Excitebike Joins The Hamster Arcade Archives Collection On Switch Tomorrow

Is this different to the version that comes with the Switch online service?

Good lord that timing is unfortunate

I know this is the arcade version and not the console version, but that's some bad timing on their part.

@SegaBlueSky In the article it's mentioned it is "VS. Excite Bike", much like the Hamster version of Super Mario Bros is different from the NES one.

@SegaBlueSky It's not clear as explained in the article. The NES version you're talking about is called Excitebike. The multiplayer arcade version is called VS Excitebike. Famitsu has revealed the game to be VS Excitebike but the game's title is Arcade Archives: Excitebike instead of Arcade Archives: VS Excitebike.

so until we get more info, nobody knows. I imagine it's the VS version and maybe it was missed by the name by mistake and will be added.

It's going to be hard to sell these games now that for $20 you can get this game bundled with the Online service for a year.

Donkey Kong and Punch-Out were great but an arcade version of Super Mario and Excitebike? for $8? that's going to do poorly

@w00dm4n good point except if you cancel your online sub at least you can keep the Hamster versions. 👍

I was going to buy all Nintendo arcade games, at the end of the day are the first opportunities for us to get those games.

But it's true that some are more interesting than others, with regard to differences compared to NES versions. And Excitebike wouldn't be one of those. And yes, now that we have NES version on the Switch it's bad timing indeed.

I'll think about it. But there is an arcade version of this game that doesn't have the editors nor 2-player feature, and it might be that one. Up until now, Hamster has named the games correctly, and Vs. Super Mario Bros. is called "Vs. Super Mario Bros.", so the reason of not doing it here (and they didn't either when the line-up was first announced months ago) is a mystery to me, but... the version that had more features was Famicom Disk System one (the ability to create tracks responded to the ability of rewriting the disks), and Hamster releases arcade games, so I guess we won't have the "good" one. At least there are 7 tracks instead of 5 of the normal NES version.

Copying from Strategywiki: The Vs. version of Excitebike was later released on the Famicom Disk System with some improved features, including a simultaneous two player mode that the original game lacked, and an improved track save system (the tracks were saved to the writable portion of the disk). The music is completely different; none of the songs from the original game are present in this version, and a background theme is played during gameplay. Despite being the better of the two versions available for the Famicom, the disk version was never re-released in any format, while the original version has been released on several platforms, and as a Virtual Console title.

@joey302 I guess? but it's almost 50% of a full year for a game that's only fun for a weekend.

I'll take the Wiiware version or that awesome Excitebike Music Visualizer from the 3ds that made tracks based on your music.

Aren’t these releases kind of redundant on arrival cos of the online NES games I was gonna buy Donkey Kong but I saw it listed on the NES games available when you subscribe really don’t see the point of these

Im a bit confused by these arcade archives games.

Did Nintendo hold the rights to these games and licence them to Hamster? Or did the rights belong to someone else?

Why aren't Nintendo just releasing the games themselves if they did hold the rights its unusual for them to let another company compete directly against them with their own software a lot of which could become available through the online service.

@Gs69 Donkey Kong has the original 4 levels along with better music.
It's the best version of the game.

Super Mario just changes some level designs to make it harder and removes 1ups along with the 1up trick in 3-1,

This is what happens when multiple Co's own/hold the right's to the same IP..

Yes, Donkey Kong and VS. Super Mario Bros. are better versions than NES counterparts, or at least different, so worth playing.

Punch-Out!! would be, maybe, the most interesting one, because the NES conversion, while really good and funny, is graphically much worse. The arcade version is more like SNES Punch-Out!!

So people who complains about these games being "the same" as the ones offered on Nintendo Online Service... are wrong. The timing here is bad, I admit that, but let's not make mistakes here.

oh nice, can't wait to play it. ^^

Wait a minute... didn't Hamster games release on Thursdays? Why are they available one day later when are Nintendo games? ACA Neo Geo and Arcade Archives non-Neo Geo always release on Thursdays!

@w00dm4n I own Super Mario Bros Vs and it's worth owning for how much cleaner it looks compared to the NES version. Sharp colours, no flickering sprites or edges, full screen and adjustable options make the arcade port the definitive SMB, despite some levels being slightly different to the NES version. I imagine Excitebike VS will be much the same.

@Moroboshi876 Neo Geo and Arcade Archives releases are always on a Thursday but their Nintendo arcade ports have all released on a Friday for some reason.

@Captain_Gonru weirdly enough it was never released in Europe on the Wii U

@Gs69 Donkey Kong is well worth getting just for TATE mode. So much nicer to play than the NES version. Then there is the online leaderboards high score mode, Caravan mode and all the extra options.

@OorWullie Vs Super Mario Bros is great, well worth a purchase especially if you like the online leadboards.

Donkey Kong is awesome as well. It's a dramatic improvement on the NES version and I had it on the 3ds as well when it was a special bonus with Paper Mario Sticker Star on 3ds.

if it's the FDS version of Vs. Excite Bike it's worth a purchase.
I don't think 3 difficulty levels and 2 extra tracks are wroth it if it's not.

@OorWullie Yes, that's what I was saying, but it's weird.

Even if Excitebike is the arcade version, and it will be, I think it's worth it anyway. Slightly superior graphics, different music I think, and well, the fact that you can play the original version.

Another Wii U port on the Switch!!!! (sorry, couldn't resist).

With that said, I will technically be double-dipping for this since I do already have it on the Wii U's Virtual Console.

I doubt the differences between this and the version with Switch Online are worth paying an extra £7 for.

@Captain_Gonru if only the same would happen with super mario bros 3 i would buy it in a second xD

I completely forgot about Mario Bros Arcade!

that's a massive improvement as well.
Everything is better from the game play ,graphics,sound and just overall look of it.

if they can get us Popeye i'd buy everything they put out

@Morph Yes they own the rights, but this isn't a straight release of something that already exists. Arcade Archives adds in remappable controls, access to the DIP settings to modify gameplay parameters, suspension saves, online leaderboards, three display settings (raw pixels, blurred or blur + scanlines) and Caravan and Hi-Score modes. (per the wiki). Hamster is the company that's programming all of these things, that's why it's releasing as part of their range.

@w00dm4n that’s why we have gamers complaining that it’s only Nes games so far...a bit stale at this point.
Would LOVE to see the Wii Ware version of excitebike!! It was awesome 😎

@Gs69 Donkey Kong is mechanically different on the arcade version. All three revisions are playable in the Hamster release, including the one the US got, which shakes up how the levels are ordered. For some reason, this detail is always left out when discussing differences; I feel that's the more important takeaway than the inclusion of the Pie Factory level and the graphics/audio changes. (Also there are online leaderboards)

For games like Mario Bros. and Excitebike on the other hand....There arent nearly as major differences. In fact, I think the sound is more bearable on Mario Bros. NES because Mario's footsteps are obnoxious as heck in the arcade.

It's quite simple, the game will be the arcade version originally known as vs. Excitebike, the reason it will be launched just as Excitebike without the vs. Is because it was never a versus game to begin with! It is single player only, It was released for the vs. system arcade as a kit, it is not going to be the Famicom Disk System version which truly is a versus game, as in 2 player simultaneously

Why in the name of Reggie would someone buy this now

@OorWullie ok thanks didn’t realise what the differences were sounds like it’s worth it I remember the NES version missing a level

@NintoRich But Vs. Super Mario Bros. is called Vs. Super Mario Bros. in Hamster release.

@Gs69 Vs. Super Mario Bros. has more than slight differences with Super Mario Bros. Some levels are completely new, and they were used on the real Super Mario Bros. 2 (here Super Mario Bros: The Lost Levels) later.

@Moroboshi876 The FDS version of Vs. Excitebike was released on the Wii U Virtual Console.

@brianvgplayer Yeah, but until now every single Hamster release has been from the arcades. So...

@Moroboshi876 The post you quoted said the FDS version was never re-released in any format, so I was pointing out otherwise. I was not claiming that the Hamster Arcade Archives was the FDS version.

I like this version.

Why?

Because I can own it. And I like ownership. The NES app is cool too, don't get me wrong, but I'll always take ownership if given the choice.

@Moroboshi876 But at least in Vs. Super Mario Bros you can play as 2 players albeit at seperate times, Excitebike is single player only and also Vs. Super Mario Bros actually has a title screen with the "Vs." included whereas Vs. Excitebike simply just states Excitebike at the title screen - there is nothing versus about it really

Arcade Archives was supposed to be the poor man's Virtual Console. But whenever a console launches, devs who aim to fill in the gaps need to get their timing right.
Look at Kirby Fighters Deluxe - I bought it out of sheer love for Kirby, but there's no denying that it would have sold considerably better if only it came out before Smash for 3DS. Which it didn't.
Same goes for Brawlhalla. Starting by saying that yes, I have Brawlout on Xbox One but won't double dip because Smash has far better imitators (Rivals Of Aether above everyone else), there's the fact Brawlhalla comes out one month before Smash Ultimate; the free to play format will hardly do the game any favours considering the sheer magnitude of its competition.
If you have a shovelware equivalent of Mario Kart and want to release it on a Nintendo console, do so before said console's entry in the MK series is released.
Of course, bootleg-ish games aren't always the ones involved, as - in this case - the AA version of Excitebike undeniably has its own merits; however, given the fact everyone who got the online subscription pretty much has (in a very loose meaning of the verb "to have" given the total lack of ownership in display) Excitebike to begin with, the mere existence of this variant of the game hardly needs to even exist.

I momentarily considered this till I remembered I bought Vs on Wii U already.

@SegaBlueSky That is the NES version, this is the ARCADE version.

This is good news as I prefer the Vs. version over the NES version. What irks me though is the price structure. $8 is too much for these older games, especially when $8 can get you any Neo-Geo game in comparison. I think anything pre-16-Bit should be $4-$5.

@SegaBlueSky, yes it is for these reasons:

1. 7 tracks instead of the 5 included in the NES game.

2. The track creation is NOT included.

3. You have to add credits and press a dedicated START button as is a arcade cabinet, only through emulation and typically by default, through the L & R buttons.

@NintoRich, as far as I l know they used the VS. moniker on the NA version’s marquee to emphasize the game running on Nintendo VS. system hardware. The reason why this was changed to Excitebike is to match with the Japanese market, considering the aforementioned game was simply titled ‘Excitebike’ when it came out originally and to avoid this confusion with the Disk System ‘Vs. Excitebike’.

@AlexSora89, but for arcade purists; it’s glad to at least acknowledge this version’s existance. Honestly; I don’t know why that stuff about Smash Bros., Brawlhalla & Mario Kart, and Arcade Archives “originally being a poor man’s VC” makes sense.

@Zacattack99
"Poor man's" as in, "cheaper and not-as-good alternative", where "not-as-good" can range from awful shovelware to legitimately good, if not excellent. It's a catch-all term.
These alternatives, if they want to sell, need to beat their genre's best representative franchise to the punch whenever they come to a console. For example, a Sonic knockoff on Switch has - or rather, had - to cash in on the more impatient Sonic fans', well, lack of patience before Sonic Mania was released in order to land a few sales.
Speaking of Sonic, the AGES version of Sonic 1 - vastly superior as it is - had the unfortunate timing of coming out right as the Genesis collection was announced, hurting its sales. Not even official releases of games are exempt from this rule, as Excitebike can attest.

@AlexSora89 Do we really know how did Excitebike fare so we can see if the timing hurt it?

I see it was announced for last Friday, but unlike the other occasions it's not listed in European eShops yet. And I want it.

@Moroboshi876
Even worse then. The more time people have to gather those twenty bucks, the less people will get the Arcade Archives version of it.
I guess, at least.

@AlexSora89 I'm with some other people in this. I prefer to OWN the game, and love the differences between arcade originals and console versions. But I guess many people will think what you said. At the end of the day, a lot of people still think that Arcade Archives games are the same as NES games. Or just don't care about the differences.

EDIT: I stand corrected. The game is on European eShops. But I checked on eShop-prices and it didn't appear outside America. That website does have problems keeping up lately.

@Moroboshi876
In the end, the reason behind my bearing this "alternative" to VC (unless common sense makes a triumphant return) is that paid online has potential to be a better online, and combining that price with a potentially much higher one for retro games proves to be the lesser of two evils for my poor unemployed wallet.

That said, I'm not okay with this step towards lack of ownership; it's the exact opposite of consumer-friendly and I hope the possibility of VC, if it resurfaces, will prove such a big source of income that Nintendo will backpedal on this eternal rental they're planning to do with the NES as its pioneer.