I'm so glad that Hamster's Arcade Archives are a thing.

[Steven]

There should be more games where you get to use a bunch of different shots simultaneously like this and Batsugun.

Finally got Halley's Comet. I've wanted to try this for a while and I have no problem with tossing Hamster the ~400 yen discount price.

Edit: WHAT THE HELL THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!! Why doesn't anyone ever talk about how good this game is? They should.

You should ask Uemura-San about it! According to Wikipedia:

Cave programmer Hiroyuki Uchida stated in a 1998 interview that its gameplay served as a basis for Dangun Feveron.[14] Likewise, former Toaplan composer Tatsuya Uemura claimed in a 2009 interview that Twin Cobra was influenced by Halley's Comet, as he wanted to portray the feeling of aiming and shooting.[15]

I’ve been playing quite a bit of Halley’s this weekend and really enjoying it. Recovery can be a bit rough, but one you get a few power ups it really does feel like a bit of a proto-Batsugun.

The interview where that came from is over on Gamengai, but I might ask him about it anyway.

The one thing I don't really like about this game is that sometimes I die for no apparent reason. I think what's happening is that enemy shots look like stars sometimes and I think they are part of the background.

[Atariboy]

I think Loco-Motion was the name that the North American licensee, Centuri, came up with for the release here. So I suppose that's behind this move, with it presumably never a Konami owned trademark. Disappointing, but not nearly as much as the absence of "Prepare to Qualify!" in the recent Pole Position release.

I think the Japanese name was what the colorized Konami Game Boy Color collection in Europe also used for the game, iirc.

Except that, as I said in the previous post, the "Loco-Motion" version is included. It still has Loco-Motion on the title screen. Hamster did the opposite with a few games like Kaiketsu Yanchamaru using "Kid Niki", despite not having the US version. The US Tomy Tutor version also uses the name "Loco-Motion" with no mention of Centuri on the box. It does list "Loco-Motion" as a copyright of Konami, though. I don't mind AA using the Guttang Gottong name, I just find it odd and inconsistent with other releases.

I missed that, thanks. Puzzling indeed.

I did notice the other day that the trademark expired long ago (and nobody like Coleco or Intellivision have claim jumped it like they did Jungle Hunt and some others). Maybe they're comfortable including it as a result but not comfortable using a non-trademarked name for the release itself?

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Fighting enthusiasts will be glad with this one: This week's title will be Allumer's Blandia.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202310/18320958.html

[Skyknight]

Before bringing over Gladiator...? That's odd enough.

[BrianC]

I'll probably skip this one. After seeing the attract mode for Gladiator, I realized why the character is called Irriana instead of Irene. Her name is pronounced in an odd way in Gladiator and sounds more "Irriana" than I-reen.

[hamfighterx]

Blandia quick comments:
- Oh boy, Allumer really short looping music strikes again.
- I actually kinda like the high/mid/low control setup. Reconfigured the controls to have them aligned that way (i.e., PS Triangle for high, square/circle for mid, X for low).
- Special move execution requires Street Fighter 1 levels of precision.
- 1 round default, OK?
- Why are the life bars at the bottom of the screen instead of the top? Allumer being wacky and different lol.
- AI is poor. Not particularly cheap though, pretty easy to abuse the CPU at default difficulty.
- Saw several instances in a short time of play where the screen jumps erratically to keep up with the action.
- Character designs are sort of cool? Graphics and backgrounds aren't the worst. Some of the win quotes are pretty dumb, I'll have to go back to my Switch screenshots tomorrow to post something.

Not a "good" game by any stretch of the imagination, but I'm always glad to see these kinds of obscurities getting released.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Does the name Hiromi Tengenji sounds familiar for ya? Well, here's some great news: Arcade Archives Burning Force is this week's release.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202310/25321722.html

[SeafoamGaming]

Back to the namco grind i see. Hopefully this one doesnt skip NA. No Jail Break/finest hour still is beyond absurd. We’re running out of 80s era namco to pull from, so i hope they shift to other publishers like Irem or Tecmo more soon since the taito/namco duo is getting tiring imo

[cfx]

.

[Klatrymadon]

Land Maker is definitely due a home release on current systems, but there's a great port of it on PS1! It contains both the original game and a 3D remake I haven't really played yet, and the Japanese version at least is usually dirt cheap. It's well worth checking out.

[hamfighterx]

With Burning Force, it looks like we're at or very near the end of the Namco System 2 catalog. Some discussion from earlier this year starting around here: viewtopic.php?p=1522939#p1522939

Basically, aside from several baseball and lightgun games that seem unlikely to appear, the only remaining System 2 games are Assault Plus (and we already have Assault) and Dirt Fox (overhead view racing game). Final Lap 1-3 are also on a System 2 variant, and I expect we'll see at least Final Lap 1 eventually (maybe they do Pole Position II first?)

They're kinda running low on Namco games from other hardware too. Only a few System 1 games left, and a small number of games from other hardware (like the NA-1... with F/A!). Beyond that, IDK if they will be able to pull off newer stuff like System 21 (Air Combat, Cyber Sled, Starblade) or System 22 (Ridge Racer) on Switch. So maybe those wait for the next Nintendo system?

Not tiring at all to me. Still want to see these from Namco:

• Nebulas Ray
• Cosmo Gang The Puzzle
• F/A
• Mach Breakers
• Tinkle Pit
• The Outfoxies

Specific to that list:
NA-1 hardware for several of those - Cosmo Gang the Puzzle, F/A, Tinkle Pit
NB-1 for Nebulas Ray (along with several baseball and soccer games, and Point Blank)
NB-2 for Mach Breakers and The Outfoxies

We've yet to see a single AA game from any of those boards.

[cfx]

.

[hamfighterx]

I thought those boards seemed within the realm of possibility though.

Oh, agreed. I was more trying to keep it straight in my own head which games were from which hardware and figured hey, why not post it too for anyone who cares.

But yeah, Hamster is either going to have to move into the 90s boards soon (of which the System 21, NA-1/NA-2, and NB-1/NB-2 seem like the most reasonable possibilities and the next ones chronologically), or take a bit of a break from Namco. There just isn't that much else left.

- System 1 - they've been steadily working through that large lineup with not a whole lot remaining: Blast Off, Blazer, Boxy Boy (Sokoban Deluxe), Face Off, Marchen Maze (World Court tennis and the World Stadium baseball games feel like the may get skipped).
- System 2 is also near the very end, as noted above.
- System 86 is done.
- Most of the random 80s hardware with a handful of games is done (Pole Position II from the same hardware as the original Pole Position is a notable exception, and I'd imagine that's coming).
- I can't see many more of the late 70s/super early 80s games arriving (but hey, we saw Navarone in 2023)

Now I'm thinking that seeing F/A show up as Hamster's typical bigger Christmas release this year would be pretty fun!

[BrianC]

Bought Burning Force on PS4. Liking it so far. Seems a bit harder than MD, mainly due to lack of a life meter.

[Marc]

Seems to have vanished from the UK shop.....

[velo]

Bought Burning Force on PS4. Liking it so far. Seems a bit harder than MD, mainly due to lack of a life meter.

I was surprised that it doesn't have analog controls. A little odd for an arcade rail shooter, but not too detrimental. It does have a handy stage select feature and a built-in autofire option (in addition to Hamster's external options). BF was the last 80s Namco game I've really been waiting for. As for Taito, I hope Night Striker comes soon enough.

[hamfighterx]

As for Taito, I hope Night Striker comes soon enough.

Taking bets now on whether City Connection releases the Saturn version as an "S-Tribute" game first (I would take that bet).

But I'm super looking forward to the Egret II Mini vol.2 pack with Night Striker, have that and the USB Cyber Stick ordered as my Christmas present to myself this year

I wonder if Taito has bigger plans involving M2 and Night Striker though, this article from August seems to imply that they do. I'd love to see something like a package of Chase HQ, SCI, and Night Striker with typical M2 quality.

[Samildanach]

Seems to have vanished from the UK shop.....

It has oddly vanished from the 'New Games' list but if you type in "Arcade Archives Burn" into the search engine it will still come up.

Edit. Comes up on the New Game list too now. I'm pretty sure I didn't just miss it the first time though. Weird.

[cfx]

.

[RobHimself]

I'm surprised Gunforce 2 hasn't been an ACA title yet.

[CRP]

Seems to have vanished from the UK shop.....

Just check eu switch estore and Burning Force is up.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

I'm surprised Gunforce 2 hasn't been an ACA title yet.

That also baffles me. Along with GunForce and the whole R-Type arcade library and Data East's shmups, especially Vapor Trail.
But looks like Hamster's love for Namco is stronger than anything else.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Great news for Athena-Warashi fans.
Shienryu's precursor Daioh is this week's Arcade Archives release.
https://www.famitsu.com/news/202311/01322571.html

[BIL]

*it's pronounced DAI-YOOOOOO

Superb news. Roll on J.J. Squawkers.

[Sumez]

Holy shit, J J Squawkers ACA would be a miracle!

[Sima Tuna]

I'm a big fan of Shienryu. Daioh and Shienryu always struck me as an evolution of the Raiden (and I guess earlier Toaplan) formula.

[Marc]

Nice! I've enjoyed Shienryu, but never played much of this.

[BIL]

The USA region Daioh jamma pcb that was sold/distributed statside by American Sammy has the original 2-button endowed JPN region version on-board (selectable via a 2-pin header on a certain jumper). How cool is that?

In addition to having a 6-button layout upgrade with the USA variant of Daioh pcb, the 2nd loop has enemy bullets that move faster than your fightercraft does -- perfect for rage inducing stg sessions indeed. Buttons 4, 5 & 6 are directly wired to a custom harness loom that's then plugged into the pcb itself (via a multi pin header interface setup).

What makes the USA region variant of Daioh special/memorable, is that it's the only tate arcade stg pcb to sport a dedicated six button layout period and remains so to this very day.

I'd love to see it on ACA with both regions included! I wonder if the Sammy connection might be an issue, but then again, neither Capcom nor Psikyo's involvement in TGM/TGM2 stopped those. We'll see I guess!

Oh hell yeah, 4Gamer says ACA Daioh includes the six-button rev! Never tried that one; always thought it sounded like a fun gimmick, at the least. Interesting timing, on the heels of another rare ACA example of the SFII craze in Blandia.

EDIT: and I see Sturmvogel's Famitsu link contains the same information! I'm a simple man, I see DAI-YOOOOOO I no click, just buy!

[Skyknight]

I know I read on either Wikipedia or the Triggerheart wiki that Hamster has access to Warashi's catalog, Shienryu included. Figures that they'd make sure Daiou got in first, so we get the proper ancestry. Although by that same token, how did we get Cadash before Rastan?

Come to think of it, this should have been the Taito week. What's going on?

[Samildanach]

I know I read on either Wikipedia or the Triggerheart wiki that Hamster has access to Warashi's catalog, Shienryu included. Figures that they'd make sure Daiou got in first, so we get the proper ancestry. Although by that same token, how did we get Cadash before Rastan?

Come to think of it, this should have been the Taito week. What's going on?

Another week we'll have to live without Master of Weapon.
I'm very mildy perturbed!!
My silliness aside, I do rather like this weekly release guessing game, we are truly being spoilt by Hamster.