Hamster Releases Its First Arcade Archives Switch Game Of 2025, Teases A Year Full Of "Surprises"

What a beautiful company

Wow over 400 arcade titles on Switch? That's almost as many as there are Virtual Console games on the Wii by the end of its lifespan in 2019 where I live. The Wii had about 427 Virtual Console games across 9 platforms (NES, Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Super NES, Turbo Grafx-16, Turbo CD, Nintendo 64, NeoGeo AES, and Arcade) before the end of its lifespan. If HAMSTER could get to over 500 arcade games than it would beat out the complete Virtual Console game library in North America.

If Konami can’t be arsed doing them, which seems the case right now, how about the Parodius/Otomedius games?

@Serpenterror You missed the Commodore 64 - though that may not have been present your side of the Atlantic. Ironic as it was an American machine.

I am waiting for Cabal since forever. And I get disappointed every week. I have around 25-30 of their games but I could exchange them all for Cabal.

We never gonna see Joust, Rampage, Marble Madness, Chiller, Roc n Rope, Peter Packrat, Gauntlet, Duck Hunt, T2 The Arcade Game, Simpsons Arcade, Die Hard Arcade, Ghostbusters arcade game, that Jurassic Park Arcade Ride… so many good choices and I think its just too hard for them to get them. Zaxxon, Congo Bongo too.

Can we please get Mr Do?

@Coffeemonstah Yes both the Commodore 64 and MSX were not available as part of NA's Virtual Console lineup even though both platforms are released in NA at one point but that's cause both are not consoles but PCs. Virtual Consoles are meant for consoles games only with the exception of arcade.

Hamster could have gone and made these only available via a subscription service. But after 11 years, they’re still going strong, releasing one new game a week for customers to buy and keep like any other game. The fact that Nintendo and others can’t offer this same option is shameful.

@OzMikey Or as I like to say, Mr. Dooooooooo!

Waits patiently for;
Knuckle Joe
Pheonix
The Main Event
Ring King
Mr Do!
Popeye
Tekken
Ridge Racer
Cyber Sled
Starblade
Soul Edge
oh and anything Midway / Atari (looking at you Digital Eclipse!)

• Robotron: 2084
• Q*bert
• Tapper
• Gyruss
• Popeye
• Super Spike V'Ball
• Ivan 'Ironman' Stewart's Super Off Road

Plus all the Midway/Williams/Atari stuff...

Hamster is doing it right. They sold over one million(!) ACA games on switch in the first year alone.
Thanks to them the switch now offers the biggest official arcade games library ever released on a console including many super rare japanese only releases.

If only they could get Sega on board. Eswat, Afterburner, Super Hang On, Power Drift, Hot Rod, so many amazing games doing nothing. Or even better, a more expensive line, with the likes of Daytona, Sega Rally, Virtua Fighter... with added online modes.

@MontyCircus Sadly WB and their gaming division which owns Midway are on a downward spiral under David Zaslav. Several bigger game developers like Digital Eclipse and LRG had approached them for their back catalogue, but they were all turned down.

@GrailUK Hamster has yet to port any 32-bit or 3D games other than the two Tetris TGM games. They're slowly releasing games from the early 90s, but otherwise they're more concentrated on the ones which they own the rights to, such as Athena, NMK, UPL etc.

Fingers crossed for Pu Li Ru La. I mean, they have been releasing a lot of TAITO games. It's possible.

@PKDuckman Sure but apart from the Data East game (and Midway / Atari - and Digital Eclipse did the Midway Arcade Treasure series on Cube) they have released Namco, Taito and Konami games. As for the 32 bit games, never say never. They have to start at some point. Or maybe Namco might release a new Arcade Archives for Switch 2 launch.

400 games and still no tumble pop

One of data easts best titles and only way to play it legally now is the really strange evercade system.

Please hamster!! Bring it to switch

How do they emulate all these games from different systems??

@GrailUK This is like having virtual console for switch, with way more titles but no nintendo games. I prefer this way compared to nintendo subs, just buy it once and play it forever 😃

Would love to see a 3d game or two.

Also a few more licensed titles even at premium price would be exciting. Like how about Aliens from Konami? probably very wishful thinking on my part with that one lol

All these games yet the icons of the arcade still lost to time.

Also It amazes me that WB has never bothered to do a Gauntlet compilation with all 9 games. It would be the perfect fit for the switch with all that 4 player fun. Add save progress options amd it’s a win!
Luckily I’ve still got gauntlet and legends on my DC to get my fill

I would love for them to make H.E.R.O.
Not sure if it was actually an arcade game but I had a blast with it on Colecovision.

@OzMikey
Mr. Do just came out in the latest expansion pack for Taito’s Egret II Mini. It’s quite possible Taito and Hanster could bring it to Ake-Aka before long. I hope so! Mr. Do is a great game I played a ton on the Colecovision long ago.

I'm amazed of the amount of games this seemingly tiny company manage to put out. Also in, what seems like, very high quality for each title. Just baffles me.

I tune in every Thursday morning to watch Hamada-san and guests discuss all about that week’s game. No other publisher is doing or can do what Hamster is doing. Their love for old arcade games is on full display each week, and it shows in the quality of their work.
Here’s to another fantastic year for Hamster and us fans!

Just wished they could get Sega on board.

@wiiware They have the Nintendo arcade games too (except Popeye.) but I totally agree with you. I would rather own them. hence prefer physical (and I would prefer Gamecube remakes / remasters to own than the og titles to borrow.)

Games I'd like to see
Superman by taito
Paperboy arcade
Robo cop arcade
Aliens arcade
Indiana jones and the temple of doom arcade
Popeye arcade
Moonwalker arcade
Kung fu master arcade
To name a few..

Hamster has been doing great all these years with Arcade Archives and I can't wait to see what they have in store. I'm hoping this is the year we get 3D Arcade titles for the line finally, because there's so many amazing 3D arcade titles that need porting that Hamster could probably do

@BlaizeV I’d totally go for some early Namco 3D games like Starblade and Solvalou, though I’d settle for some scaler games like Final Lap as well as Steel Gunner and Space gun (which I thought was supposed to be coming or did I dream that?). More licensed games would be great as well. I had to buy Macross off the JP eShop last week since it didn’t come out in the west, unsurprisingly.

@wiiware They have some Nintendo games, though Nintendo was more active in the arcade in the 70s and early to mid-80s. On Arcade Archives they have Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Mario Bros., Sky Skipper, Donkey Kong 3, Punch-Out!!, and Super Punch-Out!! There’s also the Vs. System series of Famicom/NES hardware-based arcade games, changed to make them more difficult for the arcade crowd, of course. A few of the Nintendo black box era games are available in arcade form on Arcade Archives including Vs. Super Mario Bros, Excitebike, Vs. Tennis, Vs. Baseball, Vs. Balloon Fight, and arcade-first Vs. Wrecking Crew. A few non-Nintendo games received the arcade treatment as well including Vs. Castlevania, Vs. Gradius, and recently Vs. Quest of Ki.

@Johnno137426 They have access to the arcade boards and do their own ROM dumps.

Chase H.Q. would be a great candidate, never had an arcade perfect port as even the Saturn version which I got on import was lacking. I've picked up quite of a few of these, most recently Warrior Blade. As SEGA gave up on their own AGES series, they should licence some of their classics out to Hamster. I'd also like to see Midnight Resistance, or the Mega Drive version on the NSO app would be great too.

Edit: Realised arcade Chase H.Q. did appear on a compilation for PS2 in Japan, but still rare though to make a potential Arcade Archives version a top pick for me.

My wishlist for 2025:
Anteater
Arabian Magic
Bio-Mechanical Toy
Boulder Dash
Bubble Symphony
Cameltry
Continental Circus
Power Instinct
Roc 'n Rope
Suzuka 8 Hours
Syvalion
Thunder Fox
Thunder Hoop
Twin Eagle 1 & 2
Zoo Keeper

And, if they can resolve rights issues:
Captain America and the Avengers
Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa

Hamster, I'm begging you.

I'm not the biggest arcade fanatic.

There's only one arcade game i want to play on modern consoles, and I want it so desperately.

PLEASE. Put Sinistar on the Switch. Game traumatized me as a six-year-old child when I originally played it. I couldn't remember for the life of me what that nightmare-inducing game was called and wondered about it for years.

It wasn't until I was 18 and started watching PeanutButterGamer when I came across an old video of his, "Top 10 Scariest Video Game Characters." He got to number 6, and I saw a lone, pixilated spaceship, freely moving across the map and blasting asteroids in the deep cosmos. Then, I heard that haunting voice:

""BEWARE, I LIVE."

The anxiety came rushing back. Finally, I had closure, but also a renewed sense of existential dread.

He's coming for me.

"RUN, COWARD!"

He hungers.

Castle of Dragon actually looks pretty rad. I'm always down for an old school hack 'n slash.

@masterLEON

"Most of the Nintendo black box era ports are available except the light gun games, Vs. Super Mario Bros, Vs. Excitebike, Vs. Tennis, Vs. Wrecking Crew, and a few non-Nintendo ones like Vs. Castlevania and recently Vs. Quest of Ki."

(suggestion: check this part of thy previous message here for accuracy)

“Lucky & Wild.” Do it!

And the Macross game ended the year staying in Japan, sadly.

anyone know if there is any chance for tehkan soccer game to be released?

I hope they add more Konami and Midway games this year. But a few games I really hope they would add is Elevator Action Returns, The Outfoxies, and Cliffhanger:Edward Randy

@masterLEON @Mario500 Yup. I don't know about the others, but I have Vs. Super Mario Bros. on my Switch.

@Dr_Corndog
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-vs-the-quest-of-ki-switch/
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-vs-wrecking-crew-switch/
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-vs-castlevania-switch/
https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/arcade-archives-vs-tennis-switch/

Klax for me please

@Dwishbone Have you tried the Elevator Action Returns Saturn Tribute? https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/elevator-action-returns-s-tribute-switch/

@Dr_Corndog @Mario500 Sorry it was worded weird, I was rushing. I elaborated a little and added some stuff.

I own over 250 between ACA and Neo-Geo’s. No point asking for Atari Games, Sega’s (Congo Bongo!!), Activision’s (Pitfall 2!!!) etc. or spinner, trackball, wheel, light-gun based games. Or high-cost license releases, Alien, Marvel, WWF/WWE etc. Unfortunately. I wonder if Popeye coud get a release since it’s public domain now.

I would kill for HORI to make trackball/spinner “joycon” modules like they did on Nintendo DS, loved playing Arkanoid DS and Space Invaders Extreme 1&2 with the spinner, amazing experience.

However, please release Chequered Flag (can be played with digital controls/analog stick much better than Final Lap), Amidar, Roc ‘n Rope, a proper ACA of Wonderboy (stuck on PS4 and JPN-only iirc), Tetris arcade.

I think they just do Japanese games

I hope that since Popeye is Public Domain that Nintendo/Hamster will release Popeye (1982) for the Switch.
That would be awesome.
I have a few titles I would be floored happy with on the Switch…
Star Wars Arcade (1983)
Star Trek Simulator (1982)
Buck Roger’s & The Planet of Zoom
Qbert
PAC-Man Plus
Pengo
I don’t expect Tron as much as I wish it was available on the Switch since Disney owns it.

Zookeeper is another game which I would Hamster would release on the Switch & Space Invaders & Space Invaders Deluxe.

@GrailUK
im curious to see what becomes of the "console archives" trademark they filed a few years ago if anything does.

would be cool if we ended up with some third party console titles with this level of love put into them.

I would love to see:

APB
Bubble Memories
Bubble Symphony
R-Type Leo

@masterLEON
Hmm. I guess I missed the Elevator Action Returns Tribute. Cool. I will definitely be picking that up.

I know they famously have put out a game every week for however long, but if I'm not mistaken, wasn't there a week or two within the last month where they did not release a game, ending their streak? I'm kind of surprised it didn't make news.

"Faithfully reproduced"
I've read on Discord that (perhaps unsurprisingly, giving rating systems exist) it does censor some nudity that was originally present in Japanese mode (the original game censored itself when run in English mode). Reportedly there's a Medusa boss that had exposed breasts as well as cheat code to access a secret ending scene with nudity (that again, was reportedly disabled when set as an international machine).

@Stormcloudlive @Austrian @BoilerBroJoe @Serpenterror
400 games x $8 = $3,200.

Not that I bought that many, but I will feel much better about my purchases if they will transfer to Switch 2. 😊🤞🙏

@MeloMan they released a game on the Japanese eShop that week, an arcade game but it's 1,500 yen, all the rest cost I think 780y so it's double the price and looking at the listing I can't really see why, it's just another 1942 style shooter. Must be an expensive Japanese license or so.

Hamster is the best!! And thank goodness the whole lineup is on PS4 as well! However I am disappointed this same lineup is NOT on Xbox!! Strangely enough, Xbox only has the Neo Geo titles available. I Wonder why?

Kung Fu Master next please 😊

@MeloMan @Stormcloudlive Macross is a pretty big property so yeah it got the premium pricing treatment. You can thank the whole Robotech/Harmony Gold rights situation for HAMSTER not releasing the game here.

@Stormcloudlive There isn't anything strange about it. It's a fantastic system

@john_lennon999 Just play Nam 1975, it's far superior.

Kung-fu Master (MOST wanted!!)
Popeye
Gyruss