One company that's shown support for the Nintendo Switch since the very beginning is Hamster Corporation. By now, you probably have at least one of its Arcade Archives games on your HOME Menu. So far, it has released titles made by Nintendo, Taito Corp, Jaleco and many others.
As you might have heard, this week's latest release is Konami's 1991 cowboy classic Sunset Riders. It marks a special occasion for Hamster, as its the 100th Arcade Archives release on the Nintendo Switch. Yep, after a little over three years - it's officially made it to one hundred games. Here's the celebratory tweet, as translated by Google:
Nintendo Switch Arcade Archives has reached 100 titles! We would like to thank all the users who have supported us so far, the game makers who have participated, and everyone at Nintendo!
(Note: this excludes the Neo Geo line-up)
Within this tweet was an image showcasing all of the games released so far - see above (alternatively, you can see the full list on the official Nintendo website).
Tell us, what Hamster ACA games have you added to your Switch collection so far? What's your favourite release? Leave a comment down below.
Further reading:
[source twitter.com]
Comments 67
Hamster doing the Lord’s work, especially with no traditional Virtual Console this generation!
I’ve not downloaded any because I’m burnt out on playing retro games. It’s nice to see it doing well though
Hope to see the line continue! Cadash, please. RoboCop, while I'm dreaming. Kid Nikki was the only disappointment, it wasn't the English version
That's rather cool.
@EvilRegal Yeah, this right here.
Too bad there’s no freakin folders to put them in!
HAMSTER, Johnny Turbo, and Sega Ages are the closest thing to a Virtual Console we'll ever had on the Switch. Can't wait for Sunset Riders tomorrow.
As an arcade junkie, this pleases me very much.
If they were a quid or two each I'd buy a lot more of them.
Plus 108 ACA Neo Geo releases, that makes 208 titles. Far from the 800 they said they wanted to release, but if they continue releasing games maybe we'll see the end of it in the next Nintendo system.
Anyway, it's great, and I love them and I'm usually more interested in their releases than any other new game nowadays.
As much as I love the big stuff on Switch, I think that having such a huge selection of classic and obscure arcade games is my favorite thing about it. I’m really hoping to see some more stuff from the 1990’s, along with Super Punch Out, Kangaroo, some licensed stuff (I can dream), Smash TV, Paperboy, etc.
I wish that Sega would dust off Virtua Fighters 1 and 2.
Long may it continue
They ported the GREAT Crazy Climber! With near perfect controls, especially when using that vertical gaming attachment (whats it called again?) Crazy Climber is a rare game that needs to the perfect control scheme to be playable. And Hamster nailed it with this one!
On the other hand, apart from games with complex license issues we're not going to see because it would prove expensive to them, I don't see Hamster releasing any more modern stuff than 16 bit. If M2 emulates 16 bit games at such slow pace, when people ask for games from the 32 bit era I always think it's not going to happen. Hamster commited to releasing a game every week, and that's not possible if they dive into polygonal probably hard to emulate games.
Donkey Kong and Moon Patrol are my favorites. Having the different regional versions is awesome.
I also like the games that didn’t make it to the West, like Crazy Climber 2.
I’ve been thinking of picking up Neo Turf Masters.
I just wanna hug Hamster.
@WesEds pretty funny because I am burnt out on newer games. Retro is always the go to for me when your time crunching.
Incredible work from them.
Which is great news. But why are they more expensive on Switch than on PS4 & XBox?
I'm currently attempting to do a no death run on Vs Gradius, which is a bloody wonderful but infuriating game. After a week I can get up to the 3rd level boss. Keep em coming Hamster!
I've only bought Metal Slug so far, and that was when it was 50% off. I might get a few more, notably the recent wrestling game (mostly nostalgic reasons from playing it in the arcade), and Hyper Sports, once they go on sale. I wish they'd do ISS Deluxe! Otherwise, most of the rest are "been there, done that", or not interested, especially since they quite expensive for something you play a little while then ignore it.
@BanjoPickles I don’t think we’re gonna see games like Smash TV, Paperboy, Defender, Joust
Robotron 2084, Hydro Thunder etc unless Warner Bros gets involved- this is the biggest missing gap of retro goodness we’re yet to have and enjoy on Switch. And a very important group of great games at that! Hopefully one day!
I have all but Sunset Riders.
Think about it- if it wasn’t for The Hamster lineup we’d be reduced to the limited pitiful offerings from Nintendo’s Snes/Nes Online service AND worse is you can’t even buy any of those if you wanted too!!
Hamster has brought us retro fans sooo many great & important titles for us old farts and younger gamers like my son. Frogger, Moon Patrol, Moon Cresta, Scramble, Lifeforce, Pooyan, Crazy Climber, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, and many others including in my opinion, one of the biggest releases hitting today - Sunset Riders! Titles we forgot about. Titles some of us never heard of. Even unique rare arcade Titles that never came to North America. A huge variety of games overall And let’s not forget the ton of awesome Neo Geo titles!
Ok there’s Sega Ages, Johnny Turbo’s Data East lineup (what the heck happened to them?) And the Atari Flashback and Namco Collections, but Hamster is our champion with over 200 selections! I hope they keep on rolling and maybe even get other publishers involved like they did with Nintendo & KONAMI & Taito!
Maybe they should contact Warner Bros for the Midway/Atari Arcade classics sorely missing?? THAT WOULD BE AWESOME!! SO thank you Hamster for all your efforts!! If you REALLY have 800 arcade titles in your arsenal then we should be seeing many more big, exciting and important classic games yet to come!! I look forward to every Thursday since the Switch launch! My only small complaint?? Why is there no Arcade Archives games being released on the Xbox One?? I’d like to buy them there too especially with Microsoft’s BC program! Please do soon! Thanks!
Still no Bubble Bobble though ☹️
It would be good if Hamster would release more titles from the late 80s and early 90s. I'm hoping for the Rastan series.
Congrats for the 100 games. That's a lot of arcading and hope for more in the future ☺️
This does highlight the argument for both folders and some form of categories in the e-shop.
So far I’ve found retro offerings on the switch to be lacking. I’ve no memories of the arcade outside of The Simpson’s, Turtles in Time, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and Marvel vs Capcom 2. Of those 2 had home conversions and that’s what I want to play, retro console games. Of those however it’s very hit or miss (missing games mostly like Castlevania Legends on the Castlevania Collection and Sonics 3 and K on Genesis). Very disappointed at the lack of a proper VC.
@KnightRider666 Luckily Sunset Riders is releasing today!
Next up from that chapter of Time of the Arcade: Operation Wolf and Narc
@Discoderek75 Sooner or later. They've being releasing recently other Arcade Archives games that were on PS4 for a long time, and I think this particular one is going to happen. I hope, at least. Others like Wonder Boy I wouldn't count on, because of license problems.
Keep them coming! I'm a sucker for these arcade ports.
Some kind of physical collection for some of these in different volumes say 1,2,3 would be great for me... Then it's just one icon for a group of games.
(Obviously this goes against Hamster being able to sell these individually, which is undoubtedly much more profitable)
Regardless, Congratulations!!
I've downloaded a hand full of their releases over the years, and they do a great job! I've also love to see some kind of physical collection of all the games.
Raiden 1 & 2. I'll buy multiple copies for multiple systems in case they disappear on the eshop one day.
How the world has changed since I last bought a Hamster Switch release (Frogger on 12th Dec ‘19). Sunset Riders is a must-have for me. Hopefully UPL’s fun shoot-em-up Nova 2001 will get a Switch release at some point (it’s been out on PS4 for years).
Wanna see Altered Beast and Golden Axe arcade ports hit these Hamster Archive Arcades.
The only one I have picked up so far is Elevator Action.
virtual console who? you have hamster arcade archives, neo geo, namco museum, atari flashback, sega ages, johnny turbo, sega genesis classics, snk 40th ann, castlevania & contra coll, konami coll. and upcoming retro namco archives vol 1 and vol 2 plus if you purchased NSO, you get to play all NES and Super NES games anytime. now that is a lot of retro games
Sunset Riders will be my 50th Arcade Archives/ACA NEOGEO title today. Before the Switch came out, without Arcade Archives, I wasn't really expecting to use my Switch so much except for a Splatoon 2 machine and a few indie titles here and there. Now, it's a portable arcade, retro, and Steam machine. To each their own, then.
@popey1980 They're the same price on PS4 ($7.99US) and XBOX doesn't have Arcade Archives, though.
That’s awesome, I bought a lot of Neo Geo games from them.
@sixrings Raiden
https://nintendoeverything.com/arcade-archives-super-punch-out-vs-baseball-and-first-games-from-seibu-kaihatsu-announced/
@KoopaTheQuick I haven’t played Crazy Climber 2 yet, but it was a Japan only game. For must of us, it is a chance to play a sequel that we probably didn’t even know existed.
The few that I have bought have been great. I was actually playing Double Dragon last week. Tweaked it in settings for best display like the old days. Still have a whole bunch in my want list.
Switch has significant input lag issues but is still an amazing little retro arcade powerhouse! Thank you Nintendo and Aca Arcade Archives for bringing so many classic arcade games into the 21st Century!
HAI! Domo Arigato!!
Arcade Archives purchased so far
Switch North American
Alpha Mission
Argus
Atomic Robo-Kid
Bells & Whistles/Detana!! TwinBee
Bomb Jack
City Connection
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong 3
Image Fight
In The Hunt
Omega Fighter
Ninja Spirit
Plus Alpha
Pooyan
Radical Radial
Saint Dragon
Star Force
Terra Cresta
Time Pilot
Water Ski
X Multiply
XX Mission — anyone else notice that theme song for XX Mission closely resembles Guns N Roses Sweet Child O Mine?
North American PS4
A-Jax
Armed F
Bells & Whistles/Detana!! TwinBee
Contra
Gradius
Gradius II
Haunted Castle
Heroic Episode
Image Fight
In The Hunt
Life Force
MagMax
Moon Cresta
Nova 2001
Scramble
Soldier Girl Amazon
Terra Cresta
TwinBee
X Multiply
Japanese PS4
Darius
Terra Force
Thunder Cross
ACA NeoGeo Switch
Aero Fighters 2
Aero Fighters 3
Alpha Mission II
Blazing Star
Cyber Lip
Garou Mark of the Wolves
Ghost Pilots
Last Resort
Metal Slug
Metal Slug X
Metal Slug 2
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug 4
Metal Slug 5
Ninja Commando
Prehistoric Isle 2
Pulstar
Real Bout Fatal Fury Special
Samurai Showdown
Samurai Showdown II
Samurai Showdown IV
Shock Troopers
Shock Troppers 2nd Squad
Strikers 1945 Plus
The King of Fighters ‘98
The Last Blade
The Last Blade II
Top Hunter Roddy & Cathy
Zed Blade
@ekwcll
The nso games are not available all the time.
Let’s celebrate the occasion by releasing Rastan!
Would like to see Capcom arcade hits make their way over (1942, Commando, Section Z, etc.) and the Midway/Atari Games collection (Paperboy, Marble Madness, Smash TV, Robotron, Joust), but otherwise a very solid collection of retro favorites. And unlike many, I don't want a VC. The NES/SNES online service is giving me $265 worth of VC games for only $20 a year.
@GameOtaku unless you let your nso run out and/or have no internet for the check after a week, then you always have access.
I've only let my nso run out once... left it off bot about a month, have kept it going ever since... keep in mind this was when NSO first became paid.
As for the games listed here I have 19(?) I've got all the nintendo titles a few others... Also have puzzle bobble 1 and 2 (they are under the Neo Geo line though)
@Musharna
I have no reliable internet access nor do I play online. It’s just far more convenient to buy games I want to play ala carte than rent games I don’t and pay for a service that’s useless otherwise. It’s fine for online gaming I guess but just to play retro games VC is the way to go. I don’t see why we can’t have both. Buy the games you want now or wait till you can play for free. Options!
@muscpt
Omg I was just thinking about operation Wolf the other day. Also, would love to see smash TV and Rush n attack.
I want Xevious that would be AWESOME !!
I have several in my wish list. Hoping for a sale at some point.
Got a few. Would be good if they kind of localized the controls. They are not the most friendly games to play without notes on buttons.
@GameOtaku, it is available to play if you have the internet on, without the internet you can still play offline but weekly, then you will have to be connected to the internet again briefly.
@SuperWeird yea! Is it just me or is it annoying to have retro game collections with many titles together, the have these sorts of retro titles taking up space individually?? Really makes my library feel unbalanced :/
Genius Games BUT stupid Publisher !!! Horrible prices for 30-40 year old games! Every game weight 70MB (because have emulator). Its lot better to make a one APP with emulator and sell games inside of him (aka Pinball Arcade did)
@ekwcll
Or you could buy them and not check in at all. I bought 2 one month subs with coins in the past. I was only able to play for two weeks out of both because of the check in requirements. But it knew when the cutoff date was though so instead of playing the last week out till the next check in it just stopped.
I don’t care about it playing online I could just do couch co-op. It’s stupid to pay for a service to play games online when you don’t play online.
My only complaint with the Hamster games is that you have to close out of the game to go back to a spot-save. Yes, it is on me for not being good enough to beat some of the more brutal titles authentically sans spot save. But if you are offering the feature, might as well make it more user friendly.
@BANJO : Switch cartridges can contain multiple games (that is, spawning individual icons for each title), so there would be no need for Hamster to consolidate the titles into a single shell (which would require additional work).
With that said, I have no idea if there is a limit on how many titles can be stored on a single cartridge or whether it is purely based on its storage capacity.
@Silly_G Yes it would require extra work, I would much prefere this however. It would be equivalent to the Sega Mega Drive Collection in my eyes... But with multiple volumes, say 25-30 games on each cartridge..
Of course this would cost money for the additional work involved, and grouping the games together would mean they would have to charge less per title if 25-30 games were included in each cartridge... It's safe to say it won't happen 😂
Going forwards I may get the very odd title I like when on sale...
@JayJ Grabbed that yesterday. Great game, I've been missing out!
Would love some taito like New Zealand story , arcade version of Chase HQ
Sega - Hang on, Magical Flying Hat Adventure, super Monaco Gp
@GameOtaku fair enouigh but it only takes a few secs to do an online check... I prefer the nso method because it lets me try games legally that I'd never be abvle to do so other wise, vs paying $5+ per game.
@Musharna
Overall you’d come out ahead outright buying the games since they go on sale often. The sub will most likely increase in price so you’re savings isn’t set in stone.
@GameOtaku nintendo titles especally retro ones rarely go on sale though.
Then again I'm not really the target market for those type of games, I'd rather use my new system for new games.
Here is a wish list for me.
Sailor Moon (arcade belt scroller) by Banpresto.
Bank Panic by Sega.
Momoko 120% by Jaleco. Complete with a Lum No Wedding Bell modd which activates the UY graphics.
Ararkroid by Tito.
Manazar-Z by Banpresto.
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