On Monday we reported that Taito is releasing a Darius collection on Switch, but it would seem that the company has other retro-themed projects in the works, too.
The latest issue of Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu reveals Ninja Warriors Again - a tentative title at this point - is in development for Switch and is expected to launch next year. Screenshots in the magazine show a 2D title that is in keeping with previous entries in the series.
The very first Ninja Warriors came out in 1987 and used the same three-screen arcade hardware as Darius. It was ported to various home systems - including the PC Engine and Mega CD - and was remade on the SNES in 1994 as The Ninja Warriors Again (plain old The Ninja Warriors in North America).
In the same magazine, it is also revealed that emulation experts M2 are handling the aforementioned Darius Cozmic Collection.
Gematsu has kindly translated some quotes from the interview with Taito which state that the company is looking at resurrecting other classic franchises, and could produce some original games as well:
We decided that it would be necessary to release Taito’s IPs and technology on all platforms in order to increase profit in the future.
We have titles that are already moving towards release.
These are the first steps of our new developments.
Projects are underway from re-releases to new titles on various platforms.
However, console games are an extremely difficult current business for us. With that in mind, we’d like to release things that will be welcomed by all of you, but if we get the chance, we might also make something original.
Getting buzz in the console game market is a big deal and makes it easier to appeal to customers.
With Darius and now Ninja Warriors getting a much-needed revival, what other classic Taito series would you like to see on Switch? Rainbow Islands? Bubble Bobble? Rastan? Space Invaders? Let us know with a comment.
Comments 63
Just the other day I was thinking how the SNES game would be perfect in line for a Wild Guns Reloaded treatment and now here we are!
Wow! This is glorious news. Sincerely hope us folk in Europe (UK) get to see Taito's games released.
As for "something new", please be Elevator Action Returns 2, but no 3D shenanigans. All 2D pixel art.
The Legend of Kage and Gladiator please!!
Oh, Great!!!
Puzzle Bobble series!!, Cleopatra Fortune!!, Puchi Carat!!, KiKi KaiKai series!!, Please?!!!, Please?!!!!
@Fuz Yes to Operation Wolf, New Zealand Story and Puzzle Bobble.
What about Operation Thunder, Bionic Comando, or Full Dizzy Collection
bubble bobble please
I want FLIPULL from Taito.
Why does no one seem to have these "screenshots" that supposedly show "a 2D title that is in keeping with previous entries in the series"?
That's 4 websites now.
I'd personally love a new Bubble Bobble game though there are other Taito games I'd buy too.
Welcome back Taito. You were missed xxx.
Come on bubble bobble.
And I guess bust a move (puzzle bobble) while I’m at it.
@meppi64 I have Elevator Action Returns on the Saturn. A truly great game which few have played. Far superior to Ninja Warriors, which despite it's high price tag on eBay now is something of a stinker.
@ramu-chan
Fun little fact. I actually bought Elevator Action Returns on Saturn back in the day solely because the shopkeeper mentioned that it had the original arcade game in it as well.
Had no idea that Returns would turn out that great.
Used to play Ninja Warriors on the Amiga, not a bad conversion.
Would love it Rainbow Islands / New Zealand Story get re-releases, I would be happy to have the originals
@TulipWaltz The magazine won't be on sale until tomorrow (July, 5th) so no one can get scans yet.
I'm subscribed so I'll be getting the digital issue on my iPad soon enough, and I'm sure someone will post a scan sooner or later.
Zookeeper!
Qix!
Bubble bobble, puzzle bobble, arcanoid, and space invaders. It would be nice to have the snes version of space invaders. It had the classic look but with nice looking colors, but original black and white still an option.
The Switch needs a Space Invaders collection.
@Alikan i'd buy that.
this game looks really interesting, and glad to see Devs embracing on making new sequels for their NES games.
Time for Bubby & Bobby to make a comeback! Switch is becoming, in a short amount of time, the ultimate retro machine.
While not a Taito framchise, I'm ready for another ninja, named Ryu Hayabusa, to return to action! ⚔
@NewAdvent Square Enix owns Taito so they would also have access to Lufia.
How about they give us something we actually want like Bust-a-Move returning?
Ninja Warriors was my jam back in the day. I can’t believe I’ll finally have it in handheld form. Very excited for this!
Cool. And happy M2 is getting around on the Switch.
I'm glad Taito kept most of their key franchise distinct from Square Enix despite being own by them. Wouldn't want those idiots to start ruining classics like these.
I would love the arcade version of Rastan on the Switch. It was one of my favorite games, partly due to the fact that I could complete it on 1 credit.
Yea Taito!! That’s it baby!! You got a huge catalog to sift through!! First Darius now this!! Keep the announcements coming!!
How about a Power Blade reboot?
Don’t play with my emotions like that!!
Puzzle Bobble on the Switch! Please, Taito!
@NewAdvent Square Enix owns Taito. During the acquisition, Square Enix absorbed Taito into a shell company and re-branded the shell company as the new Taito (currently Square Enix's arcade division).
It's why Taito haven't been releasing games ever since the HD era.
I NEED A PSYCHIC FORCE REMAKE!
@rjejr “Ninja Warriors Again“
Hey, looks like someone listened to you, remember? 😉
Square-Enix owns this company now. Glad they're taking advantage of their classic assets 😉
The complete Puzzle Bobble/Bust-a-Move collection for me please ^^ !
Or better yet, a complete "Ray" series compilation, omg, that would be awesome (RayForce, RayStorm and RayCrisis)
And Ray Tracers!!! Oh or a new Densha de GO! game for Switch!!
@Fuz heck yes!! I'm totally in for all these potential classic revival!
(Somebody tell konami to bring back goemon!)
Rainbow islands
Space invaders series
Operation Wolf & Thunderbolt
Bubble Bobble
Zoo Keeper
Phoenix
elevator action
Battle Shark
Gladiator
New Zealand Story
Thunder Fox
Rastan 1&2
Continental Circus
Puzzle Bobble
Alpine ski
Legend of Kage
Metal Back
Qix
Space Dungeon
Front Line
Growl
@Lroy hey dude sorry for the delay but I finally sent you a friend request on Switch 😁😁 I never forgot just working all the time, family etc etc!! But it’s sent!! Thanks, Joe
@TulipWaltz I finally got to read that article and I don't believe the screenshot is from the remake. I would post a screenshot of that page, but I don't know if it is possible to attach images to a comment.
Anyway, no screenshots from the remake.
Edited: Wait a moment! Looking closely and comparing the screenshot with a YouTube video I found, I actually retract my comment. It is a screenshot of the remake. It has more detail than the SuperNES version.
@NinChocolate Yes, M2 is great. They also make the Sega Ages series for the Switch, i'm very hyped for their versions of Gain Ground and Thunder Force IV.
I hope Thunder Force IV and the Darius Collection will be successful enough to convince them to bring their M2STG brand to the Switch.
@joey302 Yeah, I think I accepted the invite a while back. So you should be able to see Lroy on your fiends list and view my activity log etc. Been mainly FIFA '18 four past 4/5 months ☺️
EDIT: Let me know if you ever fancy playing a game online or casually high-score chasing on an arcade game 👍
@Lroy will do! Haven’t been playing anything other than Dirt 4 lately but I do continue to grab my Switch games both digital & retail!!
@clvr Well honestly I didn't remember exactly, just a vague recollection, but since you and I were involved I figured it was worth a search - rjejr clvr - and it was pretty funny. Too bad Bethesda wasn't paying attention to us, they would have named the DOOM sequel better.
DOOMED AGAIN >>> DOOM Eternal
@ramu-chan Might as well play Bandai's first SNES Power Rangers. If you wanted a discount version of SNES Ninja Warriors because that's about what it feels like. It's certainly possible Bandai contracted the same people at Natsume to make it.
@rjejr well I figured it’d be harder for you to remember as I don’t post that often so I usually remember a lot of conversations.
“since you and I were involved I figured it was worth a search - rjejr clvr”
First thought: oh so many consonants 😂
Second thought: do you hold me in such high regard? Lol
“DOOMED AGAIN >>> DOOM Eternal”
Yep, to be honest I’m not that fussed on DOOM Eternal as a moniker. Heck, “Hell On Earth” was pretty good. I think Eternal would’ve fit better as the umpteenth game in the series, it seems too soon to call it that.
On the other hand, though, COD Eternal would work wonders... 😆
Darius!!! Yes!!!
little samson 40$ on eshop
@clvr "DOOM Eternal"
Well it is better than "Final DOOM".
"do you hold me in such high regard"
I just know on the rare occasions we do get to commenting back and forth it's intelligent and funny, so I remember that. And clvr is pretty easy to remember, it's basically rjejr.
@rjejr “Final Doom” sounds like a title a horror B-movie could have lol
Well, then how about “DOOM & Gloom”? 😂 it could even feature the Pokémon Gloom lol
Anyway thanks, I enjoy our conversations too 😄 you know, I don’t really comment a lot, just when I know it’s worth it 😄
@maruse Is it the one they added to the article at the top? I see an enemy type which wasn't in the original version. Although it might be one which was exclusive to the JP version.
@TulipWaltz Yes, that's the one!
Oh, Awesome!!!
Please!!! Power Blade!!! Kick Master!!! Little Samson!!! Sonic BlastMan with Sonia (beat-em-up)!!! Pocky & Rocky!!! Psychic Force!!! Please!!! Please!!!! And I want more NinjaWarriors!
Yabadabadoo!!! Taito Returns!!! Remasters of The Flintstones: The Rescue of Dino & Hoppy and The Flintstones: The Surprise at Dinosaur Peak!!! Metroidvania Power Blade!!! Remake of the arcade-Ninja Warriors in the style of The Adventures of Batman & Robin (Sega Genesis)! Pocky & Rocky 3 !!! New Sonic BlastMan II (Snes)!!!
@clvr “DOOM & Gloom”
I'm pretty sure they're saving that for the straight-to-Amazon movie sequel starring random big bruising MMA guy.
@rjejr “movie sequel starring random big bruising MMA guy.”
...or, more likely, The Rock, seeing as the guy is pretty much ubiquitous these days. I saw an ad for a new movie starring him, which looks as terrible as you’d expect from his movies. I think I’ve never seen such a ubiquitous actor (not even Jason Statham or Nicholas Cage seem to come close to him), but the thing is all the movies he stars in look pretty much the same: awful, mindless, by-the-numbers dumb action movies.
I can’t believe people still pay for that kind of stuff.
@clvr "or, more likely, The Rock"
On the off chance you didn't know and missed my joke, the Rock starred in the original Doom movie in 2005.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0419706/
He also starred in The Scorpion King as a BIG CGI scorpion, but he wasn't in any of the 3 sequels. The Scorpion King is the absolute worst movie my wife and I have ever seen and somehow it got 3 sequels. And I think each of them has a UFC fighter in it.
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls013335633/
@rjejr “On the off chance you didn't know and missed my joke, the Rock starred in the original Doom movie in 2005.”
It’s actually a real chance, as the joke flew right over my head 😂😂😂
I didn’t know there was a DOOM movie, nor that The Rock actually starred in it (and even before being everywhere) lol
Thanks, though I’m not sure how grateful I should be for this info 😂
I watched The Scorpion King at the time, and know there are sequels to that, but I thank god I was too young to understand what a good movie is, saving me a lot of cringe for when I’d grow older.
@clvr "I watched The Scorpion King at the time"
The thing about that movie was the first Mummy movie - in that series, nto talking old black & white films - was really good. Borderline great even. The 2nd was ok. The 3rd was whatever. But man that was so bad. The best thing about that movie was my wife and I had it on DVD and watched the deleted scenes, and they deleted the entire plot of the movie. The entire plot. Not the best plot, something cliche about the Scorpion King fulfilling some prophecy about rising up and killing the ruler, like Frieza and the Saiyans in DragonBall Z, and they cut it all out. Also it was one of the first movies we think made by WWE, the wrestling company, so we try to avoid all of those now.
If you like really bad old cheese like that, in the 1980's I saw "The Sword and the Sorcerer", similar movie, good guy had a sword with 3 blades, the 2 on the sides actually shot out and stabbed people. Man was that cheesy.
I only went to see that b/c I had just seen "Excalibur" on TV. Excalibur was pretty good, the other seemed so bad after that. But good bad.
I still havent' seen Doom. I'd probably watch it if I came across it on HBO or Netflix or Amazon, but I've never seen ti listed anywhere. I did watch the first 15 minutes of Baywatch w/ the Rock recently but it was so bad I had to turn it off. I've seen a lot of bad movies in my life, but I'd never turned one off before, it was that bad.
@rjejr “If you like really bad old cheese like that”
Nope, sorry, I don’t 😂
I actually don’t watche that many movies to begin with, so when I do I try to watch something of good quality. It also helps my dad is a cinephile, so I have a vague idea of what a good movie should or shouldn’t be.
@clvr Well I can't help you there. If it's up for a major Academy Award there's a 99% chance I didn't see it. If it's up for best animated picture I've probably seen it. Maybe special effects. But that's about it.
@rjejr ahahahahahah I appreciate the honesty 😂
Yeah it’s not like I’m an expert, either; it’s just my father made me watch a lot of weird, niche stuff growing up 😄
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