
Since 2017 we've seen a steady supply of Hamster's Arcade Archives releases bringing arcade classics to the Switch eShop. What's more, the series includes previously unreleased or hard-to-find arcade games from Nintendo itself. Having been so well acquainted with many of the NES versions, and it's been wonderful to rediscover these games in their original (and sometimes quite different) arcade form over the past few years.
The number of titles in the Arcade Archives list grows on a near-weekly basis, so below we've reproduced the full list of Arcade Archives releases available on Switch eShop to date. With a variety of options to tailor each game's presentation to your personal tastes, you can even flip the screen 90° for a more authentic rendition of games originally designed for an upturned CRT screen. Throw them in your Flip Grip and you've arguably got the best way to play these games in 2020, short of having the original arcade cabinets, of course.
New releases will be added to this list as they drop. The games are listed in alphabetical order, and it's worth remembering that certain games - Castlevania, for example - start with a sneaky 'VS', so they'll naturally be near the bottom. Alternatively, you can view them in our database sorted by Release Date or User Rating.
Please note that we have NOT included the ACA Neo Geo releases here - we've got a separate guide for Hamster's Neo Geo games on Switch. If this huge list is still a tad overwhelming, you'll find our picks of the best Arcade Archives games on Switch at the bottom. You know, just to get you on the right track.
Arcade Archives Switch eShop releases - Complete list
- Arcade Archives 10-Yard Fight (Switch eShop)
2nd May 2018 / HAMSTER / Irem - Arcade Archives 64th. Street (Switch eShop)
29th Oct 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Alpha Mission (Switch eShop)
25th Oct 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives ALPINE SKI (Switch eShop)
30th May 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives ARABIAN (Switch eShop)
8th Oct 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives ARGUS (Switch eShop)
30th Aug 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Armed F (Switch eShop)
28th Mar 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives ATHENA (Switch eShop)
13th Dec 2018 - Arcade Archives Atomic Robo-Kid (Switch eShop)
15th Nov 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Bells & Whistles (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER - Arcade Archives BEN BERO BEH (Switch eShop)
1st Oct 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives BOMB JACK (Switch eShop)
24th Jan 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Burger Time (Switch eShop)
30th Jul 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Burnin' Rubber (Switch eShop)
24th Sep 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Buta san (Switch eShop)
16th May 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives CIRCUS CHARLIE (Switch eShop)
6th Aug 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives City Connection (Switch eShop)
19th Jul 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Clu Clu Land (Switch eShop)
28th Jun 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Contra (Switch eShop)
3rd Sep 2020 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives Cosmo Police Galivan (Switch eShop)
14th Jan 2021 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Crazy Climber (Switch eShop)
8th Feb 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Crazy Climber 2 (Switch eShop)
28th May 2020 / HAMSTER / Nichibutsu - Arcade Archives CRAZY CLIMBER2 (Switch eShop)
28th May 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Donkey Kong (Switch eShop)
14th Jun 2018 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives Donkey Kong 3 (Switch eShop)
5th Apr 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Donkey Kong Jr. (Switch eShop)
21st Dec 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Double Dragon (Switch eShop)
18th Jan 2018 / HAMSTER / Technōs Japan - Arcade Archives DOUBLE DRAGON II The Revenge (Switch eShop)
6th Dec 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Earth Defense Force (Switch eShop)
17th Sep 2020 / HAMSTER / Jaleco - Arcade Archives Elevator Action (Switch eShop)
14th Mar 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Excitebike (Switch eShop)
21st Sep 2018 - Arcade Archives EXERION (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER - Arcade Archives FLAK ATTACK (Switch eShop)
9th Apr 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives FORMATION Z (Switch eShop)
19th Mar 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives FROGGER (Switch eShop)
12th Dec 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Front Line (Switch eShop)
14th Feb 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Gemini Wing (Switch eShop)
10th Sep 2020 - Arcade Archives Golf (Switch eShop)
25th Oct 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Gradius (Switch eShop)
9th Jul 2020 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives Gradius II (Switch eShop)
12th Nov 2020 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives GRADIUS III (Switch eShop)
24th Dec 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Heroic Episode (Switch eShop)
22nd Feb 2018 / HAMSTER / Irem - Arcade Archives Hyper Sports (Switch eShop)
28th Nov 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Ice Climber (Switch eShop)
22nd Feb 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives IKARI III -THE RESCUE- (Switch eShop)
26th Mar 2020 - Arcade Archives Ikari Warriors (Switch eShop)
7th Mar 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Ikki (Switch eShop)
24th May 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives IMAGE FIGHT (Switch eShop)
23rd May 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives In The Hunt (Switch eShop)
21st Nov 2019 / HAMSTER / Irem - Arcade Archives Kangaroo (Switch eShop)
16th Jul 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Karate Champ (Switch eShop)
3rd Oct 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Kid Niki Radical Ninja (Switch eShop)
25th Jan 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Kid's Horehore Daisakusen (Switch eShop)
9th Aug 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Kiki KaiKai (Switch eShop)
12th Mar 2020 / HAMSTER / Taito - Arcade Archives KOUTETSU YOUSAI STRAHL (Switch eShop)
22nd Jul 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives LIFE FORCE (Switch eShop)
27th Feb 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives LIGHTNING FIGHTERS (Switch eShop)
20th Aug 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives MAGMAX (Switch eShop)
7th May 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Mario Bros. (Switch eShop)
27th Sep 2017 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives MARKHAM (Switch eShop)
10th Dec 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Mat Mania Exciting Hour (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER - Arcade Archives MOON CRESTA (Switch eShop)
31st Jan 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Moon Patrol (Switch eShop)
22nd Mar 2018 / HAMSTER / Irem - Arcade Archives Mr.Goemon (Switch eShop)
31st Oct 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives MX5000 (Switch eShop)
9th Apr 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives NAUGHTY BOY (Switch eShop)
4th Jun 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Ninja Gaiden (Switch eShop)
9th May 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Ninja Spirit (Switch eShop)
4th Jul 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Ninja-Kid (Switch eShop)
5th Apr 2018 / HAMSTER / UPL - Arcade Archives Ninja-Kid II (Switch eShop)
18th Oct 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Omega Fighter (Switch eShop)
26th Jul 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives P-47 (Switch eShop)
2nd Jul 2020 / HAMSTER / Jaleco - Arcade Archives P.O.W. -PRISONERS OF WAR- (Switch eShop)
5th Mar 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Penguin-Kun Wars (Switch eShop)
2nd Jan 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Pettan Pyuu (Switch eShop)
5th Nov 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Pinball (Switch eShop)
30th Aug 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives PLUS ALPHA (Switch eShop)
16th Apr 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives POOYAN (Switch eShop)
13th Jun 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives PSYCHO SOLDIER (Switch eShop)
25th Apr 2019 - Arcade Archives Punch-Out!! (Switch eShop)
30th Mar 2018 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives RADICAL RADIAL (Switch eShop)
14th May 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Raiden (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER / Seibu Kaihatsu - Arcade Archives RAIDERS5 (Switch eShop)
21st May 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Renegade (Switch eShop)
28th Jun 2018 / HAMSTER / Technōs Japan - Arcade Archives Road Fighter (Switch eShop)
25th Jul 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Rod Land (Switch eShop)
7th Jan 2021 / HAMSTER / Jaleco - Arcade Archives ROUTE 16 (Switch eShop)
29th Nov 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Rush'n Attack (Switch eShop)
26th Nov 2020 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives Rygar (Switch eShop)
13th Sep 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives SAINT DRAGON (Switch eShop)
6th Feb 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives SASUKE VS COMMANDER (Switch eShop)
13th Feb 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Scramble (Switch eShop)
26th Sep 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Shanghai III (Switch eShop)
31st Dec 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Shusse Ozumo (Switch eShop)
11th Jul 2019 - Arcade Archives Sky Skipper (Switch eShop)
20th Jul 2018 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives SOCCER (Switch eShop)
23rd Oct 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Solomon's Key (Switch eShop)
6th Jun 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Star Force (Switch eShop)
1st Mar 2018 / HAMSTER / Tehkan - Arcade Archives Sunset Riders (Switch eShop)
11th Jun 2020 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives SUPER COBRA (Switch eShop)
15th Oct 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Super Dodge Ball (Switch eShop)
27th Aug 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Super Punch-Out!! (Switch eShop)
14th Aug 2020 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives T.N.K III (Switch eShop)
7th Nov 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Tecmo Bowl (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER - Arcade Archives TERRA CRESTA (Switch eShop)
1st May 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives TERRA FORCE (Switch eShop)
2nd May 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives The Fairyland Story (Switch eShop)
3rd Dec 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives THE LEGEND OF KAGE (Switch eShop)
10th Oct 2019 - Arcade Archives The Ninja Warriors (Switch eShop)
18th Jul 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives THE TIN STAR (Switch eShop)
2nd Apr 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives TIME PILOT (Switch eShop)
11th Apr 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Time Tunnel (Switch eShop)
19th Sep 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Track & Field (Switch eShop)
12th Sep 2019 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives Traverse USA (Switch eShop)
30th Nov 2017 / HAMSTER / Irem - Arcade Archives Trigon (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives Tube Panic (Switch eShop)
23rd Apr 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives TwinBee (Switch eShop)
5th Dec 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Urban Champion (Switch eShop)
9th Nov 2018 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Victory Road (Switch eShop)
1st Aug 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VIGILANTE (Switch eShop)
5th Sep 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. BALLOON FIGHT (Switch eShop)
27th Dec 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. Baseball (Switch eShop)
19th Jun 2020 / HAMSTER / Nintendo - Arcade Archives VS. Castlevania (Switch eShop)
17th Oct 2019 / HAMSTER / Konami - Arcade Archives VS. GRADIUS (Switch eShop)
15th Aug 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. MAH-JONG (Switch eShop)
21st Feb 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros. (Switch eShop)
22nd Dec 2017 / Nintendo / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. TENNIS (Switch eShop)
18th Dec 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives VS. WRECKING CREW (Switch eShop)
1st May 2020 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives WATER SKI (Switch eShop)
22nd Aug 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Wild Western (Switch eShop)
20th Jun 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Wiz (Switch eShop)
25th Jun 2020 / HAMSTER / Seibu Kaihatsu - Arcade Archives X MULTIPLY (Switch eShop)
8th Aug 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives XX Mission (Switch eShop)
HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Yie Ar KUNG-FU (Switch eShop)
14th Nov 2019 / HAMSTER - Arcade Archives Zero Team (Switch eShop)
19th Nov 2020 / HAMSTER / Seibu Kaihatsu
Looking at that list and don't know where to start? Then check out our picks of the best Arcade Archives games - in no particular order - to get you off on the right foot.
The best Switch Arcade Archives games...
Arcade Archives Donkey Kong (Switch eShop)
Available for the first time since being tucked away as a bonus in Donkey Kong 64, Mario (or rather Jumpman) may seem quite limited in his abilities (and death by a short fall is very old-school), but Donkey Kong is still a fun game. Tougher than the NES port, it can get quite addictive as you seek to improve your high scores. Should the many re-releases of the NES version have failed to impressed, there's nothing here that will win you over, but for fans of the game, this Arcade Archives release is something of an 'ultimate edition'. Three versions of this classic with a few display options and HAMSTER's usual array of modes and online leaderboards make this a great choice for high score chasers and people who wish they were more like Billy Mitchell.
Arcade Archives In The Hunt (Switch eShop)
Made by people that would go on to make Metal Slug, Irem's In the Hunt is an excellent shoot-'em-up and a great fit for the Switch. Giving the final frontier the elbow in favour of a sub-based maritime excursion, it offers something comfortingly familiar in the genre but shockingly, joyously different in execution. It stands out as a high-quality deep cut in the Arcade Archives catalogue of retro classics.
Arcade Archives Track & Field (Switch eShop)
Track & Field remains as endearingly entertaining as it was when it first appeared 36 years ago. It's a little on the pricey side considering it only has six events, one of which (the high jump) is a bit of a stinker, and is obviously a one-trick pony given its subject matter. But it still does that one trick better than most games that have succeeded it, so if you're looking for a quick button-basher this is a good choice.
Arcade Archives X MULTIPLY (Switch eShop)
A side-scrolling shooter in the R-Type vein, except you fly a ship that sprouts tentacles, Irem's X Multiply deserves to sit alongside its more famous stablemate. When we say 'in the vein', we mean very literally as this game takes you into body of a human being infected with parasitic alien life forms. Timely, you might say!
Switching a space-based setting for a more interior, biological environment that would feel at home in an Alien movie or the latter stages of a Metroid title gives the game a much different, darker tone to R-Type but it's just as addictive and well worth downloading if the 1989 arcade original (or the PlayStation and Saturn ports) passed you by.
Arcade Archives Punch-Out!! (Switch eShop)
Punch-Out!! is not only a nostalgic slice of Nintendo’s arcade history, it just so happens to be one of the most enjoyable boxing games ever made, laying down the entire foundation not only for the whole series but for several other games adopting the ‘behind the boxer’ viewpoint. Over three decades later, it is still a joy to pick up and play, still proving to be extremely rewarding when you finally figure out your opponent's ‘tell’ and proceed to take them to the floor. Besides ARMS and Pato Box, Switch has few boxing alternatives on the system and despite being a little lacking content-wise when set side-by-side with later entries in the series, the core gameplay loop still delivers the goods. Short, sweet and straight to the point, just like Mr. Sandman’s right uppercut, then.
Arcade Archives LIFE FORCE (Switch eShop)
Yet another Irem shmup for you (what can we say - we love 'em), Konami's Life Force, née Salamander, is a Gradius spin-off and a rollicking good one which alternates between horizontal and vertical-scrolling stages. As with X Multiple, this too is set inside a life form, although this time it's a giant alien fighting off a virulent strain of something or other.
Life Force is a challenging beast and the Arcade Archives version includes three version of the game - the original Japanese Salamander from 1986, the renamed North American version that included narrative and graphical alterations, and yet another iteration (also renamed Life Force) which went back to Japan the following year with further tweaks. Three games in one? What more do you want, jam on it?
Arcade Archives Sunset Riders (Switch eShop)
Sunset Riders is nothing but pure side-scrolling boss-blasting fun, the likes of which are often imitated but never quite captured. There's a reason so many people remember this game so fondly; it's got personality to spare. One of the greatest games that Hamster has deigned to release and as far as we're concerned one of the crown jewels of Arcade Archives. If you only download one Arcade Archives game... hang on, why would you do that?
Arcade Archives VS. Super Mario Bros. (Switch eShop)
Super Mario Bros. being playable on a Nintendo system is not particularly surprising, but that it should first appear on Switch in its VS. incarnation was unexpected. The excellent gameplay, catchy music and a large chunk of the levels are still present, but the new stages make for a different feel that muscle-memory won't get you through. Those levels may have since appeared in The Lost Levels, but their inclusion here alongside changes to existing levels (including a different solution to a multi-path puzzle) make for a still enjoyable but tougher alternative way of playing, with highscore chasing also adding to the fun thanks to the online leaderboards. Even if you can play through the regular version of the game in your sleep, VS. Super Mario Bros. is an excellent - and challenging - choice for platforming fans.
Obviously, Super Mario Bros. is a classic. The last entry on our list certainly isn't, although it's still a fascinating little curio in this collection...
Arcade Archives Sky Skipper (Switch eShop)
Sky Skipper may not be a Nintendo arcade classic like Donkey Kong, but its inclusion in the Arcade Archives collection is significant thanks to its rarity and obscurity. The 1981 game was a commercial failure and virtually all of its cabinets were subsequently converted to run Popeye instead. Of a handful that made it to America, only one is known to exist and it resides in Nintendo of America HQ, and it was from that cabinet that the ROM for this release was extracted.
Regardless of the game's quality, it's something of a miracle that we're able to play it at all and it's wonderful to have it preserved and widely available now on Switch. For that reason alone, it's worth investigating if you have the slightest interest in Nintendo's arcade history.
With so many to choose from we're just scratching the surface. It's certainly worth bearing in mind the age of these games - that 'Archives' title is apt as many of these games belong in a museum and its a thrill to have them on Switch in such fine form. Give them time and the classic gameplay of the best of them still shines through.
Let us know which of Hamster's Arcade Archives games you've most enjoyed, and which ones you'd avoid, with a cheeky comment below.
This article is one of our Switch Essentials guides which cover a wide variety of genres, including the Best Switch FPS Games, the Best Switch RPGs, the Best Switch Games For Kids, the Best Switch Couch Co-Op Games and the Best Switch Fitness and Exercise Games. We can also help out hunting down the Best Switch Horror Games, the Best Switch Racing Games, the Best Switch Action-RPGs, the Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites and Run-Based Games , the Best Free Switch Games, and even Games to Play After You've Finished Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Whatever your favourite genre, we've got you covered: Strategy Games, Metroidvanias, Puzzle Games, Party Games, Online Multiplayer Games, Local Wireless Multiplayer Games, Shmups, Visual Novels, Fighting Games, Hidden Gems, 2D Platformers, 3D Platformers, Run and Gun Games, Sports Games, Beat 'Em Ups, Chill Games, Family Games, Retro-Inspired Games, Short Games, Card Games and Deck-builders, Flight Sim and Space Combat, Point and Click Adventure Games, and the Best Switch Exclusives, as well as Every Arcade Archives Game, Every ACA Neo Geo Game, Every SEGA AGES Game On Switch., and the Best Switch Collections And Compilations.
If you're looking for the best Switch games regardless of genre, our reader-voted selection of the Best Nintendo Switch Games should help you out, and you can also find the Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. And finally, if you're interested in other Nintendo consoles and retro games, check out the Best Game Boy Games, Best Nintendo DS Games, Best Nintendo 3DS Games, Best SNES Games, Best N64 Games, Best GameCube Games, and Best Wii Games, as well as Every Nintendo Switch Online NES Game and Every Nintendo Switch Online SNES Game.
Comments (48)
Great picks. Moon Patrol has always been one of my favorites!
This list is missing Bomb Jack. One of my top 10 games of all time!
@GrailUK Agreed! Especially in comparison to the kind of boring Mighty Bomb Jack from the NES.
Thank you for this article, it definitely fills a gap, plus these games need more attention.
I love the Arcade Archives games on Switch, just wish there was more from the 90s.
In the Hunt is fantastic !
I have bought a handful of these. Wish they would go on sale more often.
I'd love to see Psycho Soldier and ATHENA as one of the best picks but the solely fact they're already in a game collection (SNK 40's anniversary) I think it makes kinda worthless getting them as stand-alone...
Omega Fighter is my favourite so far.
I hope we'll soon get Parodius.
The ones I'd really recommend are Garou, Puzzle Bobble 2 and Shock Troopers.
I really wish Super Dodgeball for Neogeo was available
+1 for In The Hunt.
Most of these Arcade Archives games are far too old to enjoy wholeheartedly, with graphics at the NES level and often worse.
In The Hunt is stunningly beautiful, with some of the finest pixel graphics ever made. And the pace of the gameplay let's you appreciate it.
It's a shame we haven't been able to review more of these. Perhaps in the future we can fill some gaps, but they come out at such a rate it would be hard to keep up even if there weren't dozens of other new games every week
The best one is Time Pilot.
Track & Field and Vs. Super Mario Bros? .......okay
Thank you Mr. Lane for putting this list together. It's very helpful.
My favorites are Life Force and X-Multiply.
I hope they release more arcade games that were never released on home consoles, such as R-Type Leo (Irem), Mystic Warriors (Konami), Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa (Konami), and Surprise Attack (Konami).
Not sure the huge list is necessary just link to their website which has the list of games. More reviews of these please and keep up the good work highlighting the best games on offer.
I still want the NES Remix and NES Remix 2 games ported to the Switch.
Love the Arcade Archives, I still have hope that one day Bubble Bobble, New Zealand Story, Rainbow Islands, Sunset Riders, Chase HQ, King Fu Master make an appearance. Would also be fantastic is Hamster could get rights to Midway & Atari’s Arcade Classics
@Tandy255 yup. Moon Patrol is my favorite from the list
Moon Patrol and Crazy Climber are pretty good choices as well.
@McEhret1 I don’t think it is just our nostalgia talking either. For a 1982 game, Moon Patrol feels like a game that was ahead of its time. It has parallax scrolling, vibrant colors, great controls, and a jazzy upbeat soundtrack.
“Regardless of the game’s quality”
... but I like sky skipper. It’s good.
I can vouch for Donkey Kong. A little before my time, but still a fun game today. Much better than the NES port, and an essential part of gaming history to boot.
Wonderful article! Personally I just had to get the full SNK collection (the whole lot probably costs less than a single authentic game) and I have been getting pretty much every ACA game besides the ones that are also in other collections. I just love this stuff, classic arcade gaming is hard to beat.
I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with that VS Super Mario Bros pick... have you actually played it? The physics are totally off - it's harder on purpose, just to be a dick. Don't play it, play the NES version instead, it's 1000x better. Was the first Switch game I purchased that I actually deleted from my system. I'm MAD AT THAT GAME.
Great feature. I own most of them, I chose well then. I love these releases and I hope Hamster keeps bringing them to us. People who don't like them, think that they're the same we have in Nintendo Switch Online or just considers them pricey, then don't buy them and let others enjoy.
It would be a beautiful thing to see Hamster release hard copies of collections of these..
@Dr_Corndog It is great to have the Japanese and International version of DK included (as well as for many of the other archive games).
$8 to play it legally and without having to spend hundreds on an original cabinet.
Also, it is great to play these vertical titles with the Flip Grip.
I hope at some point they could get the Atari/Midway arcade games on this service like Paperboy, Marble Madness, Robotron, among others.
@kingbk Yes! The analog stick would probably work very well with Marble Madness. Same for Robotron (dual sticks of course).
Great list, but I gotta go with Moon Patrol. For a game from the early 80's it had a fair amount of mechanics to demand your attention. That constant multitasking of shooting and jumping, while also controlling your speed. Fun with a hint of frenetic. Bonus points for also having a Level Select Option, as the first few checkpoints of the game is so easy, it can become pretty autonomous to get through. Last I checked, I'm high up on the Caravan Leaderboards.
I have punch-out, mat mania, Mario bros, double dragon, rygar, donkey kong, donkey kong jr., track & field, yie ar kung-fu, donkey kong 3, karate champ, double dragon ii & moon patrol
Recommend Omega Fighter as a hidden gem. Super fun shoot 'em up with a nice risk/reward scoring system based off point blanking. Pretty ahead of it's time stuff for an '89 arcade game. Also, can't overstate how much online leaderboards and dedicated scoring modes add to the longevity of these ports. Wish all arcade ports or modern shoot 'em ups did the same as they add a lot of incentive to just get that little bit better. Plus, always nice to see other players into these niche releases.
I also have a soft spot for Front Line as I own it. Time Pilot rules them all. It's an all time great and way ahead of its time, so its ahead of all time I guess and you're the pilot.. But you need to play with a joystick.
@Tandy255 But of course! How else would I play it, other than with the Flip Grip?
My list of essentials would’ve been much longer than this one l!
Frogger
Time pilot
Ninja Warriors
Scramble
Moon Patrol
Moon Cresta
Crazy Climber
Double Dragon
Saint Dragon
Mario Bros
Double Dragon is my favourite of the bunch. There's something about the coin-op's graphics and sound that can't be replicated by the home versions, and playing it takes me back to those arcades and sports centres of the '80s.
Namco needs to add more titles to their collection.
What’s really awesome is that, apart from a number of licensed titles that will probably never see the light of day, I have my entire childhood arcade experience on Switch in the form of the Konami arcade collection, Namco Arcade, Johnny Turbo, Arcade Archives, and Sega Ages.
If we could somehow get the following, I would have every arcade game I’ve ever cared about:
-Crazy Taxi
-TMNT
-The Simpsons
-X Men
-NBA Jam (not a chance)
-Die Hard Arcade
-Virtua Fighter
-Pit Fighter
-Super Punch Out
-Kangaroo
@Banjopickles
Pitfighter really has aged badly. I remember seeing this in the arcade as the first digitized game and was impressed but played it recently using Mame to fulfill my childhood nostalgia and was super surprised as how flat of a game it really is.
I agree with the rest of the games on your list and would even suggest to add the Gauntlet series of games as they were a lot of fun with 4 players same as Simpsons, X-men and TMNT.
4 games we have are Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong JR, Moon Patrol and In The Hunt, bought also a few of the Johnny Turbo Arcade game like Joe and Mac, two crude dudes, and a bunch of Sega Ages titles.
P47 Thunderbolt is now listed in Wiki as an Arcade Archives release coming soon
Elevator Action is the only one I have so far.
“Yet another Irem shmup for you (what can we say - we love 'em), Konami's Life Force”
???
Might be a typo or error in editing but this is wrong and confusing:
Irem and Konami were two separate and competing arcade and video game companies.
Konami’s landmark horizontal STG Gradius 1985 / Nemesis 1986 came before Irem’s great horizontal STG R-Type 1987; Konami’s Salamander / Lifeforce 1986 also came out before Irem’s R-Type.
I am a huge fan of both Irem and Konami; sadly Irem as an arcade giant ceased to exist in 1994 while Konami continues to develop video games to this day.
Great horizontal STGs of the mid 80’s
1985 Gradius Konami
1986 Salamander / Lifeforce Konami
(as indicated above includes both horizontal and vertical stages)
1986 Darius Taito
(Arcade Archives PS4 JP)
1987 R-Type Irem
I really like that these exist, and that Hamster is not shy to also enter more obscure territory with some of these.
BUT ... I really, really dislike how the homescreen icon for the releases look. Feels cheap.
Billy Mitchell is innocent! #freebilly
I’ve been playing Donkey Kong and Solomon’s Key - both are excellent/classics. I love Yie Ar Kung-Fu (YMMV). Green Beret is on the way!
Now I’d like:
Bubble Bobble
Mysterious Stones - Dr. Kick in Adventure
Enduro Racer
Gauntlet II
Karnov
Operation Wolf
@Kabloop
How is Butasan? I have it on my watch list but I’ve been holding out for a sale.
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