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

[Sweatlord_STG]

I think I was thinking about sandwiches again. FML.

[AGermanArtist]

I bought ACA2 Battlantis and felt instant regret. I broke my ACA2 cherry with this one. I don't know if I like the ACA2 aesthetic.
The game is fucking hard.
Maybe Fast Lane next. That's a grower for sure, I went from hate to love with a little persistence, so I'm willing to try and get good with Battlantis like I did with Fast Lane, Flak Attack and Ajax - all of which I started out hating. Contra aside, Konami's '87 roster was a bit of an odd one with some quite difficult proper coin munching games.

[Lord British]

Yeah I fired up Battlantis last night on MAME and, yeah, you can make it a few stages in without much trouble but then you'll hit a wall quickly. It's a must-have if the legacy of Konami game-design circa '87 is important to you (those bosses), but I'm going to hold my money for now and try to get better at it first.

Random note: Thanks to whoever insisted we buy Rompers, that's one of my favorite arcade games now. Oh, that and also its isometric dad Pettan Pyu, also worth picking up on AA.

[Udderdude]

I found Battlantis to be intoerably difficult the few times I tried it .. maybe just because I suck. lol

I think I was thinking about sandwiches again. FML.

I'm so glad that sandwiches are a thing.

[MJR]

I found Battlantis to be intoerably difficult the few times I tried it .. maybe just because I suck. lol

I think I was thinking about sandwiches again. FML.

I'm so glad that sandwiches are a thing.

I came here for news of new arcade releases, only to find musings about sandwiches. Carry on...

[Jonpachi]

BLTlantis

[BIL]

This game has one of the most fucken terrifying reputations I've ever seen, wanted it on ACA forever.

[BrianC]

It's interesting that Konami beat Taito to the punch on making an updated Space Invaders with power ups.

[Jonpachi]

It's interesting that Konami beat Taito to the punch on making an updated Space Invaders with power ups.

Namco was there with the double-ship in Galaga years before that too. Taito really did let the Space Invaders franchise rot.

[BrianC]

It's interesting that Konami beat Taito to the punch on making an updated Space Invaders with power ups.

Namco was there with the double-ship in Galaga years before that too. Taito really did let the Space Invaders franchise rot.

Taito straight up took some ideas from this game for their own SI updates, especially the power up system.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

This week's release is an obscure SNK title: Joyful Road.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202510/55216

Next week: Taito, I guess.

[Sumez]

Taito really did let the Space Invaders franchise rot.

??
1979: Space Invaders Part II
1984: Return of the Invaders
1990: Super Space Invaders 91
1993: Space Invaders DX
1995: Akkanvader

Plus various home releases as well, of course

[Sweatlord_STG]

So, Hamster is sponsoring a Bandai Namco live music event in February to celebrate Rave Racer's 30's anniversary. Just gonna state the obvious and say heeeeeeeey, that might mean an Arcade Archives Rave Racer around February-ish.

https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025 ... nniversary

Or maybe we will get RR2 soon, since it's been about four months since RR1, and then Rave Racer after another four months in February!

It's about time for a new 3D (or more expensive game) next week since the last one was MACH BREAKERS on Sep 3, 2025. Or was any of the games after more expensive than usually?

[AGermanArtist]

I'd quite like Polystars.

[Sweatlord_STG]

I'd quite like Polystars.

I can't say I wouldn't like it.

[Jonpachi]

Taito really did let the Space Invaders franchise rot.

??
1979: Space Invaders Part II
1984: Return of the Invaders
1990: Super Space Invaders 91
1993: Space Invaders DX
1995: Akkanvader

Plus various home releases as well, of course

Case in point. A slew of uninspired retreads that did nothing to advance the brand.

[Lord British]

Taito really did let the Space Invaders franchise rot.

??
1979: Space Invaders Part II
1984: Return of the Invaders
1990: Super Space Invaders 91
1993: Space Invaders DX
1995: Akkanvader

Plus various home releases as well, of course

Case in point. A slew of uninspired retreads that did nothing to advance the brand.

I love Akkanvader, i'm looking forward to its AA release. I thought it was plenty "advanced" for the franchise. What else could you do with it?

[Sumez]

Akkanvader of course was 7 years after Battlantis, so I guess it doesn't really prove anything. But it's a fantastic game IMO

Of course, Taito could have done more to revitalize the brand during the 80s with new ideas, but I also think they didn't need to. For them, it was (and remains) a solid marketable brand due to how massive the game was when it launched in arcades, and they what they needed to keep it alive. But it's not exactly like Taito as a whole were being lax. They produced tons and tons of other amazing arcade games between then and Akkanvader, so it doesn't really feel like they missed any opportunities.

To me, Taito is probably the strongest brand in arcade manufacturing during "the JAMMA years", edging out both Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega.
I recently did a tally of the most represented company in my arcade collection, and the only reason Taito aren't number one is because Neo Geo cartridges used to be so cheap, SNK planted itself pretty strongly at the peak.

[SavagePencil]

This week's release is an obscure SNK title: Joyful Road.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202510/55216

Next week: Taito, I guess.

Munch Mobile! What a weird little game. I always get it confused with IREM's Zippy Race.

Big sprite makes it difficult to maneuver, but mastering the hands is kinda fun. The original arcade had an eight way stick for moving the vehicle and a two way stick for the arms.

[Sweatlord_STG]

Akkanvader of course was 7 years after Battlantis, so I guess it doesn't really prove anything. But it's a fantastic game IMO

Of course, Taito could have done more to revitalize the brand during the 80s with new ideas, but I also think they didn't need to. For them, it was (and remains) a solid marketable brand due to how massive the game was when it launched in arcades, and they what they needed to keep it alive. But it's not exactly like Taito as a whole were being lax. They produced tons and tons of other amazing arcade games between then and Akkanvader, so it doesn't really feel like they missed any opportunities.

To me, Taito is probably the strongest brand in arcade manufacturing during "the JAMMA years", edging out both Capcom, Konami, Namco and Sega.
I recently did a tally of the most represented company in my arcade collection, and the only reason Taito aren't number one is because Neo Geo cartridges used to be so cheap, SNK planted itself pretty strongly at the peak.

did u mean "during the PRE jamma years"?

[BrianC]

Akkanvader of course was 7 years after Battlantis, so I guess it doesn't really prove anything. But it's a fantastic game IMO

and Majestic 12/SSI91 was only 3 years after. It has similarities with the power up system and varied scenarios, but it isn't as brutally hard. It also has a neat bonus stage where you try to prevent UFOs from abducting cows. Taito also had two oddly similar (but different) console updates of SI around the same time (Space Invaders 90/91 on the MD and Space Invaders Plus on the PC Engine).

[Steven]

So Battlantis is out now? Isn't this one of the most ungodly difficult 1-ALLs ever, surpassing even Tatsujin Ou? That sounds horrifying, which means I may have to check it out. I don't even know who made this game, just that it exists and is stupidly difficult.

Is this one of those games that's hard because it's bad like Tatsujin Ou (I really like Tatsujin Ou despite all of the many big problems that it has) or one of those games that's hard but good?

[AGermanArtist]

Very much the latter, but punishes mistakes, requiring accuracy and memorisation to progress. Once enemies have reached you, unless you have a specific weapon, it's a death. I'm getting better at it, so persistence is seemingly rewarded. I'm playing on Easy and even that's unforgiving, to put it politely. Anecdotally, I remember it being the game no-one played on its release, and anyone who did, played a single credit at a time and walked away - myself included. But I did go back and still got boned. You could easily game over on this in 15 secs. I chose to spend the majority of my arcade pocket money on games that were more forgiving and made me feel good about myself. Engagement with Battlantis is an abusive relationship.

[Sumez]

did u mean "during the PRE jamma years"?

No.
Obviously Space Invaders was, but I think Taito's strongest years were by far during the JAMMA dominated era

[Sweatlord_STG]

did u mean "during the PRE jamma years"?

No.
Obviously Space Invaders was, but I think Taito's strongest years were by far during the JAMMA dominated era

https://youtu.be/j95kNwZw8YY?si=u4IpfwWDqObT_ClE

their best games all require a jamma adapter, which makes them pre jamma

[OldSkoolShmuper]

So, Hamster is sponsoring a Bandai Namco live music event in February to celebrate Rave Racer's 30's anniversary. Just gonna state the obvious and say heeeeeeeey, that might mean an Arcade Archives Rave Racer around February-ish.

https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025 ... nniversary

This is such good news! I'm thinking Arcade Archives Rave Racer might be a December release for two reasons. Hamster has been doing really great, much wanted game releases in December for a the last number of years. Also, December is the last month for Rave Racer's 30th anniversary since hit arcades in 1995.

[Sweatlord_STG]

https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/12-psik ... october-31

hope this means they go to hamster

[Jonpachi]

https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/12-psik ... october-31

hope this means they go to hamster

Forget Hamster. M2 baby!

[Sweatlord_STG]

https://www.gematsu.com/2025/10/12-psik ... october-31

hope this means they go to hamster

Forget Hamster. M2 baby!

12 games??? By M2? Their side hustles included, we wouldn't get them before 2050.

[hamfighterx]

This is such good news! I'm thinking Arcade Archives Rave Racer might be a December release for two reasons. Hamster has been doing really great, much wanted game releases in December for a the last number of years. Also, December is the last month for Rave Racer's 30th anniversary since hit arcades in 1995.

Oh, and an extra special one this year... December 25 falls on a Thursday for the first time since AA went weekly! Rave Racer would indeed be a perfect fit! But I'm not gonna cry if I open my present and it's Starblade, Tekken, Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, Air Gallet...

I do always enjoy an excuse to post the list of past Ham-chan AA Christmas gifts, so here it is:

2017 - VS. Super Mario Bros. (12.22.2017)
2018 - Donkey Kong Jr. (12.21.2018) (and bonus - ACA Neo Geo Puzzle Bobble on 12.20.2018 was the first Taito release in the AA/ACA Neo Geo lines!)
2019 - VS. Balloon Fight (12.27.2019)
2020 - Gradius III (12.24.2020)
2021 - Xexex (12.23.3021)
2022 - Bubble Bobble (12.29.2022)
2023 - Mystic Warriors (12.21.2023)
2024 - SDF Macross (12.26.2024)
2025 - ???? (12.25.2024)

hope this means they go to hamster

Forget Hamster. M2 baby!

Neither one is gonna happen, since the delisting is ONLY for the Steam versions. The console versions are not going anywhere, and M2/Hamster generally just publish on console, so...