January2024
News Hamster Corporation Celebrates 400 Arcade Archives Titles On Switch
Here's to many more!
It seems like yesterday Hamster was only celebrating its 100th 'Arcade Archives' release, but it's now actually 400 titles into its retro revival project. Hamster Corporation shared this milestone in a brief post on social media earlier before, noting how Rainbow Islands was its latest game to arrive on the Nintendo Switch and...
December2023
News Hamster Corporation Reveals Its Final Arcade Archives Release Of 2023
It's Taito's 1991 game Solitary Fighter
It's been another action-packed year of Hamster Corporation retro releases and to go out with a bang, the Japanese video game company will be releasing the 1991 Taito fighting game Solitary Fighter on 28th December. This should make it the final Arcade Archives release of 2023! Solitary Fighter follows the...
May2023
News Taito Milestones 2 Collects Even More Arcade Archives Titles On Switch This August
Back at it again
Publisher ININ Games has today announced that it will be releasing Taito Milestones 2 — the follow-up to last year's Taito Milestones — worldwide on Switch on 31st August in both digital and physical form. Much like the former game, this collection will bring together a series of the studio's classic arcade titles, many of...
News Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! "Limited-Time" Demo Arrives On Switch eShop
Pop some bubbles while you can
As part of the release of Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! on the Nintendo Switch this week, a free "limited-time" trial has been made available on the eShop. This special demo is playable from now until 30th June and can be played as many times as you like during this period, as long as you have access to an NSO...
April2023
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...
March2023
Hands On Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! - A Warm, Cuddly Return (Except For The Space Invaders)
It's a Taito blowout
It's hard to argue that Bub and Bob aren't the most adorable video game dinosaurs of all time (sorry, Yoshi), so we were delighted when the dynamic duo returned with the Switch-exclusive Bubble Bobble 4 Friends back in 2019. It was exactly as we remembered their pixels back in the dusty halls of the arcade growing up, just a...
February2023
News Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! Will Get Popping On Switch This May
Bub's your uncle
Taito's Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! is launching on the Switch eShop on 23rd May, ININ Games has announced. You'll also be able to snap up a physical edition over at ININ Games' website. Bringing four-player co-op to the beloved spin-off series, ININ Games also revealed a brand new mode coming to the new game — One vs. One Online...
January2023
News Taito's Action Platformer 'The NewZealand Story' Is This Week's Arcade Archives Game
Seal the deal
Arguably one of the most adorable arcade titles out there, The NewZealand Story is waddling its way onto Hamster's Arcade Archives collection this week (thanks, Nintendo Everything) and will be turning us all against seals once again. Originally released in 1988, this classic platformer sees you play as Tiki, a kiwi who is forced out...
News Yes, There Really Will Be A Space Invaders Mode In Puzzle Bobble Everybubble!
Pop those aliens
Taito's brand-new instalment in the Puzzle Bobble series launches this spring and in a surprising yet adorable move, Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! will have a brand new mode which celebrates Space Invaders. (Thanks, Gematsu!) Nope, you're not reading that wrong at all. For the legendary arcade game's 45th anniversary, Bub, Bob, Peb,...
News Classic Taito Games Get Enhanced Re-Releases On Switch In February
Puzzle Bobble 2 & 3 and Metal Black get the S-Tribute treatment
Days after teasing its 2023 plans, Taito's Puzzle Bobble series and Metal Black are coming to the Switch thanks to City Connection and its S-Tribute series (thanks, Gematsu!).
November2022
Feature "We Received Many Requests To Bring Back The Puzzle Bobble Series"
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble's director on Bub and Bob's upcoming return
We're big fans of Taito's Bubble Bobble spin-off series Puzzle Bobble around these parts. We used to know it as Bust-A-Move in the West, and news that a new entry in the series was coming to Switch next year courtesy of publisher ININ got us rather excited. Puzzle Bobble...
August2022
News We're Getting A New Four-Player 'Puzzle Bobble' Exclusively On Switch Next Year
Everybubble celebrate!
Puzzle Bobble — once known as Bust-A-Move in the west — is one of our favourite Taito franchises, so we're always happy to see more entries in this Bubble Bobble spin-off series. And Taito has today revealed the next new entry, coming exclusively to Switch in 2023. Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! doesn't just come with an...
July2022
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...
June2022
News Never-Before-Seen Famicom Port Of Taito Arcade Game 'The Fairyland Story' Discovered
A fairytale of game preservation
Forest of Illusion, Hard4Games, and Gaming Alexandria have uncovered a pretty huge find in the world of retro arcade ports. Once upon a time, Taito's 1985 arcade predecessor to Bubble Bobble — The Fairyland Story — was due to get a Famicom port back in 1986. This version of the game was only ever spotted in
News Taito's 'Space Seeker' Blasts Its Way Into The Arcade Archives Line-Up
Searching and shooting in space
We're moving away from Namco's backlog for a bit this week in the Arcade Archives line-up, as the next game coming to the series is 1981 arcade shooter Space Seeker. the game will be dropping on the eShop tomorrow — 16th June — for the usual price of $7.99 / €6.99 / £6.29. This game is known for having...
News 'Arkanoid – Eternal Battle' Hits Switch This October
It's a cross-play online multiplayer Battle Royale
French publisher Microids has shown off gameplay footage of Pastagames' upcoming Arkanoid – Eternal Battle, which takes Taito's coin-op classic and transforms it into a cross-play online multiplayer Battle Royale. The game is confirmed as coming to Switch – as well as PlayStation 5, PlayStation...
April2022
News City Connection Announces Multiple 'Saturn Tribute X Taito' Releases For Nintendo Switch eShop
Layer Section & Galactic Attack S-Tribute arrives 28th April
Japanese publisher City Connection has announced it will be bringing Layer Section & Galactic Attack S-Tribute to the Nintendo Switch eShop and multiple other platforms on 28th April. It follows on from a rating earlier this year in February. Layer Section is a 1995 home console port...
February2022
Random Stella McCartney Is Making $1800 'Space Invaders' Knitwear, For Some Reason
It's the crossover we all wanted, right?
We've seen some pretty amazing crossovers between the world of fashion and video games over the years, but one we didn't know we needed was a range of women's clothing based on Taito's Space Invaders. Stella McCartney's Japanese arm is currently hawking a bunch of knitwear items emblazoned with the iconic...
December2021
"An adventure of danger and excitement"
Hamster's made it to the final month of the year and it's started out with Taito's action-platformer arcade title, Liquid Kids. This game made its debut in the arcades in 1990 and was followed by a number of home console ports. Here's a bit more about it, along with a look - courtesy of Nintendo Life...
November2021
News Taito's Coin-Op Classic Arkanoid Is Getting A Reboot Next Year
"We all have our own story with Arkanoid"
French company Microids is collaborating with Japanese veteran Taito to release a new instalment in the Arkanoid series: Arkanoid: Eternal Battle. It's expected to launch next year, with French studio Pastagames (Rayman Mini, Pix the Cat) in charge of development. No platforms have been confirmed so far, but...
September2021
News Microids Signs "Historic" Agreement With Taito To Produce Two New Games
Will be based on the Japanese company's famous franchises
French video game publisher and developer Microids has signed what it's calling a "historic" agreement with Taitos to produce two new games based on the Japanese company's famous franchises. Both games are "already in production" and are scheduled to launch sometime next year in 2022...
August2021
News Another Taito Game Joins Hamster's Arcade Archives This Week
Be the captain in Space Cruiser
Hamster's Arcade Archives series delivers more retro goodness on the Nintendo Switch eShop this week. The latest release is yet another Taito game. This time it's the 1981 arcade shooter Space Cruiser. As the player, you'll take on the role of a space cruiser captain in 2100 AD - patrolling space to ensure peace on...
March2021
Video Natsume Releases Trailer For Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, Plus Autumn Release Date
Pocky and Rocky in the Nintendo Switch docky
We first found out about the Pocky & Rocky sequel back in September last year, when it was tentatively titled "KiKi KaiKai: Kuro Mantle no Nazo". Today, Natsume Inc. revealed a new teaser trailer for the game, which now bears the title of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined. The game follows on from the 1992...
January2021
News Scrolling Shooter Halley's Comet Is Hamster's Latest Arcade Archives Release
Save the solar system
Hamster's latest Arcade Archives release on the Switch eShop this week is Halley's Comet. This vertically scrolling shooter was originally released in arcades in 1986 by Taito. The Switch eShop release will set you back $7.99 or your regional equivalent. Here's a bit about the game along with some screenshots: "HALLEY'S...
News Taito Outlines New Features For Darius Cozmic Revelation
Making full use of HD Rumble
Darius fans have got no end of options on Nintendo Switch. Having already seen two Cozmic Collections launch for both arcade and home console entries, it was announced last June that a third collection called Darius Cozmic Revelation would join the
