Popular Games by M2
SEGA AGES Virtua Racing Switch eShop
- 25th Apr 2019 (JPN)
- 27th Jun 2019 (UK/EU)
- 27th Jun 2019 (NA)
Castlevania The Adventure ReBirth WiiWare
- 27th Oct 2009 (JPN)
- 28th Dec 2009 (NA)
- 26th Feb 2010 (UK/EU)
Toaplan Arcade Garage: Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli Switch
- 28th Oct 2021 (JPN)
- 16th May 2024 (NA)
Reviews of M2 Games
Easy, tiger
We're republishing this 2021 import review because, over two-and-a-half years after its Japanese release, M2 has finally brought Kyukyoku Tiger-Heli to the West, surprise-dropping this Toaplan collection on the US Switch eShop on 16th May. There's no word on a European release just yet, but the base game is available on the US eShop for...
Review Dodonpachi DaiOuJou Blissful Death Re:Incarnation (Switch) - Poetic Bullet-Hell Perfection
Get Hyper
Cave, a shoot-'em-up developer assembled from the ashes of Toaplan, was preparing to fold in 2001. The arcade scene was moving in new directions, relying on increasingly ostentatious Taikan cabinets to compete with the emerging technology of home consoles. For Cave, the 2D shoot 'em up, no matter how unerringly creative, was struggling to...
Hell Wing
M2’s garage doors are open for business again, continuing to pay homage, and in fastidious attention to detail, to the shoot 'em ups of yesteryear. Zero Fire, a portmanteau of collected titles Zero Wing (1989) and Hellfire (1989) represents Toaplan during the height of its glorious arcade tenure. Although released just four months...
Send in the Toaplanes
M2’s ShotTriggers series has been an ongoing pilgrimage of preservation for some of the greatest shoot-em-up’s in arcade history. Hishou Same! Same! Same! combines an early Toaplan series of two: Hishouzame and Same! Same! Same!, known in the West as Flying Shark and Fire Shark, respectively. Both original arcade titles are...
Thou shalt blast a fishy on your little Switchy
Having covered the coin-operated portion of the acclaimed Darius series of shmups (with the exception of G-Darius and Dariusburst, which are on the upcoming Darius Cozmic Revelation), we now come to the console side of the franchise, which is represented almost completely here. Unfortunately, that...
The REAL sushi striker
Taito's beloved Darius series took its sweet game to appear in a dedicated compilation. Until now, only 2006's jam-packed Taito Legends 2 package represented the series with the latter titles Darius Gaiden and G-Darius, but with the release of Darius Cozmic Collection, we finally have a near-complete museum of this venerable...
Latest M2 News
Thursday27th Mar 2025
News M2's 'Gradius Origins' Collects Some Of The Shmup Series' Finest And A Brand-New Entry
Prepare for launch
Shmup fans, rejoice! Konami flew into today's Nintendo Direct showcase to reveal Gradius Origins, an upcoming shoot 'em up collection that will be blasting onto Switch on 7th August. The Origins bundle gathers together some of the biggest names in the Gradius series, with the original Gradius trilogy, the Salamander duo and Life...
Thursday13th Mar 2025
News M2 Is Working On A Brand New 'Night Striker' Game
And we've got some footage
M2, the emulation wizards who are responsible for multiple Sega Ages titles, Virtual Console ports, and the excellent Castlevania Advance and Dominus Collections, has shared a brand new trailer for its upcoming game, Night Striker Gear, which is coming to Switch in 2025. The clip was shared on Bluesky by ohfivepro (via
Friday14th Jun 2024
News Developer M2 Wants To Bring More Games To The Switch
"We’re always looking for that opportunity"
Japanese developer M2, known for its work on Castlevania Advance Collection, Legend of Mana, and the superb Dodonpachi DaiOuJou Blissful Death Re:Incarnation, has stated that it wants to bring more of its games to the Nintendo Switch. Speaking to
Monday17th Apr 2023
News RayStorm X RayCrisis HD Collection Brings Two Taito Shmup Masterpieces To Switch
Out June
ININ Games is bringing two Taito all-timers to Switch in the form of RayStorm X RayCrisis HD Collection. Confirmed for a western release last year by the publisher, an eShop listing for 30th June 2023 has appeared, suggesting that we won't have to wait too long to get our hands on this classic bundle. RayStorm and RayCrisis (also known as...
Thursday23rd Mar 2023
M2's Masanori Yagi talks Assault Suits Valken Declassified
The Assault Suits mecha action games arguably deserve a little more attention than they enjoy here in the West. Back in the 1990s, their distinct blend of platforming and run ‘n’ gun design did indeed see ports from their native Japan to the rest of the world – sometimes in a heavily...
Saturday11th Mar 2023
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2
#16 - A sophomore with depth
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be...
Tuesday7th Mar 2023
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Gunstar Heroes
#12 - A real treasure
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Saturday30th Jul 2022
News Taito & M2 Bringing Shmup Collection 'Ray'z Arcade Chronology' To Switch
Update: Localisation & HD Collection confirmed
Update #2 [Sat 30th Jul, 2022 17:15 BST]: ININ Games has confirmed it will release Ray'z Arcade Chronology and also RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection on the Switch here in the west. There's no release date just yet and ININ will be handling publishing duties of both games digitally (via Gematsu). The...
Tuesday15th Mar 2022
News 'Aleste Collection' Is Getting A 3-Disc Album Of Music
Music to our ears
Shooter series Aleste – which benefitted from a Switch collection not so long ago – is getting a new music collection in Japan, which is based on the aforementioned compendium. The three-disc set launches in April and includes music from Aleste (Sega Mark III, 1988), Aleste (Master System 'overseas version'), Power Strike II...
Thursday23rd Dec 2021
News M2 Is Bringing Yet Another Classic Shmup To Switch Next Year
Update: Release date and trailer revealed
Update: M2 has revealed that Toaplan Arcade Garage: Hishou Same! Same! Same! will launch in Japan on April 28th, 2022 (thanks, Gematsu). The collection will come in both digital and physical forms, with the latter shipping with a download code for Sennou Game Teki Paki. Players will also have access
Thursday23rd Sep 2021
News Castlevania Advance Collection Gets Updated Rating In Taiwan, Dracula X A Surprise Addition
Update: Official artwork also spotted
Update: As if it wasn't obvious enough already, the listing for Castlevania Advance Collection spotted in Taiwan now has official artwork associated with it (thanks, Gematsu), as well as more details on what games are included. The newly published description confirms that Castlevania: Circle of the Moon...
Tuesday27th Jul 2021
Talking Point Which Game Stage Have You Replayed More Than Any Other?
Green Hill Zone Act 1 is my new-old timesink
The ability to devote entire days to nothing but video games is a past luxury unavailable to me right now, or in the foreseeable future, unfortunately. The addition to my life of small humans that look a bit like me has substantially diminished my available free time, and I've recently realised that it's...
Monday19th Jul 2021
News M2 Is Bringing Toaplan's 'Tiger-Heli' And 'Ultimate Tiger' To Nintendo Switch This October
Update: Pre-order now live
Emulation expert M2 has just confirmed that it is bringing Toaplan's 'Ultimate Tiger' series to the Switch later this year as part of its M2 Shot Triggers range. Ultimate Tiger-Heli – which is getting a physical release – will include the original 1985 Tiger-Heli and its 1987 sequel Twin Cobra (AKA Kyukyoku Tiger)...
Friday25th Jun 2021
News 'Castlevania Advance Collection' Possibly Revealed By Rating In Australia
Update: Second rating appears in South Korea
Update: The Game Rating and Administration Committee of Korea has rated Castlevania Advance Collection for PC (thanks, Gematsu), which is another pretty solid indication that it's coming. Original Story [Fri 18th Jun, 2021 21:00 BST]: 2021 may just be the year of the Metroidvania, and
Friday29th Jan 2021
News M2 Has Updated Six Sega Ages Titles For Nintendo Switch
Bug fixes, improved network play and more
The emulation experts at M2 might not necessarily be releasing any more Sega Ages titles for the Nintendo Switch, but it's not entirely done with this collection just yet. According to the Japanese company's official Twitter account, it's just released updates for six of its Sega Ages games. These updates...
Saturday26th Sep 2020
News M2 Is Bringing Aleste Collection To Switch And Making A Special Game Gear Micro
Update: An all-new game has been added
Update: Sega has announced that a new Aleste game has been added to its upcoming collection for Switch. The game is Aleste 3 for the Game Gear, an all-new entry. Original story [Wed 16th Sep, 2020 13:30 BST]: Emulation expert M2 has just announced that it is bringing a collection of Aleste titles to the...
Thursday24th Sep 2020
News Strictly Limited Games Is Releasing A Physical Collector's Edition Of Darius Cozmic Revelation
Pre-orders open this month
Strictly Limited Games has announced that it is partnering with legendary Japanese company Taito to produce a physical collector's edition of the upcoming Darius Cozmic Revelation. The pack contains G-Darius HD (an update of G Darius) and Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+. The former is being developed by M2, while the...
Thursday14th May 2020
News Thunder Force AC Hits North America And Europe At The End Of The Month
That was quick!
Update #2: Sega has confirmed that Thunder Force AC will launch in North America and Europe on May 28th – not long to wait! It will cost $7.99 in America. Will you be downloading it, or have you already purchased the Japanese version? Update #1 [Mon 11th May, 2020 09:00 BST]: Sega has confirmed that Thunder Force AC will launch...
Saturday18th Apr 2020
News M2 Is Making A Stupidly Expensive Shooter More Affordable On Home Consoles
Along with some other amazing Toaplan titles
A while back, emulation expert M2 announced that it had acquired the rights to bring a bunch of classic Toaplan shooters to home consoles. Toaplan – famous for hits such as Hellfire, Zero Wing and Snow Bros. – folded in the mid-'90s but would spawn Cave and Raizing, as well as other shooter companies...
Thursday5th Mar 2020
News Darius Cozmic Collection 2 Confirmed, Existing Collection Getting New Games Today
New content is approaching fast!
Taito has revealed that it is working on Darius Cozmic Collection 2, with a release expected this winter. No games have been confirmed at present (one would assume 1997's excellent G-Darius will make the cut), nor has it been specified which consoles it will be launching on. The company has also revealed that the...
Wednesday12th Feb 2020
News We Really, Really Hope M2's New Shooter Comes To Switch
Pretty please?
If you appreciate Japanese retro games, then chances are you're already familiar with the work of Japanese studio M2, which has been the industry leader when it comes to adapting vintage games for modern systems. It worked with Nintendo on the original Wii Virtual Console, and has also been involved with Sega's recent efforts to open...
Wednesday15th Jan 2020
News Knuckles The Echidna To Return In Lock-On Form To Sonic The Hedgehog 2 On Switch
& Knuckles
Announced long, long ago, the upcoming SEGA Ages Sonic the Hedgehog 2 for Switch has been confirmed to feature lock-on technology, meaning Knuckles the Echidna will be playable in the game just like in the old days. Like this. The latest issue of Japanese gaming mag Weekly Famitsu (as reported by
Thursday9th Jan 2020
News Shinobi And Fantasy Zone Join The Sega Ages Lineup On Switch This Month
Complete with exclusive new features
Sega has announced the release date for the next two games in its Sega Ages range. Shinobi and Fantasy Zone are two arcade classics which earned legions of fans back in the day and established two classic franchises. Both will come with the usual slate of enhancements, such as online leaderboards, replays and...
Tuesday24th Dec 2019
News Christmas Comes Early With ESP Ra.De. Psi's Limited Edition Package For Switch
We've been really good, honest
Christmas might be just around the corner but we've been deemed good enough to open one of our presents early – and it's the swanky limited edition package for Cave's legendary shooter ESP Ra.De., which launched in Japan on Switch and PS4 on December 19th. A collaborative effort between emulation masters M2 and the...
Monday9th Dec 2019
News M2 Is Bringing Toaplan's Back Catalogue To Modern Consoles
Arcade lovers, rejoice!
Tiger Heli. Zero Wing. Hellfire. Truxton. Slap Fight. Fire Shark. If those names just sound like the ramblings of a deranged madman, then you'll probably want to navigate away from this page as soon as possible, but if at least one of them has you grinning with nostalgic glee, then the next bit of news is going to make your...
Thursday12th Sep 2019
Review The Genesis / Mega Drive Mini Finally Does Sega's History Justice
Mega Drive me to the store
Miniaturized consoles are nothing new to Sega as it was releasing them long before Nintendo’s Classic NES and SNES consoles took the spotlight. The plug-and-play systems it produced in collaboration with AtGames usually carried a decent library of titles, bu
Monday12th Aug 2019
News Cave's Legendary Shmup ESP Ra.De. Is Coming To Switch, Courtesy Of M2
Update: Pre-orders now live, December release expected
Update: Retailer Play-Asia has added pre-order pages for the standard and limited-edition versions of the game, with a release date of 19th December 2019. Original Story: Emulation expert M2 has revealed that it is bringing Cave's 1998 vertical shooter
Thursday18th Jul 2019
News Sega Ages Columns II "Coming Soon" To The Switch eShop In Japan
Includes the original game
Following on from the local release of Wonder Boy: Monster Land and Virtua Racing, Sega has now revealed the next AGES on the way is Columns II: The Voyage Through Time. This classic puzzle game is priced at 999 yen and is "coming soon" to the Japanese Switch eShop. The game features an arcade mode, featuring two game...
Tuesday25th Jun 2019
News Japanese Mega Drive Mini Collector's Edition Comes With 22 Tiny Cartridges
A framed set of cute (mock) carts
The Mega Drive Mini is shaping up to be an excellent tribute to Sega's classic 16-bit console, and it's taken many years of sub-standard efforts (and, arguably, the huge success of Nintendo's HDMI-friendly Mini Classic consoles) to get to this point. With M2 taking charge of emulation on this one, Mega Drive /...
Thursday20th Jun 2019
News Sega Ages Space Harrier "Coming Soon" To The Switch eShop In Japan
Relive the third-person rail shooter
The game site for the Sega Ages Space Harrier is now live. The third-person rail shooter is "coming soon" to the Japanese Switch eShop and will set you back 925 yen. This new version captures the spirit of the original 1985 arcade version while also adding in features from the 2012 3DS title such as widescreen...
Tuesday11th Jun 2019
News Contra Anniversary Collection Is Available On The Switch eShop Right Now
War never changes
If you're a fan of Konami's Contra series, then today is your lucky day. Not only did we get confirmation that a new entry in the franchise is Switch-bound, but it was also revealed that Contra Anniversary Collection – the latest in Konami's series of M2-developed retro compilations – is available to purchase on the eShop...
Wednesday5th Jun 2019
News There's Actually A Third Version Of The Sega Mega Drive Mini
The Asian variant also has exclusive games
With all the news yesterday concerning the final games announced for Sega's upcoming Mega Drive / Genesis Mini console, it's easy to get a little confused over the regional exclusives for each version of the console. To add to that confusion there's also a third version of the plug-and-play mini console to...
Tuesday4th Jun 2019
News Mega Drive Mini Games List: All 42 Titles Revealed
Yes, 42! Extra games for all!
Update #3: The final 10 games for the upcoming Sega Mega Drive Mini have been revealed including two surprise extra games in the form of a brand new port of Darius from Taito - a game which never originally came to the Mega Drive (although Darius II did) - and possibly the rarest game on the system, Tetris! Here is the...
Tuesday21st May 2019
News Sega Ages Wonder Boy In Monster Land "Coming Soon" To The Japanese eShop
Another classic
Update: The official webpage for Sega Ages Wonder Boy has now confirmed the game will be released in Japan on 30th May. It appears Sega has begun preparing for the release of the next Japanese Sega Ages game – Wonder Boy In Monster Land – by opening its official webpage and listing it as "coming soon" to the local eShop for 925...
Saturday11th May 2019
News Sega Ages Line Struggling To Appeal In Japan, Interest Overseas Better Than Expected
"Japanese sales need to be better"
Although the west has had to wait much longer for each release in the Sega Ages line on the Nintendo Switch, the demand for this retro-inspired series has been better than anticipated – with games such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Out Run and Alex Kidd in Miracle World selling particularly well in Eu
Monday6th May 2019
Feature The History Of Virtua Racing, One Of The Most Influential Coin-Ops Of All Time
Now the Switch version is with us, we look back on the arcade classic...
Far more than any other factor, it was undoubtedly the advent of new hardware that propelled Sega’s arcade games to a whole new level. The ‘90s saw video games make the transition from sprites to polygons, a charge Sega led from a position of uncontested leadership despite...
Thursday2nd May 2019
Video Virtua Racing On Switch Gets Compared To All Previous Versions
A remarkable feat
Those of you who grew up in the '90s will appreciate just how amazing it is to have Virtua Racing on Switch; back in 1992, this was a cutting-edge arcade release which seemed almost impossible to convert to a home console without major sacrifices. In 2019, however, it has been transferred to the Switch in a form that is actually...
Thursday25th Apr 2019
Reminder You Can Download Sega Ages Virtua Racing Right Now From The Japanese eShop
New gameplay video released to celebrate
Virtua Racing has arguably been one of the most anticipated Sega Ages games since it was announced. The title includes 8-player split-screen, online multiplayer and a built-in replay mode not included in the original arcade release. While there's still no word on a launch date here in the west, the game is...
Friday19th Apr 2019
News Sega Ages Virtua Racing Speeds Onto The Japanese eShop Next Week
No release date yet for regions outside of Japan
About the only problem with Sega's retro line of games on the Switch eShop is how it seems to take ages to localise each one. At the start of the year, Yosuke Okunari - one of the talents behind the revival of these classic games - said the team was aiming to roll out at least one title per month...
Thursday4th Apr 2019
News Japanese Trailers Show Off More Details Of The Upcoming Sega Mega Drive Mini
Includes working cartridge slot doors!
Following the backlash against the product that was initially announced last year, it seems Sega is really pulling out all the stops after taking its Mega Drive/Genesis Mini console back to the drawing board. Not only is the emulation now being handled by veteran company M2 (the outfit responsible for the...
Thursday14th Feb 2019
News Alex Kidd In Miracle World Is Your Next Sega Ages Classic
Ready for a game of rock, paper, scissors?
Ah, poor Alex Kidd. He was once the toast of the world of Sega; a worthy rival to Mario who starred in a series of likeable games on the Master System, as well as a cool arcade exclusive. But that was before Sonic turned up, and Alex Kidd was quickly forgotten as Sega's outgoing mascot. Still, we've got a...
Friday14th Dec 2018
News Sega AGES Version Of Out Run Arrives In The West On 10th January 2019
Get ready!
Now that Phantasy Star is finally available in the west, Sega has decided to clarify when exactly fans in North America and Europe will be able to get their hands on the next Sega AGES title, Out Run. Following the news the arcade racer would
Thursday29th Nov 2018
Video Pretend You Are Playing Out Run On Switch With The Help Of This Overview Trailer
Now available in Japan
While we wait for Sega AGES release of Out Run on the Switch eShop here in the west, why not take a moment to watch the beautiful Japanese overview trailer that's just been released. It highlights the exotic locations within the game and the magical soundtrack. Otherwise, if you know how, you can always buy the game right now...
Monday26th Nov 2018
News Out Run Races Onto The Japanese Switch eShop Later This Week
That was quick
Out Run was confirmed as the next game in the Sega AGES line last week and already it's been revealed it will arrive on the Japanese eShop later this week. Sega announced the 29th November release date via its official Twitter account. The price of the game aligns with existing releases and will set
Friday23rd Nov 2018
News Sega AGES Version Of Out Run Will Be Released Worldwide Early Next Year
Get ready!
A few days ago, we found Out Run would be the next game added to the Sega AGES line on the Switch eShop. As exciting as the news was at the time, there was no mention of a local release. In the latest update, a spokesperson from Sega has told Eurogamer the title will be made available "worldwide" early next year. Given how
Wednesday21st Nov 2018
News Out Run Is The Next Sega AGES Title Racing Onto The Switch eShop
No word on a local release
In exciting news, Sega has confirmed the 3D driving game Out Run will be joining the Sega AGES line on the Japanese eShop before the end of the year. Unfortunately, there was no mention of the release date and price, or if the game will also make its way across to the west before the end of 2018 Based on the 1986 arcade...
Thursday1st Nov 2018
News SEGA AGES Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Might Be The Best Version We've Ever Had
An improved version of Virtua Racing is also expected
SEGA and M2 are doing a great job of bringing classic Mega Drive games to the Switch with the SEGA AGES series of games. As with the 3DS 3D Classics range, these aren't just lazy efforts. M2 really get into the original games source code so you know you are getting a port worthy of your time. In...
News Phantasy Star Joins SEGA Ages Line In North America And Europe Later This Month
Not long to go now
After a short delay, earlier this week we found the Sega AGES version of Phantasy Star would finally be making its way to the Switch in Japan at the end of October. Now, in the same Game Watch interview that revealed Sega N
Monday8th Oct 2018
News Sega Wants To Meet Fan Expectations, But Unsure About Inclusion Of Jet Set Radio In AGES Line
Did the game composer influence the poll?
If you recall the poll Sega ran prior to this year's Tokyo Game Show asking fans what games they wanted to see adapted to the AGES line, you'll no doubt remember the Jet Set Radio series topped the list. This technically covered the original game released on the Dreamcast in 2000 and also the sequel arriving...
Saturday8th Sep 2018
News Space Harrier Is Joining The Sega AGES Line On Switch eShop
Another classic
The Sega AGES line was first announced for the Switch eShop in April this year. The series will start out with 15 games and is being handled by emulation experts M2, who has a fantastic history working with Sega's retro releases. The latest game reveal is Space Harrier. As explained by Gematsu, the news was delivered...
