not. Just keep swinging the wand and you’ll take care of them anyway. It’s worth playing for fans of this genre.

Final Blow

This is a boxing game, and since I’m not much of a fan of this genre I might not be well-equipped to judge it properly. It aims for a relatively realistic presentation and uses grounded mechanics, but since it’s stuck on a single side-view plane I feel like it’s not really capturing the full range of how the sport works. I haven’t had much fun with this game, but it might hit you differently. Heh, “hit you”. Accidental boxing reference. I should do this stuff professionally.

Gun & Frontier

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 2)

I think this one has been on sale before, but if you’ve missed out then here’s another chance. It’s a vertical shooter that is so into guns and bullets that just about everything in it is one or both of those things. It rides the line between cool and ridiculous quite nicely, and is a very competent example of its genre. You can never have too many shoot ‘em ups, and this isn’t the last time I’ll be saying that in this article.

Liquid Kids

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 2)

Take the philosophy behind elimination platformers and expand it to a stage-based scrolling platformer structure, and that’s what Liquid Kids is. You play as a little hippo guy who can throw water balloons to defeat enemies and clear obstacles. It’s really cute, often clever, and a very good time all-around. I’d recommend this one to just about anyone.

Metal Black

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 2)

Here’s a horizontal shooter from the same team that made Dino Rex and Gun & Frontier, and you can expect a similar tone here in general. Metal Black is perhaps best known as the source of inspiration for the huge beam battles in later Darius games. You can never have too many shoot 'em ups, and that is the last time I’ll be saying that in this article. I like this game a lot, and if you’re not allergic to this kind of game then I think it’s worth checking out.

Thunder Fox

(Also Seen In: Taito Milestones 3)

Look, this is no Contra by any means, but Thunder Fox is a pretty solid run-and-gun/stab/grenade action game. It feels inspired by the likes of Rolling Thunder and Shinobi, with plenty of baddies to dispatch and weapons to collect. There are even some special vehicle stages that are set up like a shooter. You can never have too many… wait, I said that was the last time. But seriously, Thunder Fox is cool. It really packs in those arcade thrills and spills.

Violence Fight

I’ve talked about the sequel to Violence Fight, Solitary Fighter, here before. Now the first game is on sale, and you can pick it up and enjoy it in all of its DOGOOOOOON glory. With this being a pre-Street Fighter 2 fighting game, expect it to feel a little weird as games in this genre go. There are four different playable fighters, and battles take place in arenas of various shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re on a single plane, sometimes there’s depth similar to levels of a belt-scrolling beat 'em up. It’s an interesting game, though I would hesitate to call it a good one.

Console Archives Round-Up: Dezaemon

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 09:27:46 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: February 19th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

With these being early days for Hamster’s Console Archives line-up, a lot of the rules are still being established. This third release clarifies some things, and not really in the way some might have hoped. Dezaemon is a Famicom game that allows the player to make their own vertically-scrolling shoot ‘em up, which is a pretty cool idea in concept. There were things like this on computers of the time, but for consoles it was quite novel. It was developed by KID (of Pepsiman fame) and originally published by Athena. Hamster bought the Athena catalog a while back, so we can probably expect to see more its console releases in this line in the future. Dezaemon was actually pretty successful for what it was, leading to a handful of sequels on other platforms.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t localized. There was some speculation about how Hamster would handle this kind of situation with Console Archives, as it stands to be far more of an issue with console games than arcade games. Would the company follow in the footsteps of the likes of Edia and City Connection, localizing vintage games for the first time? Or would it take the EGGCONSOLE approach of D4 Enterprise and leave all the in-game text as-is, simply translating the menus and providing some guidance in the digital manual? Well, if Dezaemon is anything to go by, we’re looking at another EGGCONSOLE situation here. That means I’ll have to start touching on how much the language barrier affects things with each of these, I suppose.

In the case of Dezaemon, it’s not the biggest of obstacles. The included manual covers all of the options and tells you which thing to select to go where. It helps that there are really only about twenty lines of Japanese text in the whole thing, but that also makes me think Hamster probably isn’t going to localize anything if it didn’t bother with this much. On a scale from zero to ten, where zero represents a game with no Japanese text and ten is an untranslated Japanese-style adventure game, I’d put the language barrier here at about a two. If you actually get into what Dezaemon offers, you’ll probably have those menu options memorized fairly quickly.

But that’s the key, isn’t it? If you’re not into putting in the work to make your own sprites, music, backgrounds, and such, all you’ve got to play with here is the template shooter. It’s a three-stage affair that demonstrates the kind of game Dezaemon can make, but it’s a middling affair at best. You can use the usual save states, rewind, and turn off sprite flicker to make it a better experience, at least. I think it would be a little silly to buy this if you’re not going to dig into the creation tools, though.

Now, if you actually are interested in making your own shooter, there’s more to appreciate in Dezaemon. Later entries in the series would greatly expand on this end of things, but you can at least tinker around with a variety of elements here to make something that is both yours and relatively playable. I’ve seen some fairly impressive efforts made with even these paltry tools, though there’s an obvious ceiling here both from the Famicom hardware itself and KID’s ability to make a good shooter engine for it. One big problem here is that there is no way to share your creations, and I doubt many of us are inviting our friends over to our houses to play custom-built Famicom shooters these days. I’m not sure how Hamster could have handled this, but the current set-up certainly limits the appeal of the whole endeavor.

I believe Hamster has already announced the PlayStation Dezaemon+ for Console Archives, so it might be best to wait for that one if you’re interested in the concept enough to fight with the language barrier. This game was a fascinating first step, but it’s extremely limited in what it can do thanks to the limitations of the console that hosted it. Add in the fact that there isn’t any real way of sharing your own creations or getting your hands on the games of others, and you’ve got a very slight package here overall.

Console Archives Round-Up: Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 10:00:40 +0900

Price: $7.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: February 6th 2026

Original Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System

Here’s the second Console Archives release, at least according to Hamster’s internal numbering. This is Tecmo’s sequel to its hit NES game Ninja Gaiden and like that game it’s a scrolling action-platformer. Ryu Hayabusa returns to face a new threat, the evil Ashtar. His Dark Sword of Chaos is so powerful that the only one who has even a hope of stopping him is the Dragon Sword-wielding Ryu. But does this really end with Ashtar, or is there an even greater evil lurking in the shadows?

Broadly speaking, Ninja Gaiden II is quite similar to the first game. Some of the sub-weapon effects have been modified, and a new one has been added that allows you to blast downwards. You can now pick up scrolls that will expand your maximum ninjitsu spirit energy, and you’re going to want to make sure you get those. The flashiest new addition comes in the form of spirit clones. Collect the appropriate power-up and you can have up to two flickering orange ninjas following Ryu, copying his moves. Careful use of the clones can make this game a lot easier than the first one. Ryu can also climb up and down surfaces that he can stick to, so you don’t have to pull off that little climbing trick to move upwards when needed.

Anyway, this is a really great game. It’s a little less frustrating to complete than the first game, but still reasonably challenging. There are lots of new stage gimmicks to keep things lively, and as with the first game you get some cool cut-scenes that rope you into the silly story. This Console Archives release includes both the Japanese and US releases of the game. Sorry Shadow Warriors fans, no European release. Beyond the text and logos, the only real difference between the Japanese and American versions comes down to a hexagram being changed to a star on one particular enemy.

In terms of options, you get four save slots and one quick save slot for each version of the game, a rewind feature, a number of display/audio settings (including an option to reduce sprite flicker), control remapping, and a setting that makes the game immediately start from where you left off when you start it up again. A fairly extensive manual has been created that tells you everything you need to know about playing the game. The emulation quality is very good, and the input lag is minimal. For PlayStation 5 players who have no other options for playing this game, this release is easy to recommend.

Over on Nintendo Switch 2 where Switch Online subscribers have access to the NES Classics app, it’s a harder decision. Obviously if you want to own the game independently of a subscription, here’s your option to do so. If that doesn’t particularly matter to you, it’s hard to find a reason to spend the money buying this when you can play it in Nintendo’s app. You don’t get the choice of regions within the app over there and there’s no option to reduce sprite flicker, but it plays just as well and has a more flexible rewind feature. I’m actually a little confused that Hamster went with this game over the more well-known original game or the yet-to-hit NES Classics third game. But hey, it’s a good game. A person could spend eight bucks on it and feel good, I think.

Console Archives Round-Up: Cool Boarders

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 10:00:49 +0900

Price: $11.99 USD

Console Archives Release Date: February 6th 2026

Original Platform: Sony PlayStation

I’ll be doing some summaries of each release in Hamster’s new Console Archives series of classic reissues. These articles will appear first on my Patreon, but if you don’t mind waiting a little they will all eventually make their way here. That said, I wouldn’t mind the support to help offset the costs of buying these! Anyway, on to the first entry: Cool Boarders.

Cool Boarders is a PlayStation game, and it has been available on PlayStation 4 and 5 for a couple of years now at a price of $9.99. For Switch 2 players, this is your one and only way to play the game. Frankly speaking, I can’t think of any reason to grab this on PlayStation 5 over the existing release. That one is more fully-featured than this Console Archives release and it’s cheaper, too. I’m not sure what Hamster was thinking here, to be honest.

Cool Boarders was one of the first dedicated snowboarding games of the PlayStation/Saturn/Nintendo 64 era, and it’s incredibly straightforward. Really only a half-step away from being appropriate for arcades. Choose your course, choose your board, pick between a male or female boarder, and select your look. Head out to the slope and try to get to the end as fast as you can while pulling off as many tricks as possible to boost your score. If you don’t make it quickly enough, you’ll time out. After finishing your run, you can enter your initials for the high score table. That’s about it. The game starts with three available courses, and you can unlock a couple more.

As simple as it is, it’s reasonably fun. The sequel is considerably better, and I hope we eventually see that join the line-up. Still, there’s a certain early PlayStation quality to this game that lends it a little extra charm. Polygon seams all over the place, warping textures, low-res UI elements, generic butt rock, and even a weird announcer. There are some real vibes to this game. I’m not sure if those vibes are worth the north-of-ten-bucks price tag, but that’s for you to decide.

Hamster hasn’t done anything particularly exciting with this release. The emulation is good, and that’s welcome. You also get a manual that covers what you would expect it to. Save states are here, rewind is not. Control remapping, display/audio options, and a setting to quickly start from where you left off are included. Only one version of the game is included here, with some light edits to remove things that specifically refer to Sony’s trademarks.

I don’t dislike Cool Boarders, but it’s a rather modest way to kick off the Console Archives line. Sure, it shows what we can expect performance-wise from PlayStation games from Hamster, but there’s very little meat on the bones here. I’m not sure what Hamster could have added here to round the package out, but it definitely could have used something to kick things up a bit.

My 10 Favorite Games: Nintendo 64 Edition

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:25:14 +0900

Well, this is a bit of a relief after the last couple of consoles. I’m not the hugest fan of the Nintendo 64. I think it plays host to some of the best games of the era, but that pool does not run very deep or wide. It certainly doesn’t help that I’m not a fan of most Rare games, and this console more than just about any other was leaning on that developer’s work. Still, I think I’ve got a solid list of games here that if nothing else shows my personal tastes. As usual, I’m only including games released within the original commercial lifetime of the console. These are just my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would choose for “Best of” list. Let’s-a go!

10. Mario Tennis

I’ll always make room for a great tennis game, and that’s just what you get with Mario Tennis. Behind all of the fun Mario touches is a rock-solid tennis experience that is just as enjoyable solo as it is in multiplayer. This is also the game that gave us our precious trash boy Waluigi, which would earn it a spot in this list all on its own.

9. Custom Robo V2

I could have easily included the original Custom Robo in this list, as that is also a game I liked quite a bit. The sequel builds on it incredibly well, with a new story, more challenging battles, and more customization for your robots. And that’s really what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s in the name and everything. Action-based arena combat plus a relatively substantial story with some four-player mayhem as a bonus. I wish Nintendo would revive this series.

8. Wave Race 64

There are racers with more tracks, characters, and modes than Wave Race 64 on the Nintendo 64, but there’s just something about this game that keeps me coming back. It’s pretty much a perfect realization of its concept, and while I wouldn’t say that the graphics are as impressive now as they ever were, the water looks and feels great. At least for me, this is one of the console’s iconic games.

7. Mario Golf

This was a relatively good generation for golf video games, and Mario Golf is just about the best of a strong batch. The mechanics are simple but deep enough to engage, and you get eight full courses to play on. There are some extra modes to mess around with, and some unlockables for good measure. A great first console outing for Camelot with this concept.

6. Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer 2

It’s too bad this game wasn’t localized back in the day, because this is something the Nintendo 64 needed more of in the West. Well, it’s not like it would have been appreciated at the time anyway. If you’re looking for the missing link between Shiren the Wanderer and Torneko: The Last Hope, here it is. It’s an excellent roguelike experience with a cool castle-building metagame. I still enjoy going back to this one from time to time.

5. WWF Wrestlemania 2000

If this list was about how many hours I spent playing the games back in the day, WWF Wrestlemania 2000 probably would have ended up even higher. I got a lot out of this game in its single-player modes, but it really was mostly about the multiplayer. My roommate and I would create wrestlers and play matches all the time, and anyone who visited ended up getting pulled in as well. Surely wrestling on Nintendo 64 could not get better, could it?

4. Paper Mario

Fans of traditional RPGs had fairly slim pickings on the Nintendo 64, but if nothing else there was this. This was in a loose sense a follow-up to Super Mario RPG, but done in a whole new style by a completely different team. As such, it was in many ways a new start, and that gave the team the freedom to give it a comical style that worked really well for Mario and his crew. If the console has a must-play RPG, it’s this.

3. WWF No Mercy

This is still the best wrestling video game I have ever played. I know a lot of people got into Smackdown and I understand the respect for Fire Pro, but at least as far as I’m concerned, this is the final word on the genre. The game mechanics are excellent, the new Championship mode adds some meat to the single-player experience, and the create-a-wrestler mode has even more options to choose from. Awesome.

2. Super Mario 64

I can’t imagine this game missing out on anyone’s upper rankings for this console, a fact made all the more remarkable by the fact that it was the first game released for it. Super Mario 64 was far from the first 3D platformer, but it was the one that laid down the template that many others would follow from then on. Many pioneers in their genre have trouble standing the test of time, but Super Mario 64 remains extremely playable and satisfying decades after the fact.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Yes, this is the boring choice. But it’s the boring choice for a reason! The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time took the winning structure of Link to the Past and brought it to a fully 3D world to exceptional results. It feels a little quaint now, but Hyrule in this game felt so huge and alive at the time. Here and now, it might not seem as large, but the design of the world and dungeons is as tight as ever. Some would still offer it as one of the best games ever made, and I’m not sure how vigorously I would argue against that even if I don’t necessarily fully agree with it.

That’s my list. What are your favorite Nintendo 64 games? I expect most people will have a bunch of Rare games in their lists, and that’s certainly fine. Feel free to let me know which games ate up your time on this console. If you want to read an expanded Top 25 version of this article, consider signing up for my Patreon. Just a buck a month gets you access to this article and hundreds of others. Thanks for reading!

My 10 Favorite Games: Sony PlayStation Edition

Sun, 18 Jan 2026 19:00:01 +0900

Wow, if SEGA Saturn was a tough ranking thanks to its library of over a thousand games, thee PlayStation is completely bonkers. This console had in excess of four thousand titles released for it during its original commercial lifespan, and only about a thousand of those are yearly sports games. It took a while to put this list together, and even now as I write this I am finding myself wanting to shuffle things a little. Well, nothing to it but through it. As usual, I’m only including games released within the original commercial lifetime of the console. These are just my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would choose for “Best of” list. Here we go!

10. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater

Before Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater arrived, I never would have thought I would love a skateboarding game this much. I think what makes this game, and most of its sequels, so brilliant is that it checks off the required boxes as a skateboarding game while also being just a plain great video game. It uses skater culture as a way of being playful, never afraid to abandon reality when a little bit of fantasy is what the doctor ordered. It’s a world where skaters are superheroes and their repertoire of tricks are their powers, and you’re in full command of all of them.

9. R4: Ridge Racer Type 4

If the original Ridge Racer served as Namco’s notice that the PlayStation was the way of the future, R4: Ridge Racer Type 4 was one of its final mic drops on the platform. Sure, it released a handful of games after this, but outside of Ace Combat 3 none were quite as ambitious as this. With lots of modes to play and an absurd number of unlockables, Ridge Racer Type 4 kept me busy pretty much until Ridge Racer V arrived on the PlayStation 2.

8. Metal Gear Solid

I’m not exactly the biggest fan of the works of Hideo Kojima, but I feel like Metal Gear Solid gets almost everything right that it needs to. Its story rides the line between silly and serious with a better balance than most subsequent Kojima games, and the gameplay is a lot of fun. The sheer ambition of this game puts it on a level few other PlayStation games could reach in terms of scope, and for the time its presentation was incredible. The controls are a little cumbersome, but it’s worth a little temporary discomfort to enjoy this classic.

7. Gran Turismo 2

This is another kind of game that I don’t normally get into, but I really had a great time with Gran Turismo 2. The massive amount of cars, including some very normal ones, was unbelievable at the time, and between the two discs there was a lot of excellent racing to be done. It feels like the more realistic the graphics got in this series, the more the unrealistic elements like a lack of car damage stood out. This game is sitting right in the sweet spot of looking very good while still being an obvious video game that is allowed to get away with some of those less real aspects.

6. Wipeout XL

As I look at this list, I’m finding myself realizing that this generation was probably the one where I was most into racing games of all kinds. Anyway, Wipeout XL is the game that introduced me to this series, and it was a great entry point. At least for me, Wipeout is one of the iconic PlayStation brands. It’s fast, it’s cool, and it’s tough. Wipeout XL exemplifies all of that. It’s unbelievably fast, unmistakably cool, and extremely challenging. It’s my favorite PlayStation 1 racing game, and considering the competition that’s saying something.

5. Lunar: Eternal Blue Complete

There’s a lot of talk in modern times about the prevalence of remakes and remasters, but here I am including the same game in three different console lists. Lunar: Eternal Blue might not be the best RPG in terms of mechanics, mostly making refinements on what the original Lunar did, but it has a ton of heart. I love the story and characters in this game, and both are among my favorites in the entire genre. This PlayStation version was my first experience with this game, and it will always hold a special place for me as a result.

4. Dragon Quest VII

Ah yes, that famous seventh installment in a storied Japanese RPG series, the one that tore up the sales charts and remains a beloved part of the PlayStation library even today. Of course I am talking about Dragon Quest VII, a game that I’m still shocked actually got localized back in the day. It arrived really late in the generation and is massive in its size and scope, so much so that Square Enix is selling the modern remake partly on the basis of it having less to do. This kind of slow burn RPG certainly isn’t for everyone, but I loved it. Every little piece of the world had its own tale to tell, and the way everything came together in the end was awesome.

3. Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII. It’s one of the big ones, isn’t it? In the near thirty years since its release, I’ve been all over the map with this one. I loved Final Fantasy VI so much that at first I had a chip on my shoulder about this game. Then when it came out I bought a PlayStation and pretty much marathoned the game. After a while, I declared it a disappointment. I think my opinion on it has mostly settled in the last couple of decades. Look, it’s stuck with people this long for a reason. It still has a lot of the goofy charm of the earlier games in the series, but there’s no question it’s pushing the series and genre into new places at the same time. It’s a terrific game, and I never have a bad time playing through it. Is it the best Final Fantasy? That’s another article for another day.

2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2

This is the textbook case of a perfect sequel in so many ways. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 adds more ways to chain moves, a bunch of new levels, Spider-Man, and some creative new goal types to an already potent set-up. The soundtrack is just as legendary, and the whole game is just ridiculously fun to play. The idea of score attacking in games had largely fallen out of vogue in this era, but the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games dragged that experience back into the conversation kick-flipping and screaming. A real masterpiece of a game.

1. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Given the PlayStation’s obvious strengths as a console and the image it tried to project, I think it’s funny that for me the best game on the platform is a 2D exploratory platformer. With some sacrifices, this could easily have been done on earlier hardware. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is far from the first game of its type, but I think without it the Metroidvania genre would never have gotten what it needed to bloom the way it has. There are rough edges aplenty here, but most of them are charming ones. What it does right, it does to a degree that is frankly unreal. I don’t think I could even track how many hours I’ve spent playing this game in various forms. The Castlevania series is still feeling the pull of this game, and it probably always will.

That’s my list. What are your favorite PlayStation games? The sheer size of this library means it’s incredibly unlikely any two lists would look all that similar. If you think about it, that’s probably why most people weren’t happy with the selection of games on the PlayStation Classic Mini. Hm. Remember, if you want to read an expanded 25 Favorites version of this article, simply subscribe to my Patreon for as low as a buck a month. Lots of good articles to check out, I promise! Thanks for reading!

My 10 Favorite Games: SEGA Saturn Edition

Thu, 11 Dec 2025 21:34:00 +0900

Okay, time to rank more games. We’ve reached the generation where things stepped up quite a bit, and I think the fact that the third-place SEGA Saturn ended up with a library of over a thousand games is as good a demonstration of that as anything. I love the SEGA Saturn a lot. It was my first console from that generation, and while I will readily admit the PlayStation was the clear king, I have a lot of affection for this machine.

Of course, one of the interesting aspects of it is that it was much more successful in Japan than it was anywhere else. I think this list will reflect that. As usual, I’m only including games released within the original commercial lifetime of the console. These are just my favorite games, not necessarily the ones I would choose for “Best of” list. With that all said, let’s enter the Theater of the Mind!

10. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue

Regular readers know of my love for Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, and that extends to this remake as well. As with Silver Star Story, you can just play the PlayStation version and get a similar experience. This Saturn version wasn’t localized, naturally. Anyway, this is one of my favorite RPGs of all-time thanks to its charming cast and compelling plot, and it’s as good on Saturn as it is everywhere else.

9. Sexy Parodius

Parodius is better than Gradius. There, I said it. The Saturn got a lot of Parodius, and you can’t go wrong with any of them. My favorite is Sexy Parodius. I think it has the most interesting level designs, the best bosses, and just the right amount of silliness. Just be warned that despite its cute exterior, it’s every bit as unforgiving as any Gradius game.

8. SEGA Rally Championship

There are a few games that are likely to show up in any list of people’s favorite Saturn games, and SEGA Rally Championship is one of them. The Saturn wasn’t really equipped to handle SEGA Model 2 ports without a great deal of effort, and that makes the quality of the Saturn SEGA Rally all the more impressive. The tracks are superbly designed, the small selection of cars offers a variety of experiences, and the on-the-track handling is sublime. A must-have for any Saturn owner.

7. Dragon Force

Dragon Force is just plain cool. Ever since Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, it feels like most strategy RPGs just follow that structure. Dragon Force shows another way, one where you use a roster of generals to battle your opponents on multiple fronts with their own contingents of creatures to command. Sometimes when I write these lists I get mad that certain games or franchises have been out of circulation so long, and I’m suddenly very annoyed that SEGA hasn’t brought this back in decades. I couldn’t put it down until I finished every single route in it.

6. Shining Force 3

Okay, I’m going to cheat a little with this one. If you don’t like my cheat, just count this as the first episode. Shining Force 3 was actually three separate releases, each coming around six months after the last. Outside of Japan, only the first one was localized. It’s a great turn-based tactical RPG that follows on from the Mega Drive entries by having a healthy dose of exploration in between battles. The first episode is awesome all on its own, but taking all three releases together makes for one of the most epic games this genre has ever seen.

5. Grandia

Grandia was positioned as the Saturn’s answer to Final Fantasy VII, which was all well and good until Grandia came out on the PlayStation a while later. Then that version got localized while the Saturn original stayed exclusive to Japan. What can you do? Anyway, this is an RPG from many of the same folks that made Lunar, and it shows. A lovable cast of characters goes on a big adventure, and a whole lot of troublesome things occur as a result. The battle system would see some refinements in the sequel, but it’s plenty of fun to tinker with here too.

4. Sakura Taisen 2: Kimi, Shinitamou Koto Nakare

When you land a surprise hit, what else can you do but make a sequel as quickly as possible? Sakura Taisen 2 is a direct sequel set a year after the first game, and in gameplay terms it mainly carries over what worked before. Dating sim plus turn-based RPG, wrapped up with a lot of style. I prefer this to the first game largely on the basis of the plot, but there are a number of other refinements that make this a slightly better game. It wasn’t localized. Of course it wasn’t localized.

3. Virtua Fighter 2

There was only a short window of time where one could have owned a Saturn in North America before the port of Virtua Fighter 2 came out, and that was just barely the case for me. The release of Virtua Fighter 2 was exciting for Saturn fans, because for a brief shining moment it felt like things might turn out okay for the console after all. It’s not hard to see why it lifted the mood the way it did. It looks incredible. It plays like a dream. It’s a better port than it has any right to be, and it sure doesn’t hurt that the arcade original is one of the best 3D fighting games ever made.

2. Panzer Dragoon II Zwei

I’m not typically one to go in big for rail shooters, but Panzer Dragoon II Zwei completely grabbed me and in many ways still has not let me go. It’s beautiful, mysterious, exciting, and full of things to see and do. It sells its world completely, which is not an easy thing to do in a 3D Saturn game. The moment your dragon takes flight for the first time is absolutely breathtaking in a way few games can match. I sure hope no one ever remakes this badly!

1. NiGHTS Into Dreams

I remember the magazines all pumping up the big fight between Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot, and this game. Obviously, NiGHTS wasn’t going to win that fight, but I think it’s a bit silly that they were set against each other to begin with. NiGHTS isn’t like Sonic. It’s not a game that sells consoles. It’s not going to go toe-to-toe with Mario on the playgrounds. But it’s a stunning, vibrant game with plenty of replay value packed into thanks to its clever score attack set-up. There’s very little else out there like NiGHTS Into Dreams, which is part of why it’s still one of my favorite games of all-time.

That’s my list. What are your favorite games for the SEGA Saturn? I feel like people appreciate this console a lot more now than they did at the time. If you want to read a longer version of this article with 25 games instead of 10, please consider subscribing to my Patreon. Just a buck a month gets you access to that article and hundreds of others about various retro games. Thanks for reading!

‘Atari 50: The Namco Legendary Pack’ DLC Switch Review

Fri, 14 Nov 2025 20:40:09 +0900

When I reviewed the previous Atari 50 DLC here a little over a year ago, I had a feeling we would see more added to this amazing interactive documentary in the future. There are still plenty of games owned by Atari that have yet to make an appearance, and with the company continuing to make new acquisitions, one never knows what could be added to that library. I was rather surprised when the next DLC was announced to not only be with an outside partner, but Namco of all companies. Like before, we get some new games to play and a new timeline to go through. Let’s have a look at both.

Digital Eclipse has gotten quite good at the documentary end of these things, and The Namco Legendary Pack is up to the developer’s usual standard. The focus here is on the original partnership between Atari and Namco, running from Namco’s initial purchase of Atari Japan through to the last fruits of the tie-up during the Atari 7800 era of Atari. While Atari and Namco had many other intersections after that, those aren’t within the scope of this DLC. There are also some obvious restrictions here on Atari’s end due to the arcade business ownership cutting off at a certain point, and on Namco’s end due to some topics it probably didn’t want covered. Don’t expect anything about Tengen or Ms. Pac-Man, in other words.

Indeed, much of the focus of this timeline is on Pac-Man, with lots of interview videos featuring Tod Frye, the man who handled the top-selling yet often maligned 2600 port of the game. Atari co-founder Nolan Bushnell chimes in early on to talk about the Atari Japan sale, and former GCC employee Mark Ackerman discusses his work on the 2600 version of Galaxian. It’s a somewhat briefer timeline than some of the previous ones, but there is still a lot of interesting stuff in here.

With that said, you can feel the invisible hand of Namco guiding what is and isn’t talked about. Pole Position isn’t brought up at all despite its importance in this era of Atari, something that might just be down to licensing. None of the Pac-Family spin-off games created by Midway that Atari released home versions of are even so much as mentioned. Nothing about homebrew ports, not even the ones that have gotten official licensed releases this year. Heck, even Tod Frye’s obvious Pac-Man T-shirt has been blurred out of every shot.

Some of this can’t be helped, of course. Nevertheless, it would have been nice to have some of Namco’s people interviewed or Pole Position at least mentioned. What does Namco think of that 2600 version of Pac-Man? It’s hard to complain too much for the price, but don’t expect the documentary stuff to drill down with quite as much depth or breadth as what was seen in the original Atari 50 timelines. I did like hearing Tod Frye discuss his work, and it was a nice treat to see video footage of the unreleased 2600 port of Xevious he worked on even if we don’t get to play it. What’s in here is very good, though one can’t help but let their mind linger on what isn’t in here.

Next, I’ll do my quick thoughts on each of the included games. I think overall this set of games fits the purview of this DLC for the most part. Pole Position isn’t here probably due to licensing, and things like Ms. Pac-Man are likely absent for reasons entirely outside of Atari’s control. That there are only two arcade versions in the mix simply comes down to them being the ones that Atari released in North America on Namco’s behalf. The North American arcade releases of Pac-Man, Galaxian, and Galaga didn’t involve Atari at all, so they aren’t here. Okay, game time.

Pac-Man (2600): Love it or hate it, there is no denying the impact and historical value of this version of Pac-Man. It has become something of a joke over time, and some even suggest it played a serious role in the North American console crash. Here’s the thing, though: it wasn’t that hated back in the day. I think there is value in having it out there again for people to try out.

Pac-Man (Atari 8-Bit): This is a more accurate home conversion of Pac-Man, but it’s still pretty far from the real thing in a lot of ways. Still, I’m sure this would have felt more than good enough at the time. In this collection, it mainly serves as a basis for the third version of Pac-Man in the bunch.

Pac-Man (5200): The Atari 5200 version of Pac-Man is emblematic of the console in many ways. It’s considerably more accurate to the arcade game than the 2600 version, and even compared to the Atari 8-Bit computer version it’s based on, it’s faster and feels better to play. On original 5200 hardware, it also showed off the flaws of the included controller’s analog stick. Here on modern consoles, it plays very well. Not the arcade version, but you can have some fun with it.

Galaxian (5200): This was the first official home console port of Galaxian, and it’s not a bad take on it at all. The enemy behavior doesn’t quite line up with the arcade version, but the game feels faster and a bit more exciting overall. That might be due to the playfield being more cramped, but I’m not complaining.

Galaxian (Atari 8-Bit): Basically the same as the Atari 5200 version. If there are any real differences, I sure can’t detect them. I’m not sure why this was included outside of trying to get as much in here as possible, but at least we get a nice view of that extremely cool cover art.

Galaxian (2600): Something of a miracle port, and not the only one we’ll be seeing in this selection. One of the things that separated Galaxian from a sea of Space Invaders knock-offs was its colorful graphics and more intense gameplay, and this 2600 port manages to preserve both of those to a far higher degree than one might expect. It’s quite fun!

Galaga (7800): You know, I posted a list of my ten favorite Atari 7800 games here a while back. This excellent port is in it. This is the only version of Galaga that Atari ever published, so it’s the only one we get here. Lucky for us, it’s a mighty fine version of the game. Love it.

Dig Dug (Arcade): Yes, Atari handled the original North American release of Dig Dug in arcades. It’s very weird to see the Atari logo on this game’s title screen. This is the first time we’ve had this particular variant of the arcade game released on consoles, so it has some merit on that alone. With that said, if you’ve played the arcade version of Dig Dug in any of the many ways it has been released at home over the years, you’ve played this. Awesome game, though.

Dig Dug (2600): Here’s another miracle port. I really can’t get over how accurate this is to the arcade game given the console’s limitations. It feels better to play than a lot of Dig Dug ports on far more capable hardware. It even manages to mostly full off the audio, which is not something the 2600 is typically very good at. It’s one of my ten favorite 2600 games, so I’m thrilled to see it here.

Dig Dug (Atari 8-Bit): Of the, um, five included versions of Dig Dug in this DLC, the Atari 8-Bit version is the worst. It’s a bit slow and it plays differently from the arcade game in various ways. With that said, I don’t think this is a bad game at all in a vacuum. It’s worth messing around with for a little while just for variety’s sake.

Dig Dug (5200): This version is a lot closer to the arcade game than the Atari 8-Bit port in terms of how it plays. It’s just a lot smoother, and the presentation is nicer too. Apparently a conversion of this ended up replacing the original Atari 8-Bit version on the market, so you can tell Atari was pleased with it. In Atari 50, we don’t have to put up with the silly 5200 joystick either. Not bad, but there’s still one to go.

Dig Dug (7800): Oh, it’s another of my ten favorite Atari 7800 games. This is an excellent home console version of Dig Dug, and arguably even more fun than the Famicom version thanks to its faster, more intense action. This was a launch title for the 7800, and while it probably felt a little old by the time that machine made it to market, I can look back on efforts like this now and really appreciate them.

Xevious (Arcade): Atari handled the North American release of this arcade game as well, and this is another case where we are seeing this particular variant released on consoles for the first time ever. Atari certainly seems to have had a lot of faith in this one, and with good reason. Xevious is great. I’m not sure why it didn’t catch on in the West the way it did in Japan, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. As with Dig Dug, I don’t mind having yet another way to play arcade Xevious.

Xevious (7800): And another of my ten favorite Atari 7800 games! Wow, 30% of my faves on the console in one handy DLC drop! The Atari 7800 was actually quite capable at chucking a bunch of sprites around the screen without slowing down, and that really comes in handy for Xevious. An impressive port for the hardware, and a fine version of this influential shoot 'em up on the whole.

I think for the asking price ($7.99 USD), The Namco Legendary Pack DLC is easy to recommend. Just the two arcade games alone are more than worth that, and when you add in all of the different console ports it’s a great value from a gameplay standpoint. The documentary stuff is a little thinner than I’d like, but I can appreciate there were probably a lot of issues Atari had to work around here. If you love Atari 50, this is a must-have. Namco fans might also enjoy the trip into some lesser-seen ports of these famous games. I wonder where this compilation will go next?

Score: 4.5/5

My 10 Favorite Games: SEGA 32X Edition

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 14:45:39 +0900

The SEGA 32X had a short, nasty, and brutish life. One has to wonder why SEGA even bothered to release it, all things considered. But release it they did, and while its library is quite small it has a lot of character to it. I had some fun picking out my favorites for this add-on. As always, these are drawn from commercial releases only, but all regions are allowed. This is simply my personal list and does not reflect what I might do with a “Best Games” approach.

Before continuing, I should probably address why I’ve skipped to the 32X without covering the Atari Jaguar and 3DO console libraries. The truth is, I’m not familiar enough with those libraries to do lists of favorites. I might come around to them later after I spend more time with them. The Atari Jaguar in particular has a library I’ve been exploring lately. But for now, I’ll move forward. On with the complete 32X cartridge ranking!

10. Mortal Kombat II

If sixteen-year-old Shaun was making this ranking, this extremely slick port of Mortal Kombat II would probably be several places higher. Possibly even number one? But this is forty-six-year-old Shaun, and he’s not as in love with Mortal Kombat II. The game is still very enjoyable, especially with a second player to battle with. The 32X is able to pull off a closer arcade port than most hardware of the era, and I would almost go so far as to say this is the best port of the game you can find that isn’t just emulating the arcade machine.

9. Blackthorne

I think this is the best version of Blackthorne, so what this really comes down to is how much one likes Blackthorne. It’s like someone squashed Prince of Persia through a Johnny Lawrence bad-ass filter, and I can’t decide if it wants us to take it seriously or not. The important thing is that it’s a good platforming adventure game, and that’s not something in heavy supply on the 32X. You even get an extra level in this version, and it’s a decent one.

8. Shadow Squadron

If you liked Star Wars Arcade, you’ll love Shadow Squadron. Probably. Unless what you specifically liked was all the Star Wars stuff, because that isn’t here. The space shooting? Yes, lots of that here. Much more varied and interesting, too. I love taking down the bigger ships piece by piece. This is still very much a an arcade-style shooting game, but it’s a really good one.

7. World Series Baseball Starring Deion Sanders

SEGA really had a knack for this sport for a few years, and this 32X version holds that line impressively. It takes the strong foundation of the Genesis World Series Baseball ‘95 and builds on it. This is a very approachable baseball game, and while some might decry the simplification of some aspects of the sport, I think it makes for a more immediately enjoyable experience. This isn’t the fanciest game on the platform, but it’s one I’m more than content to return to when I’m in the 32X mood. My only real criticism is in the limp audio, but that’s a common problem with the 32X for some reason.

6. Metal Head

Here’s my pick for the best wholly original 32X game. Metal Head is a mecha action game that features texture-mapped polygonal graphics, albeit at a cost of framerate and draw distance. Its levels are designed carefully to mitigate those downsides, at least. Each level plays host to a handful of missions, and there’s even a bit of variety in there. It takes a while to get into the groove of how it plays, but once you do there’s a lot to like here. Or hate. This game seems to trigger either response in people. Shaun loves.

5. NBA Jam Tournament Edition

NBA Jam is a great game, even if you don’t like the sport. NBA Jam Tournament Edition refines it. And this 32X version of NBA Jam Tournament Edition is a very faithful conversion of that arcade game, which means we’ve got a spicy meatball here. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad time playing the first couple of Jam games, and at times it’s exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for after a tough day. Sure, you can play it elsewhere, but you could also play it here?

4. Space Harrier

Everything I said about After Burner applies here, but I like Space Harrier way more than I like After Burner, so here we are. This is an awesome port of Space Harrier. It’s fast, it controls well, and it lets you choose whether you want up to be up or up to be down. What else do you need? I mean, we all know how the 32X works so it’s not like this is really playing on a Genesis/Mega Drive, but… it’s the arcade Space Harrier, looking, sounding, and playing like a dream on your Genesis/Mega Drive!

3. Virtua Racing Deluxe

Had Virtua Racing Deluxe just been a straight port of the arcade game, it will still be fairly high on this list. But the reason why it’s this high is because it goes beyond the arcade game, with more tracks, more cars, and more modes. It plays great and it runs really well. Until the game was brought to the Nintendo Switch in the SEGA AGES line, this was the best home version of Virtua Racing. And it’s still very much a great racing game to play, if you have the means.

2. DOOM

This is probably not the version of DOOM one would reach for in the current year. It’s missing an entire episode, it’s missing a weapon and some enemies, it’s more than a little pixelated, and the music sounds awful. At the same time, this was a very playable version of DOOM on a console in 1994, and it’s got more than enough DOOM in it to easily be one of the best games on the 32X. I don’t really need to go into detail about why DOOM is great, so I’ll just leave it there.

1. Virtua Fighter

Virtua Fighter is considered something of a swan song for the 32X, and what a note to go out on. Sure, this is essentially a no-fuss port of the arcade game without much extra added, but it’s an incredible achievement. It lacks some of the detail of the Saturn port, but it somehow manages to look better and play just as well if not better. I’m a huge fan of the Virtua Fighter series, so this is an easy choice for my favorite game on this platform.

That’s my list. What are your favorite games for this ill-fated platform? You know I love to hear what you all think, so hit me with some of your faves. Over on my Patreon site, I actually ranked the entire cartridge library for the 32X, which you can read (along with hundreds of other retro gaming articles) if you subscribe for a buck a month. Thanks for reading!