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

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Namco's Quester is part of a complete breakfast, I mean, this week's title and first 2026 title of this company.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202601/64428

Oh well. Back to playing NebulasRay, Viper Phase 1 and Thunder Fox for another week!

[Sima Tuna]

I saw the name "Quester" and thought it was some early arcade rpg and got excited. Sad trombone.

[D]

Any way that questor can be played with a volume controller or spinner?
Because that is the only way to play

[Lord British]

I saw the name "Quester" and thought it was some early arcade rpg and got excited. Sad trombone.

I think it's the name of the Elf in Gauntlet

[SavagePencil]

Any way that questor can be played with a volume controller or spinner?
Because that is the only way to play

I've got the homebrewed converter for getting the Taito Egret Mini II spinner to talk to the Switch, I can give that a shot.

[BrianC]

Any way that questor can be played with a volume controller or spinner?
Because that is the only way to play

Maybe one that uses the mouse for input. Last few Arcade Archives paddle games are compatible with the mouse.

[it290]

idk if the ports support it but seems like gyro input might be a fairly elegant solution for paddle games as well.

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Taito's Full Throttle/Top Speed is this week's title.
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202602/65062

If you're an OutRun fan, you'll want to give it a try.

[AGermanArtist]

Totally unaware of this one. Looks like a Chase HQ prototype.

[Marc]

Think I've played this one, it's not too bad.

[D]

Full Throttle/Top Speed seems like a rushed panic reaction to Sega's Outrun.
Full Throttle/Top Speed is very unpolished and uninspired.
Played it just a little bit. There is a reason why no one talks about it ever.

[AGermanArtist]

That's the impression I got. Then it seemingly evolved into Chase HQ, which I love.

[D]

That's the impression I got. Then it seemingly evolved into Chase HQ, which I love.

Chase HQ rocks. I remember being bored by Outrun and playing Chase HQ much more. Then as you grow older you see the differences between Out Run and Chase HQ, but as a kid it was Chase HQ for me 100%.

[it290]

As an OutRun megafan, I might pick this one up as I've never played or even heard of it before. I like Chase HQ a lot but I always struggle with taking down the enemy cars in time and I think I'd prefer it as a pure racer.

Also, that sitdown cab is damned cute:

[AGermanArtist]

That's the impression I got. Then it seemingly evolved into Chase HQ, which I love.

Chase HQ rocks. I remember being bored by Outrun and playing Chase HQ much more. Then as you grow older you see the differences between Out Run and Chase HQ, but as a kid it was Chase HQ for me 100%.

I love them both. I could be totally wrong of course. I defer to BassaBassa for an update, but the little turbo icons are the same.

[Bassa-Bassa]

Chase HQ was Hiroyuki Sakou's next game after Full Throttle and did also try to build upon the Out Run formula (with a twist, this time, given the latter's cold reception), if you mean it.

[Atariboy]

Great to finally get a sprite scaling racing game. Spent a lot of time with this one on the Taito Memories II volume that had it.

Hopefully Continental Circus isn't far away.

[Marc]

I must've gotten this mixed up with something else - it's cack.

[Atariboy]

The music is lackluster, but I like it. It plays decent enough, I like the variety of stages, it has some unique things for 1987 like the tunnels, and it does branching paths for some replayability.

It's not a forgotten gem from a bygone age, but if one likes solid but unspectacular arcade racers of the past, this one is somewhere around C+ to B territory.

Anyone that won't settle for a game that's not as good as Outrun can safely save their $8 and wait for Chase H.Q. since this one is your typical clone. Obviously inspired heavily by Outrun but it doesn't live up to its inspiration in any way. But if one can enjoy an average arcade game from the era that perhaps laid the foundation for a true classic, I think there's worse ways to spend $8.

Either way, I'm pleased since I like it and I like that it hopefully represents a beginning to bigger and better things. We got both Pole Positions a couple of years back and of course Ridge Racer from Hamster last year, but everything else in-between for this genre has been unrepresented until now. But hopefully now that the barrier has been broken, we'll start seeing the occasional sprite scaling arcade racer appear on here.

[AGermanArtist]

The Kuri Kinton of racers, perhaps?

I'd like Road Fighter 2/Konami GT. It's a nightmare in MAME with a controller, so maybe Hamster can remedy that.

[Marc]

The music is lackluster, but I like it. It plays decent enough, I like the variety of stages, it has some unique things for 1987 like the tunnels, and it does branching paths for some replayability.

It's not a forgotten gem from a bygone age, but if one likes solid but unspectacular arcade racers of the past, this one is somewhere around C+ to B territory.

Anyone that won't settle for a game that's not as good as Outrun can safely save their $8 and wait for Chase H.Q. since this one is your typical clone. Obviously inspired heavily by Outrun but it doesn't live up to its inspiration in any way. But if one can enjoy an average arcade game from the era that perhaps laid the foundation for a true classic, I think there's worse ways to spend $8.

Either way, I'm pleased since I like it and I like that it hopefully represents a beginning to bigger and better things. We got both Pole Positions a couple of years back and of course Ridge Racer from Hamster last year, but everything else in-between for this genre has been unrepresented until now. But hopefully now that the barrier has been broken, we'll start seeing the occasional sprite scaling arcade racer appear on here.

It's the steering mainly - feels VERY twitchy.

[StrzxgvNuvWvfld]

Came here to say what I think several others seem to be feeling. Top Speed is nothing special, but I'm hopeful this means Chase HQ is on the way!

Anyone know the difference between the PS4 and the PS5 version of this?

[D]

I'm hopeful this means Chase HQ is on the way!

I see no reason why not. It has many ports. Taito may let us wait a minute and let us sweat, before we see it though.

[NeoStrayCat]

Announced in the 2/5/26 Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase...

-Arcade Archives 1 and 2: Rave Racer (out 2/26/26)

New Label: Console Archives (Titles shown...)

-Doraemon
-Sonic Wings Special
-2 Koei Tecmo titles (Nobunaga's Ambition [NES] and Monster Rancher Hop-A-Bout/Monster Farm Jump)
-Cool Boarders
-Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos

-Cool Boarders and Ninja Gaiden II will be out later today (as of post) on Switch 2. PS5 versions out next week (as of post).

[OldSkoolShmuper]

Oh we did it, we made it Rave Racer woooohooooo

[pablumatic]

Finally the Console Archives releases start. We heard about it years ago.

[BIL]

Rave Racer. I was hoping the other day that ACA Galaxian, Gaplus, and Galaga might've set some precedent for non-numbered achronological releases. (that said, I'd love to get ACA Ridge Racer 2; that rear-view mirror is sorely-missed, and RR2's got some killer tunes)

[Sima Tuna]

If we get Console Archives releases of golden age Koei Kou Shibusawa simulation titles, I will be very happy. Uncharted Waters: New Horizons? Genghis Khan: Clan of the Gray Wolf? Nobunaga's Ambition? RotK 4? Could be pretty great.

I don't know what jarpigs will be released for console archives but I wouldn't hold my breath on any of the big names. MAYBE Breath of Fire?

[Jonpachi]

No Kra-Kow! for Console Archives and Rave Racer?

I'd post it, but it feels like sacred ground that only BIL can walk.

[BIL]

Much appreciated!



(non-Imgur ver for brighter future everyone pls enjoy posting big metal b0ners)