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

[BrianC]

If they keep up the pattern, I guess Return of the Invaders is next? I wonder what the deal with Midway's Space Invaders 2 was. It's different from Deluxe/Part II but has elements from it like the UFOs that drop invaders and (IIRC) the splitting invaders. Was it made by Midway themselves or commissioned by them and designed by Taito for the US?

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Here's to hoping Rave Racer arrives in January or February.

[Sumez]

This is one of the few situations where I think Hamster could make something really interesting, if they actually forego "accurate emulation" and instead allow the game's graphics to scale at a higher resolution than the arcade does. Since the entire stage gets scaled up and down based on how far the players are from eachother, that *really* impacts visibility when it's zoomed out, with the game's native 240p graphics.

You mean even more zoomed out than it already is? Or just using the full screen 16:9 ratio at the native resolution (for a no-zoom approach)? Does the game really need any of that?

Uh, neither.
I just mean keep the game as it is, zooming logic and aspect ratio wise. But using a higher resolution to keep it from becoming super pixelated and impossible to make out whenever it zooms out.

[m.sniffles.esq]

Was it made by Midway themselves or commissioned by them and designed by Taito for the US?

Taito made it, and yeah, it had color, joystick instead of l/r buttons, splitting invaders, etc

[valziman]

@Sumez, Oh yeah, there are a few games that would be awesome for. Metal Hawk and Assault are a couple that come to mind.

[BrianC]

Was it made by Midway themselves or commissioned by them and designed by Taito for the US?

Taito made it, and yeah, it had color, joystick instead of l/r buttons, splitting invaders, etc

No, I'm talking about the 2 player vs "Space Invaders II" game that Midway released in the US, not "Space Invaders Part II"/"Space Invaders Deluxe". It's a completely different game, yet uses elements from Part II/Deluxe. Telling from Mobygames, it looks like it was developed by Midway themselves.

[SavagePencil]

Was it made by Midway themselves or commissioned by them and designed by Taito for the US?

Taito made it, and yeah, it had color, joystick instead of l/r buttons, splitting invaders, etc

No, I'm talking about the 2 player vs "Space Invaders II" game that Midway released in the US, not "Space Invaders Part II"/"Space Invaders Deluxe". It's a completely different game, yet uses elements from Part II/Deluxe. Telling from Mobygames, it looks like it was developed by Midway themselves.

Wow, had never seen this before!

https://www.arcade-museum.com/Videogame ... nvaders-ii

[m.sniffles.esq]

No, I'm talking about the 2 player vs "Space Invaders II" game that Midway released in the US

OH, the VS cocktail.
I actually thought that was called something else and didn't realize it was just "II" with no "part"
(I swear the few times I saw one of those at auction, they just referred to it as "Midway two-player Space Invaders Cocktail" but perhaps that was so people didn't think it was a "part II" cocktail)

[OldSkoolShmuper]

So look, I know there was The Outfoxies released in December, but the end of 2025 and start of 2026 was totally disappointing for me with two Space Invaders games.

Bring on Raiden II and Rave Racer

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Bring on Raiden II and Rave Racer

Looks like we're not gonna have them this time.
SNK's Touchdown Fever is this week's release.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202601/62658

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Bring on Raiden II and Rave Racer

Looks like we're not gonna have them this time.
SNK's Touchdown Fever is this week's release.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202601/62658

Doh!

[Jonpachi]

Rare that an ACA title is truly awful, but this one is really miserable to play. No audience for this. Seems like a total waste of a slot.

[lastemperorjubei]

So look, I know there was The Outfoxies released in December, but the end of 2025 and start of 2026 was totally disappointing for me with two Space Invaders games.

Bring on Raiden II and Rave Racer

Same for me. But Ridge Racer, MACROSS II and MACH BREAKERS were some big highlights.

[SavagePencil]

Rare that an ACA title is truly awful, but this one is really miserable to play. No audience for this. Seems like a total waste of a slot.

I am curious how the rotary twist + stick is implemented. Not $8 curious, but curious.

[hamfighterx]

So look, I know there was The Outfoxies released in December, but the end of 2025 and start of 2026 was totally disappointing for me with two Space Invaders games.

Just pretend you got Outfoxies on December 25 instead of a week earlier and bam, there's your big end of year/holiday release. A new Namco game that people were requesting for a long time.

I understand that not everyone is going to be enthusiastic about every release, and maybe Space Invaders isn't exciting to some people. But it's not as if it doesn't make perfect sense that Hamster chose THE progenitor of the entire shoot-em-up genre, and one of the most famous arcade games in history, as the big milestone #500 release. Maybe sit that one out if you feel satisfied with other versions or just aren't interested, but I feel like this one should be pretty immune to criticism.

Following it up the very next week with Space Invaders Part II is a little harder to defend. I still get it, Space Invaders is a big enough deal that doing a year end celebration of it that lasts TWO weeks is not exactly an outrageous approach. But yeah, I can see that it could feel like getting something different the next week might be preferable to some people. On the other hand, you're getting both games "out of the way" now, instead of having a dead week in March or whatever for Space Invaders Part II to land then. Yay?

Bring on Raiden II and Rave Racer

Raiden II, hell yeah! I still think everyone on the Rave Racer train is setting themselves up for some mild disappointment lol. It will come eventually, but I doubt it's coming before Ridge Racer 2. Maybe it shows up as the keystone release of a 2026 "Namco month" (like we got in April 2024 and May 2025).

Rare that an ACA title is truly awful, but this one is really miserable to play. No audience for this. Seems like a total waste of a slot.

It's still called "Arcade ARCHIVES", and an archive includes everything. Personally, I appreciate that they are being thorough and including ALL of the games they can from the lineup of original publishers. There's an intrinsic value in striving for as complete of a collection as possible, for historical purposes, preservation, etc. I guess I am the audience for this, so it does exist!

The most interesting things to me about Touchdown Fever are:

1. It's the first pre-Neo Geo SNK title on Arcade Archives that was NOT on the Digital Eclipse developed (sigh) SNK 40th Anniversary Collection. Nice to see any games rescued from that collection being their only modern release, and to see any other older SNK stuff that has not been available outside of emulation and the actual arcade machines.

2. It shows that Hamster is continuing their recent return to releasing SNK games (pre Neo Geo) on Arcade Archives. Those kind of dried up after March 2020, with just Guerilla War dragging behind and getting released on February 25, 2021. Then we didn't see SNK again until 2025 with Chopper I (August 21), Munch Mobile (October 16), and Bermuda Triangle (December 4). Feels like we're back now? With most months last year including one weekly release for each of Konami, Taito, and Namco, I'm interested to see if SNK fits into the additional weeks alongside those three, or maybe we get some shakeups to the typical formula for a while.

3. Whoa, this game uses the rotary LS-30 stick? That's kind of neat. I'd like to check that out, but with Hamster's emulation as opposed to the broken-ass rotary "functionality" that Digital Eclipse provided in that collection (I still think they did that just to infuriate BIL!)

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I recall my local "Tilt!" arcade hangout at the local double-deckered mall hangout had gotten the newest SNK cab of "Touchdown Fever" circa 1987 with it's unique two-screen overall presentation (making it a "wide-body" upright cab as it was). I'd watch folks pop in a quarter and try it out. When it came close to the 1987 Christmas shopping season, all the arcade game cabs and pinball machines would sport a price tag -- so yes, if you had enough $$$$, you could "take home" your favorite arcade game/pinball game (including Touchdown Fever) and enjoy at your leisure in the comfort of your home (or apartment for that matter).

Here's the USA region arcade flyer for it: https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/videogames/show/1175

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BrianC]

Doh!

No, he's in Arkanoid. It's definitely coming to ACA, but it will be a while since it was announced for Taito Milestones 4.

[Atariboy]

Touchdown Fever made it out for SNK Arcade Classics Volume 0 back in 2011 (PSP exclusive since the PS2 companion release got canned). And it got a PSP Minis release for the PSP/PS3 the following year. Those releases aren't so modern these days, but technically it's not this one's first time seeing the light of day officially on a home console/handheld in arcade form.

I want to say that Touchdown Fever II was also slated as a Minis release, but it didn't make it out in the end. I seem to vaguely recall it getting an ESRB rating like Safari Rally did (the latter of which was a victim of SNK pulling the plug on their Minis line even though G1M2 had it ready to go).

Not an exciting release, but there's a lot of pre Neo Geo SNK content that I'd like to see come out. So hopefully this one is a good sign of future things to come. Vanguard and Satan Of Saturn/Zarzon both leap to mind as examples that I'd love to see get the AA treatment, with the latter yet to ever resurface. And any remaining LS30 games that Hamster hasn't gotten to would also be very welcomed. And I know it's old and not an amazing classic, but I still want Safari Rally.

[Lord British]

Cheer up everyone, altogether now!


♪I got Touchdown Fever♪

(♪Touchdown Fever♪)

♪It's driving me crazy♪

(♪driving me crazy♪)

[hamfighterx]

Touchdown Fever made it out for SNK Arcade Classics Volume 0 back in 2011 (PSP exclusive since the PS2 companion release got canned). And it got a PSP Minis release for the PSP/PS3 the following year. Those releases aren't so modern these days, but technically it's not this one's first time seeing the light of day officially on a home console/handheld in arcade form.

Oh damn, good call. I have that somewhere! I remember being confused that they put Vanguard II on there, but not the original. Then I played a truly unnecessary amount of Street Smart, which also got a standalone PSP Mini release XD

[Bassa-Bassa]

This is one of the few situations where I think Hamster could make something really interesting, if they actually forego "accurate emulation" and instead allow the game's graphics to scale at a higher resolution than the arcade does. Since the entire stage gets scaled up and down based on how far the players are from eachother, that *really* impacts visibility when it's zoomed out, with the game's native 240p graphics.

You mean even more zoomed out than it already is? Or just using the full screen 16:9 ratio at the native resolution (for a no-zoom approach)? Does the game really need any of that?

Uh, neither.
I just mean keep the game as it is, zooming logic and aspect ratio wise. But using a higher resolution to keep it from becoming super pixelated and impossible to make out whenever it zooms out.

As in remaking the graphics? For an Arcade Achives title?

I can think of more feasible solutions (though still to really valid for a series about archiving) to get the sprites more discernible (like using proper downsampling/antialising when zooming out, as the sprites have their native resolution at max. zoom in, i.e. no zoom), but in the end it's an aspect tightly tied to the visual filters enabled by the user, isn't it.

[Sumez]

I just mean keep the game as it is, zooming logic and aspect ratio wise. But using a higher resolution to keep it from becoming super pixelated and impossible to make out whenever it zooms out.

As in remaking the graphics? For an Arcade Achives title?

No? Not at all

I'm not really sure how what I'm saying isn't explaining what I mean well enough.
Here's an image downscaled (nearest neighbour) by 50% in the same resolution:


Here's the same image downscaled (nearest neighbour) by 50% in twice the resolution:


The image and graphics are the same, the logic behind it is the same. It's only the way it is ultimately rendered that changes.

If you've played Outfoxies, you'd be able to immediately see why the game would only benefit from something like it, especially the acquarium and circus stages. And it can be done entirely in the emulator, without modifying anything from the game itself.

[Bassa-Bassa]

That example makes zero sense to me. You're downscaling an image which you... upscaled previously? What for? That image's native resolution (and definition) is your latest sample, indeed:

[Sumez]

It makes perfect sense actually.
When you're playing 240p arcade games on a modern system via Arcade Archives, you're also not getting a 240p image sent to your TV. It's also being upscaled. So the situation is the same.


Outfoxies will "downscale" its own graphics when it zooms out the view of the scene, but since the arcade hardware is designed to output *actual* 240p video, it loses a lot of detail when it does that. An emulator doesn't have to do that because it actually has a much larger native resolution to work with. In my example, that was a 480p resolution which would already be a massive improvement, but something like Arcade Archives could do it even smoother.


Did you play Outfoxies? Maybe it makes more sense to you if you've tried the game. But I really think this concept should be extremely simple to understand

[AGermanArtist]

Bombjack Twin
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202601/63132

[Marc]

Excellent! Didn't know it was an NMK game though.

[Lord British]

Nice!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I recall when fellow ex-shmupper oxtsu was posting here regularly on Shmups.com back in the day, he'd sing the virtues of getting ahold of a real NMK jamma pcb of Bombjack Twin and really enjoying it for what it provides the player.

It'd be nice to see what the hype is all about with the up coming ACA release of Bombjack Twin despite hearing good things about it and have never played it.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[BIL]

Oh hell yes. Another Sabotenesque feat by ham-chans. Where muh Valtric btw ;3

[OldSkoolShmuper]

The first time I'd ever heard of this series was Electronic Gaming Monthly's Quartermann mentioning a SUPER MIGHTY BOMB JACK in the Gaming Gossip column of EGM #4, November 1989.



But I had no idea because my attention was all on Ghouls 'N Ghosts for Genesis which graced that issue's cover


And no, Omega Fighter never made it to either the Mega Drive nor the PC-Engine!