Mebius Revives 1993 SFC RPG Bazoo! Magic World for Switch
The revival brings a 33-year-old cult classic to modern hardware at a fraction of its current used market price, while the inclusion of play speed and rewind features directly addresses the original's criticized battle length.
Key Facts
- Bazoo! Magic World releases for Nintendo Switch on November 26, 2026.
- The original Super Famicom version was released in 1993 by Hot B and is considered a premium collector's item, with a complete set priced at 41,000 yen as of 2026.
- The Switch version includes save/load anywhere, screen size settings, a five-level play speed option, and a rewind function.
- The Special Limited Edition costs 11,000 yen and includes a newly illustrated box by Akihiro Yamada, an original soundtrack, and an art book.
- The game is compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.
Reporting from 3 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Automaton, Game Spark.
Mebius announced on August 27 that it will release Bazoo! Magic World, a Super Famicom RPG originally published by Hot B in 1993, for the Nintendo Switch on November 26, 2026. The game, set in the fantasy world of Ialtis, follows a protagonist who learns his deceased father was a renowned sorcerer and embarks on a journey to become a mage. Character design is by Akihiro Yamada, known for the Twelve Kingdoms series and the TV anime RahXephon. The original version was Hot B's final work, released two days after the company's bankruptcy was decided on July 21, 1993. It became a premium collector's item, with used prices for a complete set reaching 41,000 yen as of 2026. The Switch version adds quality-of-life features: save/load anywhere, adjustable screen size, a five-level play speed option, and a rewind function. The download version costs 2,980 yen, the standard physical edition 4,400 yen, and a limited Special Limited Edition at 11,000 yen includes a newly illustrated box, an original soundtrack, and an art book. The game is also compatible with Nintendo Switch 2.
- Music is by Masanori Hikichi and Miyoko Kobayashi, the pair behind the soundtrack for Terranigma, a remake of which is scheduled for current platforms in early 2027.
- Magic comes in eight schools with 64 spells total, learned not through level-ups but by player choice in rituals. Not all can be learned, so each run can build a different protagonist.
- Battle uses a two-screen display with distance between the player and enemies, requiring strategy beyond picking attack commands.
- Movement works in two stages, with separate world and area maps.
- Character creation includes uncommon occupations for an RPG, such as Farmer, Sailor, and Monk, which change the protagonist's knowledge and alter dialogue during events.
- The protagonist starts as a 16-year-old in a small village, entering a magic school to follow his late father, with a shocking development after the story appears to climax.
- Chapter 4 of the original's five chapters was incomplete, a result of Hot B's collapse, but the world view, BGM, and late-story pace drew lasting praise.
- Hot B was founded in 1983 and also made Hoshi wo Miru Hito, Steel Empire, and The Black Bass series; rights to Hoshi wo Miru Hito moved to City Connection in 2016.
- A download of the original soundtrack was distributed in October 2016 via Hot B's Clarice Disk label.
- The copyright line reads (C)STARFISH-SD Inc. and (C)Akihiro Yamada, with development and publishing by Mebius.
- Mebius is based in Mitaka, Tokyo, and is led by president Asako Mori.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.