Wednesday, 11 November 2026

Anime, manga, and games, with a take · A Yukimedia publication

← all stories

Hamster

Hamster is running two reissue lines at once: Arcade Archives for PS4 and Switch, and Arcade Archives 2 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2, with a 330 yen owner discount moving buyers between them. Its Console Archives line has moved onto Switch 2 and PS5 with a steady cadence of home console reissues.

Synthesized from 20 Yomimono stories · updated 6h ago

Hamster's catalog work now splits across two storefront tiers. Arcade Archives releases arrive on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch at 837 and 838 yen, while Arcade Archives 2 versions ship the same day on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 at 1,100 yen. Owners of the older version can buy the newer one for 330 yen. That structure held through the summer and fall of 2026, from The Hustler in June through Exzesus in November, and it covers titles from Konami, Taito, SNK, Data East, Technos Japan, Seta, and Tecmo.

The Console Archives line, which reissues home console games rather than arcade boards, has settled on Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. Its releases run from Bokosuka Wars in June through Oda Nobunaga Den in November, with prices of 800, 1,200, or 1,500 yen depending on the title. Hamster has used the line for Koei strategy games (Nobunaga's Ambition: National Edition in March, Sengoku Gunyuuden in September, Oda Nobunaga Den in November), for Nippon Ichi Software's Marchen Kingdom: The Puppet Princess, and for Love-de-Lic's UFO -A Day in the Life-. The standard feature set is button and screen customization plus save and load anywhere, with CRT-style filters on some releases.

Most Arcade Archives titles launch on five platforms at once. Arcade Archives 2 adds Time Attack Mode alongside Original, Hi Score, and Caravan modes, and supports VRR. The line has also drawn on older hardware: TX-1 from Tatsumi Electronics in July, and Prehistoric Isle from SNK in October, where the PS5 owner's discount is 330 yen.

One release left a discrepancy unresolved. Raiden Project shipped on October 22 with the Japanese version only, and reports split on whether the in-game text is English or Japanese. Hamster has not addressed the conflict in the coverage.

Key facts

Latest Arcade Archives 2 release
Arcade Archives 2 Exzesus launches November 5, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 at 1,100 yen each, alongside PS4 and Switch versions at 837 and 838 yen. ↗
Latest Console Archives release
Console Archives: Oda Nobunaga Den arrives November 12, 2026 on Switch 2 and PS5 for 1,200 yen. ↗
Owner discount
Owners of the PS4 or Switch version of a title can buy the PS5 or Switch 2 version for 330 yen. ↗
Arcade Archives 2 feature set
Arcade Archives 2 adds Time Attack Mode alongside Original, Hi Score, and Caravan modes, and supports VRR. ↗
Console Archives platforms
Console Archives releases ship on Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. ↗
Console Archives features
The line adds button and screen customization plus save and load anywhere. ↗
Raiden Project contents
Console Archives Raiden Project bundles Raiden and Raiden II, includes the Japanese version only, and costs 1,200 yen. ↗
Nippon Ichi title
Marchen Kingdom: The Puppet Princess is the first Nippon Ichi Software title in Console Archives, priced at 1,500 yen. ↗
Tatsumi title
TX-1 is the first Tatsumi Electronics title in the Arcade Archives series. ↗

Timeline

Written with AI from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself sourced. See our editorial policy. Every fact links the story it came from.

Facts

Announced
will release Arcade Archives Tokushu Butai U.A.G. and Arcade Archives 2 Tokushu Butai U.A.G. on October 15, 2026 (October 14) · 2026-10-14
Announced
Crazy Climber Console Archives release date of September 17 · 2026-09-16
Announced
the release · 2026-09-09
Announced
release of Arkanoid Revenge of DOH through Arcade Archives on September 3 · 2026-09-02
Noted
Anyone who already owns the Switch or PS4 version can buy the Switch 2 or PS5 version for 330 yen each. · 2026-09-02
Noted
The official Arcade Archiver program airs September 3 at 19:00 with original developer Tsukano and Taito staff. · 2026-09-02
Noted
Hamster is selling the Switch 2 and PS5 versions as a separate 1,100 yen product with a 330 yen owner discount, a sign that the Arcade Archives 2 tier is positioned as a paid upgrade rather than a free carryover for existing buyers. · 2026-09-02

Connections

Produces
Console Archives Oda Nobunaga Den, Arcade Archives Prehistoric Isle, Raiden Project, U A G Special Forces, U A G, Fighting Golf, Crazy Climber, Nobunaga's Ambition Sengoku Gunyuuden, Pinball Action, Bokosuka Wars, Beach Volley V Ball, Ufo A Day In The Life

Structured graph also available as JSON at /public/entities/hamster. CC BY 4.0.

All coverage

6h ago

Console Archives: Oda Nobunaga Den Hits Switch 2 and PS5 on November 12

Hamster will release Console Archives: Oda Nobunaga Den on November 12, 2026 for 1200 yen (tax included). The reissue covers Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5, according to the announcement Hamster made on November 11. The original Oda Nobunaga Den shipped in 1998 from Koei, now Koei Tecmo Games, on 32-bit home consoles. It is a simulation RPG that follows the Sengoku warlord Oda Nobunaga through battles drawn from history: the Battle of Okehazama, the capture of Inabayama Castle, and the Battle of Nagashino. Players read the battlefield and issue orders to allied units. Strategy choices and battle results branch the story away from the historical record, and the game asks whether Nobunaga can survive the Honnoji Incident and end the Sengoku era. The cast totals 22 major characters, spanning the Oda clan, warlords from other provinces, and cultural figures.

Nov 4

Hamster Brings Arcade Archives Exzesus To PS4 And Switch On November 5

Hamster will release Arcade Archives Exzesus for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on November 5. The PS4 version costs 837 yen and the Switch version 838 yen. Arcade Archives 2 Exzesus also launches the same day on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 at 1,100 yen each. The original Exzesus is a 1987 Taito shooting game.

Oct 28

Hamster Releases SNK's Prehistoric Isle on October 29 via Arcade Archives

Hamster announced on October 28, 2026 that SNK's 1989 shooting game Prehistoric Isle will be released on October 29, 2026 as both Arcade Archives Prehistoric Isle and Arcade Archives 2 Prehistoric Isle. The Switch and PlayStation 4 versions cost 838 yen and 837 yen with tax included. Arcade Archives 2, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, costs 1,100 yen on each platform. Anyone who already owns the PS4 version can buy the PS5 version at an owner's discount of 330 yen. In the game, a pilot flies to Green Hell Island to investigate a string of shipwreck incidents off the Bahamas and finds ancient dragons thought to be extinct attacking in waves. The option craft attached to the player's ship can be repositioned, and the attachment position decides one of five attacks, among them a flame laser fired upward and bombs dropped diagonally downward. Both versions support one to two players. The Arcade Archives 2 release adds Time Attack Mode alongside Original Mode, Hi Score Mode and Caravan Mode, and supports VRR for behaviour closer to the arcade original.

Oct 21

Hamster Brings Raiden Project To Switch 2 And PS5 On October 22

Hamster will release Console Archives Raiden Project for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on October 22, priced at 1,200 yen. The collection bundles Seibu Kaihatsu's Raiden and Raiden II, the 1995 compilation originally made for 32-bit home consoles, in a single package with one to two player support. Players fly the super-high-altitude bomber Raiden through vertical-scrolling stages, using shots, bombs, and item-based shot switching against fast enemy fire. Hamster's Console Archives line reissues home console titles for current hardware with button and screen customization plus save and load anywhere. The included software is the Japanese version only; the overseas version is not part of the package, and ASCII.jp lists the in-game text as English only while 4Gamer states the text is Japanese only, a discrepancy the sources leave unresolved. Game Spark notes that the original arcade Raiden is also available on PS4 and Switch through the separate Arcade Archives series.

Oct 14

Arcade Archives Adds Seta's U.A.G. With Five-Platform Launch

Hamster will release "Arcade Archives Tokushu Butai U.A.G." and "Arcade Archives 2 Tokushu Butai U.A.G." on October 15, 2026, the company announced on October 14. The Arcade Archives version covers PlayStation 4 at 837 yen and Nintendo Switch at 838 yen, both tax included. Arcade Archives 2 covers Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S at 1,100 yen each, tax included. Owners of the Switch or PS4 release can buy the Switch 2 or PS5 edition at 330 yen, tax included. The game is a shooting title Seta released in 1987. The player rides a machine gun-equipped bike toward an enemy base fortress. Destroying structures such as towers makes sidecars with cannons appear as power-ups. Sidecar types differ, including ones with longer bullet range and ones that fire only horizontally. The Arcade Archives release includes difficulty and screen settings, rewind, rapid fire, and multiple save slots. Arcade Archives 2 adds Time Attack Mode and supports VRR. A livestream, the "Tokushu Butai U.A.G. Special," is scheduled from 19:00 on release day.

Oct 14

Hamster Sets October 15 Release for Seta Shooter Special Forces U.A.G.

Hamster will release Arcade Archives Special Forces U.A.G. for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on October 15, priced at 837 yen for PS4 and 838 yen for Switch. The same day brings Arcade Archives 2 Special Forces U.A.G. for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 at 1,100 yen, with a 330 yen owner discount for those who already bought the PS4 or Switch version.

Oct 7

Hamster to Release SNK's Fighting Golf on Arcade Archives October 8

Hamster Corporation will release the 1988 SNK golf game Fighting Golf on October 8, 2026 across two Arcade Archives lines. Arcade Archives Fighting Golf arrives on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, priced at 838 yen and 837 yen respectively. Arcade Archives 2 Fighting Golf arrives on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S at 1,100 yen each. The port keeps the original's structure: players pick one of four characters with different driving distance and accuracy traits, then play 18 holes that include three types of rough, two types of bunkers, ocean, rivers, and woods. Advice appears before each hole, and the game selects the best club automatically based on the distance to the pin. The Arcade Archives release carries difficulty and screen settings, rewind, rapid fire, multiple save slots, and online rankings. Arcade Archives 2 adds Time Attack Mode on top of Original, High Score, and Caravan modes, and supports VRR. Owners of the PS4 version can buy the PS5 version at the 330 yen owner discount price.

Sep 16

Hamster Brings Crazy Climber To Switch 2 And PS5 On September 17

Hamster will release Console Archives Crazy Climber for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 on September 17, priced at 800 yen. The publisher announced the date on September 16. Crazy Climber is an action game Nichibutsu released in 1986 for 8-bit home consoles. Players scale a skyscraper while avoiding falling objects and obstacles that include Obstructors, iron balls, and gorillas, and clear the game by reaching the rooftop. The Console Archives version adds save and load anywhere, plus button and screen customization. Only the Japanese version of the main game is included, and the in-game text is in English only. The release is a single-player title and the newest addition to the Console Archives line. Hamster produces the Console Archives series.

Sep 9

Console Archives Nobunaga's Ambition: Sengoku Gunyuuden Launches September 10

Hamster will release Console Archives Nobunaga's Ambition: Sengoku Gunyuuden on September 10 for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. The download costs 800 yen and supports one to four players. The game is a re-release of the 1990 Koei 8-bit simulation war game, the third entry in the Nobunaga's Ambition series. The player takes the role of a feudal lord and works to unify all 38 provinces, including Kanto and Chubu, by commanding warlords through war and diplomacy. The re-release builds on the previous game, Nobunaga's Ambition: National Edition, and adds a two-scenario multi-scenario system, field battles and siege battles on HEX maps, and roughly 400 real warlords. Hamster announced the release on September 9. The title is the second Nobunaga's Ambition game in the Console Archives line, following National Edition, which arrived on March 5. The Console Archives series reproduces classic console games on current hardware with features such as button and screen customization and save and load anywhere.

Sep 9

Data East Classic Karnov Joins Arcade Archives September 10

Hamster will release Karnov, Data East's 1987 action game, on Arcade Archives for Nintendo Switch and PS4, and on Arcade Archives 2 for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S starting September 10. The game tasks players with defeating the Dark Emperor and recovering treasure.

Sep 2

Arcade Archives Arkanoid Revenge of DOH Launches September 3

Hamster announced on September 2 that Arkanoid Revenge of DOH, the 1987 Taito sequel to the block-breaker Arkanoid, will be released through the Arcade Archives line on September 3. The game arrives on five platforms at once. Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 get the standard Arcade Archives release, while Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S get the Arcade Archives 2 version. Prices are 838 yen on Switch, 837 yen on PS4, and 1,100 yen each for the Arcade Archives 2 editions. Anyone who already owns the Switch or PS4 version can buy the Switch 2 or PS5 version for 330 yen each. The 1987 original kept the core rule of bouncing an energy ball to destroy the Space Wall, and added branching L and R side stages plus a larger item pool. Arcade Archives 2 adds a Time Attack mode that ranks players by clear time and supports VRR for behavior closer to the original arcade board. The official Arcade Archiver program airs September 3 at 19:00 with original developer Tsukano and Taito staff.

Aug 15

Pinball Action Joins Arcade Archives 2 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox, PC

Hamster will release Arcade Archives 2 Pinball Action on August 13, 2026. The game is a port of Tecmo's 1985 arcade pinball title, featuring four tables themed around pinball, slots, bowling, and poker. New features include an updated UI, button remapping, turbo settings, save data, rewind, and VRR support. Online rankings add a Time Attack mode.

Aug 13

Technos Japan's Beach Volley V'BALL Returns via Arcade Archives on August 13

Hamster announced on August 12 that it will release Beach Volley V'BALL, the 1988 arcade action game from Technos Japan, as part of its Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 series. The game launches on August 13 across five platforms: Arcade Archives Beach Volley V'BALL for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, and Arcade Archives 2 Beach Volley V'BALL for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Prices are 838 yen for the Switch version, 837 yen for the PS4 version, and 1,100 yen for each Arcade Archives 2 version. Players control two young men, George and Michael, who enter a beach volleyball tournament and aim for victory. The game features directional control on serves and spikes, with rapid button presses unleashing powerful spikes. Stages include Daytona Beach, New York, Los Angeles, and Hawaii, with a final match against a U.S. Navy team on a warship. The domestic version supports one to two players, while the overseas version supports up to four. Arcade Archives 2 adds a Time Attack Mode and supports VRR for behavior closer to the original arcade version.

Aug 5

Console Archives UFO -A Day in the Life- Revives on Switch 2 and PS5 August 6

Hamster announced on August 5, 2026, that it will release 'UFO -A day in the life-' as new content in its 'Console Archives' series for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. The game launches on August 6, 2026, priced at 1,200 yen (tax included). Originally released by ASCII in 1999 for 32-bit home game consoles, 'UFO -A day in the life-' is an alien search variety game developed by Love-de-Lic, the studio known for 'moon'. The story is set on the planet 'Chikyu' in the Chahaya star system, where the space passenger ship 'Daima-O' crashed with 50 passengers aboard. Players search an apartment for missing aliens and interact with unique aliens and residents, with human drama unfolding as rescue progresses. The 'Console Archives' series faithfully reproduces classic home console games on modern hardware, adding button and screen customization plus save and load anywhere features. The game supports one player and is available on both platforms starting August 6.

Jun 24

Bokosuka Wars Launches on Switch 2 and PS5 via Console Archives June 25

Hamster Corporation will release Bokosuka Wars on June 25 as part of its Console Archives series for Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5. The game, originally published by ASCII in 1985, is a strategy title in which players command soldiers as King Suren against the Basam Empire ruled by King Ogores. It is frequently cited as a pioneer of the real-time strategy genre due to its real-time unit control. The Console Archives re-release faithfully reproduces the original home console version and adds modern features including customizable button layouts, screen display options, and save/load anywhere functionality. The price is 800 yen. The announcement was made on June 24, one day before the release date. Bokosuka Wars is the latest addition to Hamster's ongoing series that brings classic home console games to current hardware, following similar re-releases of other retro titles. The game supports single-player only and is available digitally on both platforms.