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

[SavagePencil]

I'd rather play this type of game with a mouse, but I wonder if the Egret II mini spinner works with it.

On the Switch at least, you will require an adaptor to get the spinner to work ( I used https://fareastpinball.booth.pm/items/4853119 ). I haven't tried it with Arkanoid specifically but it works for the recent Pop n' Bounce.

[Serge.EXE]

Just checked, on the Switch 2 it has Joy Con Mouse and USB Mouse support. Pretty worthy pickup as a result if you ask me.

[BrianC]

I'd rather play this type of game with a mouse

I know that you really don't rather play with a mouse unless you have some kind of handicap. Sounds like you never experienced a (good working) spinner or volume controller. Trust me. It is bliss.

I love paddles and spinners, but I personally found the mouse (especially modern mice which can be adjusted) to be a good substitute. The volume controller is a potentiometer-based paddle, just like the Vaus controller.

[hamfighterx]

I'd rather play this type of game with a mouse, but I wonder if the Egret II mini spinner works with it.

On the Switch at least, you will require an adaptor to get the spinner to work ( I used https://fareastpinball.booth.pm/items/4853119 ). I haven't tried it with Arkanoid specifically but it works for the recent Pop n' Bounce.

I can now confirm, that Far East Pinball adapter does indeed work with the Egret II mini spinner/trackball on Arkanoid on Switch, for both the Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 releases. Just been playing it and it's fantastic.

Joycon mouse mode support on S2 is pretty cool too, I like that addition.

[To Far Away Times]

I was thinking about it and I have one of those computer mice where you can click a button and the scroll wheel will no longer have any friction. I feel like that might actually be a really cool way to play ball and paddle games.

[utsunderthesky]

I’m guessing Cameltry will be the next Taito AA release. It also had no leaderboards on the Taito Milestones 4 release. Maybe Sylveon was the same? Did that get a AA release yet?

[hamfighterx]

Cameltry and Sylvalion are the only two games on Taito Milestones 4 that have yet to see a standalone Arcade Archives release, so those are likely coming soon. My trackball is ready.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I was thinking about it and I have one of those computer mice where you can click a button and the scroll wheel will no longer have any friction. I feel like that might actually be a really cool way to play ball and paddle games.

On the Switch ACA1 port of Pop 'N Bounce, it's not possible to use the mouse's scrolling wheel apparatus to control your playable character sprite and therefore, will not be possible with the Switch ACA1 port of Arkanoid either (even though it does say "Mouse support" for Player 1 only is available and not with Player 2). It's by moving the actual mouse's overall outer base in either the left and right direction, that controls your Vaus character.

----------
If you have a Tornado USB 2.0 arcade rotary spinner setup (with a properly balanced and weighted fly-wheel + two fully sealed ball bearings pre-mounted for that unmistakable silky-smooth spinning action -- is using a dedicated rotary "optical encoder" based interface): https://tornadospinner.com/product/tornado-spinner/ -- it's akin to the original Atari Inc. produced Tempest arcade rotary spinner controls with a frictionless ball-bearing equipped optical-encoder interface as well.

It'll work just fine with a Switch 1 in docked mode if the arcade controller mode is enabled and set to "Paddle" configuration. By further adjusting and "fine tuning" the mouse speed and sensitivity parameters so that it's dialed-in "control-wise," it'll work with the Tornado arcade spinner as originally intended. Easy as pie.
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[PC Engine Fan X!]

As it is, the Switch ACA1 port of Arkanoid supports tate mode so it's doable to utilize Retro Frog's Switch-based RoTATE Stand accessory if playing it in tate.

On stage 1, if you grab the grey-colored power-up, it'll net you an extra life -- so yes, it's possible to score an extra 1up even on the very first stage indeed.

----------
If you slightly cross your eyes on Round 1 of Arkanoid, the static background becomes 3-D like that of those old-school "Magic Eye" books from the mid-1990s era -- gives Arkanoid a slight 3D effect without the need for a pair of 3D glasses, especially if played on an Oled-based Switch setup. How cool is that?
----------

On the USA region Arkanoid jamma conversion pcb kits that Romstar Incorporated arcade subsidiary sold in the USA, it did include an all-English instruction card with all the various colored power-up items and what their functionality was in-game (unlike the original Japanese instruction card supplied with an Arkanoid pcb kit with it's less than stellar overall presentation supplied through Taito of Japan parent arcade company/manufacturer).

Here's a complete Taito Arkanoid pcb kit with original arcade rotary spinner controller + rare all-English instruction card as well: https://www.ebay.com/itm/267066461527?_ ... R6CyqLPCZw

And here's a bigger all-English Arkanoid marquee + instruction card listed here as well: https://www.ebay.com/itm/397059569157?_ ... R6KyqLPCZw

And here's a dedicated original Taito Arkanoid arcade rotary spinner controller by itself (it's actually an optical-based rotary encoder wheel interface with the proper gearing mechanism to enable it to work + supplied screw would need to be replaced with the correct sized Allen screw as to not interfere with gameplay during a serious gaming session of Arkanoid): https://www.ebay.com/itm/137229643433?_ ... R6KyqLPCZw

----------
There are a grand total of seven different colored power-up capsules to catch and are listed as follows (taken from the USA Arkanoid instruction card itself):

Orange (S) - "Speed" -- Speed down slows Energy Ball

Green (C) - "Catch" -- Catches the Energy Ball and shoot when you want to

Blue (E) - "Expand" -- Expands the Vaus

Aqua (D) - "Disruption" -- Splits the Energy Ball into three particles

Red (L) - "Laser" -- Enables the Vaus to fire laser beams

Pink (B) - "Break" -- Allows the player to break off the present playfield into the next one through the exit on the right!

Grey (P) - "Player" -- Gains an extra Vaus
----------

Yes, it would've been nice if Hamster had included the American Arkanoid instruction card for completeness but did not do so.

----------
Apparently upon closer inspection of the USA region Arkanoid arcade pcb itself, it's not a standard jamma pcb by itself and will require a dedicated "Taito to Jamma" adapter to run properly on a jamma based candy cab or portable supergun setup here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/224319074668?_ ... R6LalbvCZw

Romstar Inc. (based out of Torrance, California -- SoCal territory as usual) was the licensed American arcade distributor of the Taito manufactured Arkanoid arcade pcb conversion kits back in 1986-1987. Romstar Inc. were the ones whom handled the USA distribtion/sales of Capcom's HyperDyne Sidearms jamma arcade pcb conversion kits back in the Spring of 1987 also.

Here's a Taito/Romstar Arkanoid pcb + you gain access to test mode via dipswitch settings + overall "monophonic" volume presentation is handled with a single volume pot trim directly on the pcb itself: https://www.ebay.com/itm/177222949911?_ ... R6CyqLPCZw

Again, Romstar Inc. did handle both sales and distribution of the standard jamma pcb kit release of the 1987 sequel of Arkanoid 2- Revenge of Doh and licensed from Taito of America Corporation the following year after the initial Arkanoid pcb release stateside back in 1986. Here's a original Romstar instruction manual: https://www.ebay.com/itm/168192226096?_ ... R6SyqLPCZw that's being sold by Bill Burger (aka current eBay seller gameboardsOC) himself.

Interestingly, the Arkanoid 2 sequel has a grand total of 34 Rounds to test your mettle at.

The real question next is, will Hamster do a proper follow-up of Arkanoid 2 sequel as ACA1 and ACA2 ports down the road?
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Sturmvogel Prime]

Before UPL (Universal Play Land) there was Universal Entertainment (Not to be confused with Universal Studios).
This time presenting Arcade Archives: Mr. Do!
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202605/74666

[Marc]

Fucking yes!

[utsunderthesky]

Mr ｄｏ　ｈａｓ　ｓｏｍｅ　ｏｆ　ｔｈｅ　ｍｏｓｔ　ｓａｔｉｓｆｙｉｎｇ　ｓｏｕｎｄ　ｄｅｓｉｇｎ　ｉｎ　ａｎ　ｅａｒｌｙ　ｇａｍｅ

[Marc]

Can't find the bugger, they're usually up by now?

[Daytime Waitress]

Can't find the bugger, they're usually up by now?

It's not due to drop til the 15th, bud.
(Typically 7pm JST on the day of, not sure how that shakes out in different territories, though)

[Marc]

Oh they moved dates? Whatever comes on the UK store on a Thursday is normally on the JPN store on Wed.

[Daytime Waitress]

Oh they moved dates? Whatever comes on the UK store on a Thursday is normally on the JPN store on Wed.

Releases were Thursday 7pm here in Japan for the longest time, IIRC, but maybe it's been shifted around recently?

[Jucksalbe]

Depends on which console you are talking about. On the Switch eShop they (almost) always released Thursday at midnight in Japan. So I guess it'll be Friday midnight this time (so in a few hours).

[Marc]

On the Switch, last time I bought on release, they used to be on the JPN Eshop on Wed evening, UK one Thu.

[Klatrymadon]

Yeah, I always miss the day-one caravan mode fun because I can only get around to them on the Thursday!

[hamfighterx]

Depends on which console you are talking about. On the Switch eShop they (almost) always released Thursday at midnight in Japan. So I guess it'll be Friday midnight this time (so in a few hours).

Mr. Do appears to just be one of the weird non-Thursday AA releases in North America. It's dated May 15 (Friday) for both the PSN and Switch versions, both on Hamster's site and the actual game pages in the Japanese console stores on both systems (where the game is currently available already). And Hamster lists US pricing too, so seems like it's coming soon and it *should* show up Friday morning on Switch in North America. Earlier on PS, I don't usually get them on that system so not quite as familiar with timing, but IIRC I will usually see the weekly Thursday release show up some time on Wednesday p.m. for PS in the US.

Switch North America eShop I'm very familiar with. It has its major weekly update at 9am Pacific/Noon eastern on Thursdays, which almost always includes that week's Arcade Archives release. That's been consistent back to 2017, with only rare exceptions for the handful of games that don't release in the region, rare incidents of isolated delays/submission issues, OR a small handful of games that intentionally released on a different day of the week - such as Nintendo's arcade titles, which all launched on Fridays.

Normally, not seeing an AA release up on NA Switch & PS by this time would make me very nervous that it might not get a regional release, especially for a game with notoriously tricky licensing issues. But then I noticed the dates so I expect this one will arrive, just fashionably late. For comparison, the last two AA releases, Arkanoid and Cyber Commando, were indeed dated Thursday, May 7 and Thursday, April 30 on their JPN and NA Switch releases.

Oh, and I see that Console Archives Master of Monsters did release today, so Hamster is not just MIA on the submission front.

TL;DR - give it one more day. NA version of Mr. Do is probably going to be up tomorrow, Japanese versions are already available now.

[Jucksalbe]

Got Mr. Do from the JP eShop. It has three different versions (helpfully named "oldest", "old" and "new"). I'm not all that familiar with this game, but at the very least the "oldest" version has a completely different sprite for the player character and no extra monsters when you collect the cake. I made the mistake to play this game with my headphones on. Not a great idea.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, Universal Entertainment had an American arcade subsidiary that released Mr. Do stateside back in 1982 -- this was the same year that Atari Inc./Namco had released Dig Dug in the American arcades as well.

Sure, I used to watch the more skilled players hone their craft at playing Mr. Do and scoring all the letters to spell out "E X T R A" to earn an extra life/1up. With the same premise of creating your own maze like that of Dig Dug, it was a matter of using your own custom-made mazes to take advantage, scoring-wise, with Mr. Do's snowball weapon. On the higher stages, the enemy sprites moved faster and faster as well.

There were Mr. Do arcade game sequels by the name of "Mr. Do's Castle" and "Mr. Do's Wild Ride" released in the American arcades to consider also -- to the tune of a quarter/token per credit at the better and well-stocked arcade joints or placed out on a "street location" by a local arcade operator on their routes (the usual businesses like the local mom 'n' pop stores, liquor marts, 7-11's, pizza joints like Pizza Hut - Shakely's - Round Table Pizza, grocery stores, donut shops, etc).

----------
On some Atari Inc./Namco Dig Dug upright & cocktail-table variant cabs that were prevalent in the arcades stateside, I'd see the "Continue" screen pop-up and if you inserted another credit, you could continue where you last died on your last life -- is regarded as one of the earliest examples of being able to continue with a popular arcade game title at that point in time for 1982 (same goes for with Bally Midway's Tron arcade game as you could continue as well if the arcade operator chose to allow continues to do so). So to continue on a first-run arcade game cab was the newness and innovative idea to allow the arcade gamer another chance to continue at the expense of using another quarter/token during the "Golden Age of Arcades" era -- the early 1980s.

If you checked out the local Chuckie E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater joints back in 1982, in the same room that hosted Chuckie E. Cheese and Gang animatronic shows, in the backside portion of the very same room would be dedicated booths with seating to accommodate a single cocktail-table arcade cab including Atari Inc./Namco's Dig Dug presented in that peculiar format was quite something different for a change of pace indeed -- eventually all that wasted space to accommodate such cocktail-table styled arcade cabs were scrapped and put to better use with more ample seating and eating tables for paying customers to watch the CEC animatronic shows instead.

Come to think of it, the very first CEC joint was at the Frontier Town shopping center located across the street from the world-famous Winchester Mystery Mansion in San Jose, California, back in 1976 -- it was the very same exact site of the hosted 1999 California Extreme show as well. Just being inside the former original CEC joint was unbelievably huge and jaw-dropping. Of course, Williams had brought in two prototype Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball 2000 machines set on "Free Play" for everyone to try out + they were both on sale for a mere $4,200 usd each!
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[SavagePencil]

Yes, Universal Entertainment had an American arcade subsidiary that released Mr. Do stateside back in 1982 -- this was the same year that Atari Inc./Namco had released Dig Dug in the American arcades as well.

Sure, I used to watch the more skilled players hone their craft at playing Mr. Do and scoring all the letters to spell out "E X T R A" to earn an extra life/1up. With the same premise of creating your own maze like that of Dig Dug, it was a matter of using your own custom-made mazes to take advantage, scoring-wise, with Mr. Do's snowball weapon. On the higher stages, the enemy sprites moved faster and faster as well.

There were Mr. Do arcade game sequels by the name of "Mr. Do's Castle" and "Mr. Do's Wild Ride" released in the American arcades to consider also -- to the tune of a quarter/token per credit at the better and well-stocked arcade joints or placed out on a "street location" by a local arcade operator on their routes (the usual businesses like the local mom 'n' pop stores, liquor marts, 7-11's, pizza joints like Pizza Hut - Shakely's - Round Table Pizza, grocery stores, donut shops, etc).

----------
On some Atari Inc./Namco Dig Dug upright & cocktail-table variant cabs that were prevalent in the arcades stateside, I'd see the "Continue" screen pop-up and if you inserted another credit, you could continue where you last died on your last life -- is regarded as one of the earliest examples of being able to continue with a popular arcade game title at that point in time for 1982 (same goes for with Bally Midway's Tron arcade game as you could continue as well if the arcade operator chose to allow continues to do so). So to continue on a first-run arcade game cab was the newness and innovative idea to allow the arcade gamer another chance to continue at the expense of using another quarter/token during the "Golden Age of Arcades" era -- the early 1980s.

If you checked out the local Chuckie E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater joints back in 1982, in the same room that hosted Chuckie E. Cheese and Gang animatronic shows, in the backside portion of the very same room would be dedicated booths with seating to accommodate a single cocktail-table arcade cab including Atari Inc./Namco's Dig Dug presented in that peculiar format was quite something different for a change of pace indeed -- eventually all that wasted space to accommodate such cocktail-table styled arcade cabs were scrapped and put to better use with more ample seating and eating tables for paying customers to watch the CEC animatronic shows instead.

Come to think of it, the very first CEC joint was at the Frontier Town shopping center located across the street from the world-famous Winchester Mystery Mansion in San Jose, California, back in 1976 -- it was the very same exact site of the hosted 1999 California Extreme show as well. Just being inside the former original CEC joint was unbelievably huge and jaw-dropping. Of course, Williams had brought in two prototype Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball 2000 machines set on "Free Play" for everyone to try out + they were both on sale for a mere $4,200 usd each!
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Nothing gets kids more excited than rats + pizza

Was the continue feature in the original JP release of Dig-Dug? Or was that a US customization?

Mr. Do's Castle is great; instead of making your own maze you're making your own paths by pushing ladders about and murdering unicorns. Feels a little Lode Runner/Space Panic-y. The ColecoVision was my first exposure to it and I really dug it.

Mr. Do's Wild Ride was just too chaotic and I never could get into it.

[Marc]

I hope we get Do Run Run. I love that game, it's insanely addictive.

[NightBeast]

Mr. Do is still not listed on the U.S. Switch eShop. Hopefully this one isn’t skipping the U.S.

[Jucksalbe]

It's not up on the website, but if you use the shop from your console, it should be there.

[AGermanArtist]

I remember this thing when it was new. You could not escape its audio in arcades back then.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Yes, Universal Entertainment had an American arcade subsidiary that released Mr. Do stateside back in 1982 -- this was the same year that Atari Inc./Namco had released Dig Dug in the American arcades as well.

Sure, I used to watch the more skilled players hone their craft at playing Mr. Do and scoring all the letters to spell out "E X T R A" to earn an extra life/1up. With the same premise of creating your own maze like that of Dig Dug, it was a matter of using your own custom-made mazes to take advantage, scoring-wise, with Mr. Do's snowball weapon. On the higher stages, the enemy sprites moved faster and faster as well.

There were Mr. Do arcade game sequels by the name of "Mr. Do's Castle" and "Mr. Do's Wild Ride" released in the American arcades to consider also -- to the tune of a quarter/token per credit at the better and well-stocked arcade joints or placed out on a "street location" by a local arcade operator on their routes (the usual businesses like the local mom 'n' pop stores, liquor marts, 7-11's, pizza joints like Pizza Hut - Shakely's - Round Table Pizza, grocery stores, donut shops, etc).

----------
On some Atari Inc./Namco Dig Dug upright & cocktail-table variant cabs that were prevalent in the arcades stateside, I'd see the "Continue" screen pop-up and if you inserted another credit, you could continue where you last died on your last life -- is regarded as one of the earliest examples of being able to continue with a popular arcade game title at that point in time for 1982 (same goes for with Bally Midway's Tron arcade game as you could continue as well if the arcade operator chose to allow continues to do so). So to continue on a first-run arcade game cab was the newness and innovative idea to allow the arcade gamer another chance to continue at the expense of using another quarter/token during the "Golden Age of Arcades" era -- the early 1980s.

If you checked out the local Chuckie E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theater joints back in 1982, in the same room that hosted Chuckie E. Cheese and Gang animatronic shows, in the backside portion of the very same room would be dedicated booths with seating to accommodate a single cocktail-table arcade cab including Atari Inc./Namco's Dig Dug presented in that peculiar format was quite something different for a change of pace indeed -- eventually all that wasted space to accommodate such cocktail-table styled arcade cabs were scrapped and put to better use with more ample seating and eating tables for paying customers to watch the CEC animatronic shows instead.

Come to think of it, the very first CEC joint was at the Frontier Town shopping center located across the street from the world-famous Winchester Mystery Mansion in San Jose, California, back in 1976 -- it was the very same exact site of the hosted 1999 California Extreme show as well. Just being inside the former original CEC joint was unbelievably huge and jaw-dropping. Of course, Williams had brought in two prototype Star Wars Episode 1 Pinball 2000 machines set on "Free Play" for everyone to try out + they were both on sale for a mere $4,200 usd each!
----------

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

Nothing gets kids more excited than rats + pizza

Was the continue feature in the original JP release of Dig-Dug? Or was that a US customization?

Mr. Do's Castle is great; instead of making your own maze you're making your own paths by pushing ladders about and murdering unicorns. Feels a little Lode Runner/Space Panic-y. The ColecoVision was my first exposure to it and I really dug it.

Mr. Do's Wild Ride was just too chaotic and I never could get into it.

For SavagePencil,

I'm not sure if the "Continue" feature was on the original Namco Dig Dug pcb but it was definitely an option that was activated by the arcade operator via dip switch setting on the American Atari Inc./Namco released version of Dig Dug pcb.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Carmen]

So, after having a sudden knack that led me to buying Psycho Soldier of all things, I was booting up some old Arcade Archives games. I distinctly remember that around Burning Force and Numan Athletics, the ACA games no longer saved high scores (I'm not referring to the online leaderboards, I mean the high score tables within the game itself). I remember that was the case as well with the Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection, leading me to have to create and load save states just to keep my scores. However, I'm checking now and not only are they saving scores, but also all my previous scores are displaying as well? Am I misremembering things? Or am I just losing my memory as I'm not getting any younger? Anyway, not that I'm complaining, but I'm just confused.

EDIT: I am on PS4, not Switch, if that makes a difference.

[charlie chong]

namco sale 30% off 15 games till 27th may
Vs. Battle City
Splatterhouse
Phelios
Galaga
Metal Hawk
Galaxian
Baraduke
The Tower of Druaga
Rolling Thunder
Dragon Spirit
New Rally-
Super Pac-Man
Mappy
The Genji & The Heike Clans
Pac-Man

https://www.arcadearchives.com/en/topics/19401/
probably going to grab baraduke for definite maybe dragon spirit and phelios but not really big fan of those.