'90s Anime 'Samurai Pizza Cats' Is Getting The Action RPG Treatment Next Year

I have such incredible nostalgia for this show.
The humor was bonkers and often surprisingly intellectual social/political commentary. Also, the backstory of how the show was localized for western audiences is absolutely nuts.

I HAVE ALL THE HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!

Oooh...! 😯
I know that anime. 😃
Glad to see it have the new video game version.

Neither version of the show reached Belarus but the NES game was a common sight on bootleg cartridges (under the unequivocal title "Ninja Cat") and remains among my fondest 8 bit childhood memories. To think I'd live to see a whole other game released for this franchise, and an RPG at that!

"2026 might end up being a little too late for Switch, but surely Switch 2 will be included in that group"

Indeed, the trailer footage looks like it would be lucky to hit 30 fps on PS5 Pro, and I don't see why the publisher would reach out to a 150 mln userbase over the fashionable tenth of it anyway.🙃

It's been years since I played that English Localization of the Famicom Game, but I am just as excited for this. By the way, should I consider buying the SD-BD of the Complete Series, or stick with the DVD Version I bought back in 2013 from Anime Boston?

Wow, I kinda remember this from my childhood. And the game looks pretty good! I will keep an eye on this.

As someone who has the SD-BD collection this is certainly not the announcement I was expecting today. Kinda wished they didn’t announce it so early but nice to know something like this exists.

What a pleasant surprise, lol. I'll definitely check this out. Art style looks spot-on.

Looks like fun, but it’s time to retire the term “action RPG.” It can mean almost anything at this point, from Diablo to Horizon. It tells us almost nothing about the game.

I am flabbergasted. There was a time when I couldn't convince my friends that this show was real. Even I had started to question my memory, before I finally found an episode while in college, many, many years later.
And now it's getting a new game. Absolutely wild.

...Never even heard of this show...lol

Well, they’ve got more fur than any turtle ever had.

Game looks like it will be Ganbare Goemon-esque.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!

"Speaking of VO, Blast from the Past will feature the cartoon's original cast in both its English and Japanese versions."

Honestly, kudos. That shows that they really do respect the franchise and care about getting this right. (Still have yet to watch the anime though)

Take my money now and take my money hard. I need this.

This is a show I remember watching but didn't give it too much attention due to how young I was.
Now as an adult, I kind of wish I did.

Not missing the game.

I remember the only other time the Samurai Pizza Cats could've been relevant to modern audiences was if they were included in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.

This was not expected. 0_0

I feel like this may have been the first anime I remember watching, though not realizing what that meant at the time. I’d like to revisit the dub, and I would bet money that it not only holds up, but improves the experience for wester audiences.

This is a must buy

Saw the trailer about an hour ago on YouTube. I loved this show and the game looks pretty awesome so I'm definitely interested.

Now if we can finally get that Avenger Penguins/Road Rash crossover I’ve been dreaming of for 30 years….

Never watched the show but now I want to. The trailer is giving me the feeling, that they really care for the series. Will definitely try to play it when it releases, I love stuff like that.

30 years later and the 90's are still alive.

This is wonderful. This truly is s magnificent year

That's so cool, love the style they're going for here. Never watched the show but I was aware of it. Lots of respect for getting back the original VAs too. Might consider checking this out once it drops.

Good to hear, hopefully the game is fun.

I absolutely loved this show as a kid, looks great!

Looks awesome. I'm hoping for the Famicom game to be included, like how it was with the new Getsu Fuuma Den game.

Well I'm sold. I remember watching this in the mornings before school.

I remember seeing commercials of this growing up.

I think my older brother watched this.

I used to LOVE this anime, when I was a little kid! The aesthetic of the game looks fantastic, I might get it along the road.

This is so nostalgic

What we need is a new series of this.

YO let's go I freaking love this show, I mean besides the famicom game which is fine there hasn't been any real games based on the show since then ( i could be wrong so be please free to correct me....)

If they want to maximize on sales, it needs to release on Swich. For a forgotten anime to many, it needs as much availability as possible.

I loved this show back in the day, and I absolutely love this announcement, and I hope to love the game once I get this game and play it. Absolutely amazing, I can't wait!

HO
LEE
COW

The Samurai Pizza Cats

Even if the game gets 0/10 review scores I'm under moral obligation to buy it. And if it's only physical in select regions then I guess I'm paying extra to import it.

Wow I was definitely not expecting them to make a return what next Astro Boy: Omega Factor?

Noooooo this is such a monkey paw wish for me. I hate the fact that the west pays more attention to these franchises than their home country. Meanwhile if someone sneezes dragonball gets a new game. Well I will just do like I do with power rangers games. Play on mute. Now I gotta go raid the wiki so I know who characters are in english. Please let this come out in Japan with correct names. Welp might go dig out the famicom game.

Obligatory: Teyande!

I don't have much knowledge about this series, but if that isn't one of the greatest names I dunno what is

This show was a big part of my childhood. I want this game in my mouth.

Will somebody please cue that boid! Samurai Pizza Cats! Who do you call when you want some pepperoni? Samurai Pizza Cats! They’re sniffing out crime and you know that ain’t bologna!

So it’s a bit like Cuphead, but from an actual old cartoon. Full circle.

Thanks for making me feel old 🤣
That def brought me back in time

🦅 WILL SOMEBODY PLEEEZ CUE DAT BOID

Rather have street sharks or biker mice from Mars or the mighty ducks or...

I haven't heard this in eons. Oh my beating nostalgia.

Oh damn, never thought I'd hear about that show again.

Nostalgia alert. This show left a lasting impression on me as a youth. Glad the IP is still alive and being serviced. Hope this is good!

I'm just surprised Tatsunoko was finally able to get the rights all in one place. Apparently the rights were so messed up back in the Wii days that Capcom couldn't even use them in TVC: Cross Generation of Heroes (the arcade version with the Genie that was the only rights problem they had for Ultimate All-Stars).

Compared to that I'm sure wrangling the talent (some of whom haven't worked SINCE 91) and finding the past remaining staff at Tatsunoko that could still ink the cels the old fashioned way was a breeze.

What a random, but welcomed surprise!

Loved Samurai Pizza Cats back in the day. The show helped get me through the mornings before school.

I know the show is an adaptation. But I was a bit confused that the trailer referenced 1991. I recalled, at least in the states, we didn’t get the show until at least 95/96. But I was surprised to find out it debuted in other countries (UK, Canada, etc.) years prior.

Also, the show hasn’t been completely out of sight, out of mind. At least here in the states, it’s been on a plethora of free streaming services over the last couple of years.

I used to watch this as a little kid, really really excited for this one, will buy on nostalgia alone!!

When anime first came into my 90s US vision there was Dragon Warrior, Ronin Warriors, Sailor Moon which was legendary, Dragon Ball Z which I didn't watch too much because I didn't see it from the beginning until years later, and then Samurai Pizza Cats. Such a great goofball dub of show is FINALLY getting a game?! This is the stuff of Dreams.

And NO I did not have to Google their names because:

There's Speedy Ceviche he's the leader of the bunch, one heck of a fighter makes a heck of a lunch!
And little Polly Ester who's never afraid, of going into battle when the bad guys invade!
And Guido Anchovy a wild romantic rover, this cat gets down down with a wild hangover!

I didn't have to Google the song either. How could ANYONE forget a show like this?

What an amazingly written show, watched a few episodes a couple months back and they hold up. Good or bad I’m I’ll check this out, so I hope it’s good🤣

This is an insta-buy. I must play as dose CATS!!!

@Zeebor15 The thing that really hurt was my friend convincing me that Samurai Pizza Cats were going to be in Tatsunoko VS Capcom a month or so before release, because we were looking at posts of Speedy Ceviche pictures on the Capcom blog. He told me that was proof and it wasn't. 😠

But, now Capcom is on an upswing. Marvel VS Capcom 4 and Capcom VS SNK 3 are going to happen sooner or later. I hope Capcom gets with Tatsunoko for one more ride "Let me take you for a riiiiiide" and the Pizza Cats would be a shoe-in.

As I love this show and the Famicom game (it plays like a light Metroidvania with Ducktales-esque mechanics and character hotswapping), I'm just going to jump in here with a trivia tidbit about a common misconception.

Many people say that the US dubbing company didn't get scripts from Tatsunoko, as the show wasn't popular enough in Japan to warrant keeping the paperwork. They did get scripts. The problem was that the script were jam packed full of cultural references and jokes that wouldn't land with Western audiences. So, they used the basic plot (i.e. sushi maker is brainwashed to pilot a giant mech that makes sushi out of people) and wrote new scripts to match the vision, keeping the spirit of the show with a bunch of cultural references and jokes that WOULD play well for Western audiences.

As such, over the years when the writers have said they didn't have scripts, it's more accurate to say they didn't have usable scripts. The end result is the same, of course!

@rvcolem1 Seconded so much. Biker mice got a recent comic and toy run too. Let’s Rock…and Ride! I would get arrested for a Mighty Ducks show reboot. Especially since they never finished it. Show got me into hockey.

Also need a new gargoyles game. The comic run has been so good.

This was/is like the perfect catnip of things I obsess over. I loved this show even though it didn't always make sense to me at the time!

Can't wait to play this!! 🤎
I want some pepperoni, Oh yhea!

YES!!!! This is fantastic news!

First Canada beats the US at the Four Nations and now I found out we're getting a Samurai Pizza Cats game??? Joyful days!!

NO WAY. HOW IS THIS REAL? This was one of my favorite shows!!! All the games it did get on NES were meh. How exciting! DAY 1!

I remember these as a Saturday morning cartoon along with Batman TAS. Was annoyed they were cut from Tatsunoko vs Capcom though. But at least they get a game now!

If you're not familiar with SPC, then here's a sample of the dialogue from the English Dub of the first episode:

GUIDO: "Well now I've seen everything. As if the wanton destruction of the Brazilian rain forest weren't enough for you. You're the most environmentally irresponsible person I've ever met!"
SPEEDY: "Save that pinko pop-psychology talk for the next Greenpeace newsletter!"
GUIDO: "Who's a pinko you neofacist feline?"
(They fight)
LUCILLE: (Cybernetic Missile Launcher in head opens) "STOP TALKING POLITICS!!!"
(Lucille Macross Missile Massacres them both)

I will say I am happy to see the Oyako duo in the screenshots.

What I remember the most about SPC was, despite it being totally reworked for airing on US Television, it was still very obviously Japanese. I'd seen Akira already, but I don't know if that movie has anything that would identify it as a Japanese show to a foreginer's eye.

Samurai Pizza Cats is so Japanese that it crosses the line of Stupidity, goes around the world, and crosses it again. It's just stupidly stupidly Japanese. It's all the Japan.

And back then I just found that a bit remarkable, that they didn't bother trying to conceal it at all. A lot of tv anime back then were a bit vague about when and where they take place.