Popular Games by WayForward
Reviews of WayForward Games
Review Clock Tower: Rewind (Switch) - Pre-RE Survival Horror That's Elevated By Extras
Snip, snip
Video game preservation still has a long way to go, but it’s difficult to imagine a re-release of Human Entertainment’s Clock Tower ten, or even five years ago. Yet thanks to rapidly growing interest in retro gaming and the resulting explosion of compilations and re-releases over the last few years, this curious SNES survival horror...
Mini Review RetroRealms: Halloween (Switch) - A Fun & Faithful Slasher Romp
Everyone's entitled to one good scare
The Halloween franchise is a complicated beast. You’ve got the original timeline, the Thorn timeline, the H20 timeline, the Blumhouse timeline, the Rob Zombie remakes and, finally, the adorably weird loner that is Season of the Witch. It’s all a bit overwhelming at the best of times, so thankfully,...
Mini Review RetroRealms: Ash Vs Evil Dead (Switch) - A Gorgeous & Gory 16-Bit Throwback
Groovy
Given the sheer absurdity of the Evil Dead franchise, it’s a wonder we haven’t received anything quite like RetroRealms: Ash vs Evil Dead in the past. Yes, there have been a handful of video games featuring everyone’s favourite boomstick-wielding drunkard Ash Williams, but this latest effort from developer WayForward and publisher Boss...
Review Yars Rising (Switch) - A Stylish, Ambitious Revival Of An Atari Classic In Metroidvania Form
Qotroidvania
Over the past few years, Atari has been revisiting its storied history with compilation titles, remakes, reboots, and surprise sequels. So while a revival of Yars’ Revenge really shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise, we have to admit to being a bit taken aback by Yars Rising. After all, what was once a stylish, yet basic...
Review Rose & Camellia Collection (Switch) - An Enjoyably Absurd Yet Frustrating Slapathon
Slappiness is the truth
Certain problems cannot be solved through careful discussion or compromise. Sometimes it isn’t enough to give a verbal beatdown to your rival – you must throw hands as well. The Rose & Camellia series was built upon the idea that not only is a good old-fashioned slapfight fun, but it is often the only dignified way a...
Review Contra: Operation Galuga (Switch) - Does The Series Proud, But Best Played Elsewhere
Aggressively attacked
With Konami seemingly devoid of both in-house developers and any kind of passion to revive their beloved IPs, WayForward, predominately a licence mule during the '00s, is by far the best option for a new Contra entry. Its work on 2007’s brutally hardcore Contra 4 cemented the developer's prowess, allowing the player to...
Latest WayForward News
Saturday28th Jun 2025
Video Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Extended Gameplay Trailer Revealed
The once-lost GBA chapter returns this Summer
It's been another week of action-packed showcases and to top it off, WayFoward gave fans another look at Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution. A new trailer was shared during the 'IndiaMania 2025' showcase, with extended gameplay footage on display. It highlights how this modern version of the revived GBA...
Friday9th May 2025
News Shantae's Revived GBA Game 'Risky Revolution' Finally Scores Switch Release Window
I whip my hair back and forth
Back in July 2023, we heard that developer WayForward was returning to a previously cancelled GBA entry in the Shantae series, Risky Revolution, for a release on both the classic hardware and modern consoles. While we're still waiting to hear a solid launch date, the dev has finally provided us with a release window,...
Tuesday15th Apr 2025
Feature "It's Huge For Us" - Devs Talk Switch 2 Reactions, Dev-Kit Disparity, Future Plans
What devs make of Switch 2
In case you somehow missed it, Nintendo has officially lifted the lid on Switch 2, cueing all sorts of excitement and apprehension from those of us who have been loyally playing our Switch 1s for the past eight years. It's an exciting time to be a player, but how does it feel from a developer's standpoint? Is the Switch 2...
Monday9th Sep 2024
News Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Dev Reveals Nintendo Partnership Was Years In The Making
"It was an incredible experience"
We had a great time with Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp when it finally marched onto Switch last year. The wait for this military tactics series' return had been a long one (15 years, to be precise) but for developer WayForward, the chance to work with Nintendo also felt like a long time coming (thanks, Nintendo...
Tuesday3rd Sep 2024
News Yars Rising Story Trailer Reveals Boss Characters And Space Bugs
WayForward's new title launches 10th September
Atari has revealed the final story trailer for its upcoming 'Metroidvania' Yars Rising, developed by WayForward Technologies. Launching on 10th September, Yars Rising blends traditional Metroidvania gameplay with classic Yars' Revenge-inspired hacking minigames, in which protagonist Emi 'Yar' Kimura...
Thursday29th Aug 2024
News Classic Horror Title 'Clock Tower' Gets An Apt Release Date On Switch
Can you guess it..?
Sunsoft has announced that the digital version of Clock Tower: Rewind for the Nintendo Switch will release on 31st October 2024. Now, what's significant about that date..? Oh yeah! It's Halloween! An apt release date for such a spooky game then, wouldn't you agree? It's been a long time coming, too. We've known about the...
Tuesday13th Aug 2024
News 16-Bit Platformers Based On Halloween And Evil Dead Announced For Switch
And they'll be here in time for Halloween
Yesterday, Boss Team Games teased that it was making two games based on the classic horror movie franchise Halloween, with the original director John Carpenter "intimately involved" in the project. And we've got a few more details on one of those games, including a second game that picks up another horror...
Tuesday6th Aug 2024
News Here's Your First Look At River City Girls 2's Double Dragon DLC
"The Double Dragons are back on the streets!"
The Double Dragons Billy and Jimmy are joining the roster in River City Girls 2 sometime this year. And today, Wayforward has shared the first gameplay trailer for the upcoming DLC, via IGN. The stars of Double Dragon, who are being voiced by the Game Grumps' Dan Avidan and Arin Hanson, each come with...
Tuesday9th Jul 2024
News WayForward Is Reviving Its GBA Game 'Sigma Star Saga' For Modern Platforms
The "fan-favorite shmup/RPG" returns in 2025
WayForward shared some surprise news at its Anime Expo panel this year - announcing the Game Boy Advance sci-fi adventure title Sigma Star Saga would be making a return on "modern platforms" in 2025. This 2005/06 "fan-favorite shmup/RPG" will also be made available as a Game Boy Advance reproduction...
Monday10th Jun 2024
News Stealth Metroidvania 'Yars Rising' Gets An Easter-Egg Packed New Trailer
Was that... Computer Space?!
Atari and WayForward have revealed a new trailer for the upcoming stealth Metroidvania Yars Rising, launching on Nintendo Switch later this year. It gives us a nice little glimpse at some of the game's core mechanics, including the ability to upgrade protagonist Emi Kimura's powers, hacking into various systems to...
Monday3rd Jun 2024
From Revenge to Rising
WayForward Technologies has worked on several well-known franchises over the years, including the likes of Contra, Silent Hill, The Mummy, Transformers, and even Aliens. Despite this, the reveal that the developer would collaborate with Atari on a brand new Yars entry came as a genuine shock to many, this writer included. Not...
Thursday18th Apr 2024
News WayForward Director Says Nintendo Changed The Way He Looks At Making Video Games
"It's like seeing a color that doesn't exist"
Yesterday, during the latest Indie World presentation, WayForward revealed Yars Rising - a new Metroidvania based on the classic Atari franchise. Veteran game designer James Montagna is directing this new project and apparently has a new outlook on game design after teaming up with Nintendo for last...
Wednesday17th Apr 2024
News Atari And WayForward Join Forces For A New 'Yars' Metroidvania
All rise!
Publisher Atari and developer WayForward have announced Yars Rising, a new Metroidvania based on the classic Atari franchise Yars. The original Yars' Revenge released back in 1982 for the Atari 2600 and was very much a basic (albeit incredibly addictive) shooter in which an insect-like creature called Yar would go up against an evil being...
Sunday14th Apr 2024
News Contra: Operation Galuga Limited Run Classic & Ultimate Edition Revealed, Pre-Orders Live
Update: Pre-orders end soon
Update [Sun 14th Apr, 2024 23:30 BST]: Pre-orders for the Contra: Operation Galuga physical Switch release will close very soon - so this is your last chance to get hold of standalone copies and collector's editions. Original article [Fri 1st Mar, 2024 03:00 GMT]: Back in December last year we heard how Konami and...
Wednesday3rd Apr 2024
News Rose & Camellia Collection Brings "Slap-Fight Anthology" To Switch This Month
"Slap your way to the top of high society"
Remember that game where a bunch of high society people were slapping each other? Well, it's getting a local release on the Switch later this month. Rose & Camellia Collection was previously revealed for Nintendo's hybrid system during some Japanese broadcasts and now it will be making its way across...
Wednesday13th Mar 2024
Feature "The Odds Seemed Just Astronomical" - Reviving Lost Media With Shantae Advance
"Decisions made by younger me created a ton of headaches for modern me"
It's not often that a developer gets to revisit a chapter of their past and pick up where they left off on a project two decades prior, but the revival of Shantae Advance in the form of Risky Revolution has given WayForward creative director Matt Bozon just that opportunity...
Tuesday12th Mar 2024
News Contra: Operation Galuga "Full-Version Patch Update" Announced For Switch
Day one for other platforms, ASAP for Switch
Contra: Operation Galuga is out on the Nintendo Switch today and as part of this, there will be a patch update released in response to demo feedback. While other versions of this update are locked in for 12th March, for the Switch version, this update will be applied "as soon as preparations have...
Thursday7th Mar 2024
Video Contra: Operation Galuga Spotlights Playable Characters In Explosive New Trailer
"Get ready to lock and load!"
Ahead of the arrival of Contra: Operation Galuga on the Switch, WayForward has released a brand new character trailer. It introduces the playable character line up - comprised of the legendary leader Bill Rizer, the headbanded hero Lance Bean, the enigmatic agent Lucia, the island warrior Ariana, the heavy-duty...
Monday4th Mar 2024
News Several WayForward Prototypes Appear Online Following Data Leak
Upcoming Shantae game will reportedly remain untouched
WayForward, the developer behind the likes of the Shantae series and last year's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, has apparently suffered a data leak which has seen developmental prototypes and game backups posted online. As noted on Twitter by Lance McDonald, the leaked information is said to...
Wednesday21st Feb 2024
News Contra: Operation Galuga Gets Release Date, Free Demo Out Now
A classic returns very soon
It's been out of action for a minute, but Contra: Operation Galuga finally has a release date, and it's only a few weeks away. The reimagined version of the classic NES action game Contra, Operation Galuga lands on Nintendo Switch on 12th March 2024 for USD $39.99 / GBP £34.99. Pre-orders are open now on the eShop
Friday26th Jan 2024
News Shantae And The Pirate's Curse Reprint Revealed As Limited Run's "Final 3DS Release"
Update: Pre-orders now open
Update [Fri 26th Jan, 2024 15:40 GMT]: Pre-orders for the physical editions of Shantae and the Pirate's Curse are now available on Limited Run Games' website. The Collector's Editions are already sold out, unfortunately, but you can still snap up a physical standard edition for $34.99. Original article [Thu 18th Jan,...
Wednesday27th Dec 2023
Feature "Fans Have Waited Many Years For A Return To Form" - WayForward On Contra's Grand Revival
'Operation Galuga' launches in Early 2024
The Contra franchise has had a bit of a rough ride in recent years. Although fans and critics alike were generally receptive toward the 2011 title Hard Corps: Uprising, Konami put the franchise on ice for a total of eight years until the poorly-received Contra: Rogue Corps in 2019. Yet fans have continued...
Wednesday6th Dec 2023
News Oh Dear, Contra: Operation Galuga's Physical Edition Is A Download Code In A Box
Update: Limited Run will publish on cartridge in the US
Update [Wed 6th Dec, 09:15 GMT]: It's been announced that Limited Run Games will be publishing a physical edition of Contra: Operation Galuga in North America. The good news for collectors is that WayForward has confirmed to us that this version will indeed contain the full game on a...
Monday4th Dec 2023
News Contra: Operation Galuga Trailer Showcases Guns, Aliens, And Probotector
Lock 'n' load
Konami has released a new trailer for Contra: Operation Galuga, showcasing direct gameplay footage from the upcoming Switch game from developer WayForward. It's pretty standard stuff for the most part and mainly focuses on the introduction of the playable cast of characters. You've got the iconic duo Bill Rizer and Lance Bean,...
Tuesday14th Nov 2023
News Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Is Bringing The Lost GBA Adventure To Switch Next Year
20 years in the making
WayForward took to today's Indie World Showcase to reveal that a lost chapter of the Shantae series, Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution, will be hair-whipping its way onto Switch in 2024. This one was originally in development for the Game Boy Advance back in 2001 before being shelved, but now WayForward has brought back the...
Wednesday12th Jul 2023
News Super Famicom Horror Classic Clock Tower Is Officially Coming To The West
Home sweet home
Most horror game fans will recognize the cult classic series Clock Tower as a PlayStation-exclusive franchise. The first game in the series to ever come to the West was on the original PlayStation, but a few years prior in 1995, the series started off on the Super Famicom in Japan as a point-and-click horror adventure. This original...
Friday2nd Jun 2023
News River City Girls 2 Lands New Update, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
Repeat new game + playthroughs
While a little on the safe side for a sequel, we had a good time with old-school beat 'em up River City Girls 2 when it was released last year, although we did notice some technical issues along the way. Fortunately, several of these have been tackled by developer WayForward in the game's latest update, which is...
Tuesday23rd May 2023
News River City Girls 2 Is Getting A Performance Update On Nintendo Switch
Update: It should be arriving soon
Update [Tue 23rd May, 2023 04:30 BST]: WayForward has provided an update about this upcoming patch for River City Girls 2 - revealing it's now been submitted to all first parties. As previously revealed, it will come with frame rate improvements, a "repeat New Game+ playthrough" and more. "The River City Girls 2...
Saturday6th May 2023
News Advance Wars Switch Director Would Love To Work On Kuru Kuru Kururin
It's his top pick
Advance Wars 1+2: Reboot Camp recently arrived on the Nintendo Switch and has been mostly praised for recreating the magic of the Game Boy Advance originals. In an interview with the YouTube channel MinnMax, the game's director James Montagna was asked what IP he would like to work on next and he responded with how he enjoys the...
Saturday22nd Apr 2023
News Advance Wars Switch Dev Thanks Fans For Positive Reception, Calls Release A "Life Dream"
"I can't respond to everyone but thanks"
After jumping through several hoops, Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp has finally launched on the Nintendo Switch. As exciting as it is for many fans of the series, it is perhaps even more exciting for the development team. WayForward director James Montagna, who has worked alongside Nintendo on the...
Saturday8th Apr 2023
News New Advance Wars Switch Overview Trailer Introduces The Basics Of Battle
"Your mission begins April 21"
After a number of delays, Nintendo has finally locked in a 21st April release for Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp. The first "hands on" of this turn-based tactical strategy arrived this week and so far it seems to have been well-received. Here on Nintendo Life, we called it a "slicker, shinier and sassier" take on the...
Wednesday5th Apr 2023
Hands On Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Slicker, Shinier, Sassier Strategy
Modern warfare
After numerous delays to an initial proposed launch date of December 2021 due to real-world events that Nintendo evidently felt made launching a light-hearted warfare game problematic, Wayforward's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is finally almost here. Featuring the classic Game Boy Advance campaigns from both Advance Wars and Advance...
Wednesday22nd Mar 2023
News Nintendo Reminds Us Advance Wars For Switch Is One Month Out From Release
Better late than never
Last month during a Direct broadcast, Nintendo finally locked in a release date for Advance Wars 1+2 Re-Boot Camp, confirming the two-in-one title would be coming to Switch on 21st April 2023. If you are worried about any last-minute setbacks (again), it seems the game is now officially in the all-clear. Nintendo's Twitter...
Tuesday7th Mar 2023
News Lunark Brings Gorgeous Flashback-Inspired Cinematic Platforming To Switch This Month
A lunar leap
WayForward is bringing Lunark to Switch on 30th March, and in anticipation of this retro-style cinematic platformer's release, the publisher has shared a video from the game's creator — Johan Vinet, head of developer Canari Games — showcasing the inspirations behind what looks to be a delightful throwback. Vinet details his love of...
Saturday7th Jan 2023
News Limited Run Reveals Its First Physical Nintendo Switch Release Of 2023
Update: Pre-orders for Spidersaurs now live
Update [Sat 7th Jan, 2023 04:45 GMT]: Here's a friendly reminder that pre-orders have now gone live for Spidersaurs. Original article [Wed 4th Jan, 2023 01:30 GMT]: It's a new year and that means brand new physical releases from Limited Run Games. To get 2023 underway, the American-based distributor...
Friday23rd Dec 2022
Feature WayForward On Expanding The 'River City Girls' Universe, And Future Plans
"Hopefully players are interested in us expanding this further"
The Kunio-kun spin-off River City Girls returned earlier this month with the release of River City Girls 2, and Nintendo Life was lucky enough to catch up recently with game director Bannon Rudis as well as WayForward's director of business development, Adam Tierney. Before we dive in,...
Tuesday6th Dec 2022
News River City Girls 2 Has A New Release Date In North America & Europe
Update: WayForward has confirmed the new date
Update [Tue 6th Dec, 2022 21:35 GMT]: After comforting fans about the upcoming River City Girls 2 release date last week, WayForward has today announced an official release date for this much-anticipated sequel — 15th December! Confirming the news on Twitter, this follows the company's announcement...
Tuesday25th Oct 2022
News River City Girls 2 Gives Marian From 'Double Dragon' A Big Buff In New Trailer
"I got sick of getting punched in the gut"
While we're still waiting for an official release date for River City Girls 2 in the West, WayForward has dropped a brand new trailer featuring Marian, one of the game's new playable characters. And she looks quite a bit different from how many might remember her. Marian is, of course, the main heroine of...
Wednesday17th Aug 2022
News Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Scheduled Maintenance Spotted
Is it a sign? Maybe...
Remember Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp? In case you missed it, Nintendo delayed it due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. That's why this latest update about this game is a bit of an odd one, as it's not even out yet. Twitter Bot NinStatusBot, which shares information about Nintendo's maintenance and server outages, yesterday...
Wednesday10th Aug 2022
News River City Girls 2 Release Window Shifts To "Sometime After" Summer 2022
Kyoko and Misako return this December in Japan
If you've been anticipating WayForward's upcoming beat 'em up sequel River City Girls 2, we've got an update. Following on from last week's December release date for Japan, the company's official social media account has now confirmed the game will be arriving "sometime after" its originally expected...
Wednesday3rd Aug 2022
News River City Girls 2 Gets New December Release Date In Japan
No longer set for summer
It's been a little while since we've heard anything about WayForward's River City Girls 2. Revealed last year and confirmed for a summer 2022 release date, the beat 'em up sequel — and spin-off to the Kunio-kun series — is looking to bring multiple improvements to the game. However, Nintendo Everything
Sunday3rd Jul 2022
News WayForward Launches RWBY: Arrowfell On Switch In Fall 2022
Here's an updated look
At RTX Austin this week, Rooster Teeth and WayForward shared a release date update for the upcoming title, RWBY: Arrowfell. This side-scrolling 2D action-adventure will be arriving this Fall on multiple platforms including Switch. In addition to this, a new trailer has been released - showing off some work-in-progress...
Tuesday28th Jun 2022
Feature Spidersaurs Lands On Switch In July, WayForward Talks Saturday Cartoons And Contra
Everybody walk the spidersaur
Over the past 30 years, WayForward, makers of the Shantae series, has made a name for itself by crafting retro-flavoured gems that combine the best of modern gaming with an unashamedly old-school aesthetic and game feel. Whether it's baked into their own projects (such as the Mighty series or the aforementioned Shantae...
News WayForward's Apple Arcade Release 'Spidersaurs' Lands On Switch This July
From the team that developed Contra 4
WayForward, the publisher and developer behind releases such as Shantae and Contra 4, has locked in a Switch release date for its Apple Arcade game Spidersaurs. It'll arrive on Nintendo's hybrid system (via the Switch eShop) next month on 14th July. Your task in this run-and-gun '90s cartoon-inspired game is to...
Friday3rd Jun 2022
News Shantae Celebrates 20 Years With A Switch eShop Sale, Up To 50% Off
"can't wait to see where she goes in the next 20 years"
WayForward's half-genie hero Shantae is currently celebrating her 20th anniversary. Yes, she's been around for two decades! This character was originally created by Erin and Matt Bozon in 2002 - starting out life on the Game Boy Color. While her first outing wasn't the most financially...
Sunday17th Apr 2022
Feature How Limited Run's New Engine Respects The Legacy Of Classic Games
"If we’re going to make a change that sweeping, the original needs to be there as well"
The world of physical media in brick-and-mortar stores has dwindled in recent years due to the proliferation of digital storefronts readily and conveniently available on modern platforms. While some would never think to pay the same (or more) on a digital game...
Sunday13th Mar 2022
Feature We Talked To The Godzilla-Obsessed Devs Of Kaiju Co-Op Beat-'Em-up, Dawn Of The Monsters
Like a Mothra to a flame
Do you hate kaiju? Yeah! So do we. Godzilla needs to be taken down a peg or two, if you ask us, which you didn't. Well, now you can live the kaiju-fighting punch-a-thon of your dreams in Dawn of the Monsters, the latest game from Runbow developers 13AM and publisher WayForward, who themselves made Contra 4 and River City...
Wednesday9th Mar 2022
News Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Delayed "In Light Of Recent World Events"
"Please stay tuned for updates on a new release date"
Nintendo has announced that WayForward's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp has been delayed. The surprise decision was made on Twitter, and is likely a response to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. The package, which contains remakes of GBA classics Advance Wars and
Thursday3rd Mar 2022
News Run-And-Gun Game 'Spidersaurs' From The Developers Of Contra 4 Is Coming To Switch
Spiders AND dinosaurs? Kill them both with fire
Apple Arcade exclusive Spidersaurs is coming soon to Switch, publisher WayForward announced today. The run-and-gun game is heavily inspired by '90s Saturday morning cartoons and classic action games, with spider-dinosaurs to fight and flamethrowers to fight them with. On consoles, Spidersaurs will be...
Wednesday2nd Mar 2022
News Dawn Of The Monsters Brings Kaiju Beat 'Em Up Action To Switch This March
Update: Arriving on 15th March!
Update [Wed 2nd Mar, 2022 00:30 GMT]: WayForward and 13AM have narrowed this game's release date down to 15th March. Limited Run Games physical pre-orders will also open later this week on 4th March. Original story [Thu 3rd Feb, 2022 01:05 GMT]: WayForward and 13AM Game's kaiju beat 'em up Dawn of the Monsters has...