some inside baseball on copyright as it relates to Japanese VGM, featuring Minako Seki (composer/arranger, professor & leading member of many music orgs incl. JASRAC), Yasunori Mitsuda (composer & head of Procyon Studio; JASRAC trustee) & Yuzo Koshiro (composer & head of Ancient; self-managed) 🇯🇵

Arcade Archives anniversary live event's happening now: orchestra VGM performance, results on fan polls for best ACA drops from certain years, etc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qjaI3kfJU8

an interesting note on that just-announced FuRyu/Natsume-Atari game, ANOMALITH: FuRyu put out a statement addressing the fact that they know a lot of ppl have written them off as all-vibes, no-gameplay & have no faith in their games being good until they've tried them for themselves, so they've...

the wait is almost over https://store.steampowered.com/app/4682460/GMODE/

Next up we have a neat interview with Takashi Tezuka about the making of Super Mario Bros! This was featured in a newspaper for SMB's 30th Anniversary celebration, so it's mostly softball questions, but Tezuka touches on design aspects of all three Famicom games. shmuplations.com/supermariobr...

First up, we have a Phantasy Star IV interview from 1993, from the World of Phantasy Star book (which has somehow remained untranslated all these years). There are some interesting comments on how the characters were created, and IV's relationship to II and III.

out next week on the JP Switch eShop: Gesui Oukoku, a tower defense game designed & supervised by water treatment company Meidensha that intends to use cutesy anime designs to teach people about the real-world precepts of sewage treatment https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000125156 🇯🇵

out now! (JP-only; no word on a loc atm) https://store.steampowered.com/app/4012840/Hyper_Euphoria/ FM tunes by Shinji Hosoe, Ayako Saso & Shinichi Sakamoto; art by Kodama Daigattai (ex-Compile) it's yuri, it's retro, it's murderful & it might also secretly be a roadtrip of old Compile offices

also rolling out today on PC & consoles (bc JP STG devs absolutely must step on each others' toes, it seems): FZ: Formation Z, a polygonal revival of Jaleco's '80s transforming-bot STG Formation Z, developed by R-Type Final 23 devs Granzella https://store.steampowered.com/app/2728420/FZ_Formation_Z/

out today on PC & consoles: Psyvariar 3, the first numbered sequel in Success' bullet-grazing danmaku STG series in 20+yrs, developed by 🇧🇷 devs Banana Bytes (Sophstar) https://store.steampowered.com/app/4019130/Psyvariar_3/ lotsa playable characters, including the obligatory Cotton guest appearance

out now! they've also outlined the contents of the second patch, due next month https://mossjp.co.jp/archives/topics/695 🇯🇵 impending additions/fixes include a quick restart option, a "smooth filter" screen setting toggle, fixes to key config saves, restart bug, local leaderboard delete bug, etc

oh, rad! the JP PR has it coming to Switch & Switch 2 as well, sometime this year—it'll have online leaderboards, and they've made a point of saying it's being ported from source, not emulated Bexide did port this to iOS ~10yrs ago so it's not completely out of nowhere…but yeah, Necronomicom next?

this week's Console Archives title: Toujin Makyouden: Heracles no Eikou, the original Famicom entry in Data East's cult RPG series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aY2jZh-X_o4 none of the classic entries in this series were ever localised but you might've played the DS revival game, Glory of Heracles

the studio deliberately refrained from promoting this as a Hiroshi Iuchi joint bc they didn't want to draw heat from ppl still waiting on Ubusuna, the original Iuchi STG that's been in the works since 2014 ofc once the game was out & ppl knew, they could've been a little louder about it

found the @persona.bsky.social special https://www.navesave.com/products/smt-iv-apoc-mtn-dew?variant=53540163551600

out today on PC & consoles: R-Type Dimensions III, a polygonal remake of R-Type III by the folk behind the Rainbow Cotton port, X-Out remaster, etc the intl release is ~1mo ahead of the JP release…at a glance, I suspect it's less that Japan's getting it late & more it's being rushed out elsewhere

NAMCO LEGENDARY Mountains, a vintage Namco-themed take on BeXide's 3D suika game clone series Fruit Mountain, coming to PC/Switch/Switch 2 this summer https://store.steampowered.com/app/4459850/NAMCO_LEGENDARY_Mountains/ they're specifically pulling from Pac, Xevious, Dig Dug, Mappy & Druaga

former Sega composer Izuho "IPPO" Numata's latest column for Beep21 chronicles their work on the unreleased Mega Drive game RPG Densetsu Hepoi https://note.com/beep21/n/nad3b48cd4bed (🇯🇵, paywalled, don't ask)

out now on iOS (Android's coming later) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/one-dot-games/id6765524645 they launched with 3 of the 5 announced games fyto will be at Bitsummit next week, selling ONE-DOT merch & participating in a few stage events, including a concert themed around Eno's music & works

months after missing their latest ETA of "March, maybe", PasocomMini PC8801's formally been delayed to this summer, complete with price increase (+¥3500 on the main unit, +¥1000 on the mini screen)—they're attributing the hike to the usual worldly pressures, but also extra spend on the emulator 🇯🇵

Billion Road, the would-be successor to Momotaro Dentetsu published by Bandai-Namco for Switch in 2018, looks to have been completely delisted—the intl ver+PC port were delisted months ago, but now it's gone in JP too, as well as the website https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/05/15/166454.html 🇯🇵

Shooters Fes, the City Connection-hosted multi-dev STG event, is back for 2026: it'll be held at & streamed by Mikado on May 30 https://shootersfes.com/ 🇯🇵 participants include Success, G.rev, M2, Tatsujin, Granzella, G-MODE, Taito, Mebius...

a few years ago, these devs made heavy implications towards a new NBBM being in production, but the hints have stopped and they've basically walked it back... my hunch is that they misunderstood the nature of character/IP rights (owned by the OG creator) vs. game rights (still owned by Irem)

...and here it is: Tumblepop Memories, coming to Switch in 2026 https://crtgames.co.kr/boards/82/view 🇰🇷 in addition to the remake, it'll include emulated versions of the original arcade version & the Game Boy port

now available online https://umetsubo.shop/?pid=191821713 🇯🇵

a neat classic Namco heirloom that somehow ended up with Kenji Sasaki: a jointed puppet-style template model used to aid the production of Genpei Toumaden's multi-jointed player-character Kagekiyo https://xcancel.com/sasappo/status/2054581304294064533 🇯🇵

Kuukiyomi Thailand's out on Switch next week https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000123188 🇯🇵 ...and Gravity Games Arise has announced they're making a Korean version, which'll be demoed at Bitsummit https://gamebiz.jp/news/425798 🇯🇵

this week's Console Archives title: Master of Monsters: Akatsuki no Kenja Tatsu, the Playstation entry in SystemSoft's series of monster-battling hex strategy games this was loc'd in its day & the CSA reissue bears the loc'd subtitle, Disciples of Gaia, but it seems they're only offering the JP ver

your* prayers have been answered: Mr.Do! is coming to Arcade Archives this Friday (not Thursday) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyHgCW7GIo4

another belated M2 ShotTriggers loc: HishouSame!Same!Same's getting a global release as Flying Fire Shark: August 29, PS4/Switch, physical & digital https://shop.clearrivergames.com/collections/toaplan-arcade-garage-flying-fire-shark

the pathogen must spread

some clarification on this: Drecom acquired the global Wiz trademark & rights to Wiz 6/7/8/Gold but never owned 1~5 (hence the regular legal hurdles re: Gaiden)—those rights were owned by Norman & Andrew Sirotek as well as former Fig COO Justin Bailey, who bought out Robert Woodhead a few years back

this week's Console Archives title: the Famicom version of Nichibutsu's horizontal-ish transforming-robot shooter MagMax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLCNTtivxuQ yet another game that's unequivocally obsolete in the face of the authentic arcade version, which hit ACA eons ago

this week's Arcade Archives title: Taito's classic brick-breaker, Arkanoid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI776Uva3yM as with other recent paddle/spinner-based games, you'll be able to play this with a USB mouse, or joycon mouse functionality if you're playing the ACA2 version on Switch 2

the next Neo Geo Premium Selection release: World Heroes Perfect https://store.steampowered.com/app/3822220/WORLD_HEROES_PERFECT/ the big game-specific enhancement is playable bosses: not just Goku & Neo Dio, but also Zeus, who was never playable in the MVS version

oh yeah, G-MODE Archives: Xenosaga Pied Piper's out today on PC & Japanese Switch eShop (untranslated) https://store.steampowered.com/app/4532150/GMODE/ https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000123403/ 🇯🇵

to anyone who'd noticed Namco's lesser presence on Hamster's weekly Arcade Archives streams: on tonight's stream, they announced that Bandai-Namco had officially decided to stop appearing at the top of the stream with dev interviews, docs etc as of March, basically due to lack of time/resources

out now https://store.steampowered.com/app/3804290/RTYPE_DX_Music_Encore/ btw, WASi303 said the most time-consuming part of producing the new BGM was simply transcribing the big run that opens OG R-Type's st.1 theme—the more they fixated on it, the less sure they were of what they were hearing

as it happens, that dev has their own separate retro large-map dot eater-type game coming to Steam in a day or so https://store.steampowered.com/app/4486650/Raspberrys_Berry_Match/

For our final translation this month, we have a nostalgic interview with Noriyoshi Ohba and Rieko Kodama from 2001! The pair chat about their history at Sega, looking back at the developments of Altered Beast, Shinobi, Phantasy Star IV, and more. shmuplations.com/ohbakodama/

gamespark spoke to Neos producer/creative director Akira Nagashimi & director Masamichi Harukiba, series creator/Omiya Soft founder Hideo Suzuki & Jamworks/ex-Marigul producer Kohei Takeshige on Culdcept's history, the upcoming Begins & more https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/04/29/165841.html 🇯🇵

Puyo manju watchers: one of the many Hiroshima-exclusive collabs they're doing is a Puyo 35th manju box that includes an exclusive caramel-filling variant, but it'll only be sold at Heiando Umetsubo's Hiroshima location & Hiroshima Station's ekie store

this week's Console Archives title: Wolf Fang / Rohga, the PS port of Data East's beloved arcade mecha sidescroller City Connection put out the Saturn version a lil while back, so now both home ports are accounted for, but what Wolf Fang devotees really want is the authentic arcade version

another Arcade Archives first from Namco's 3D golden era: Cyber Commando, the sequel to their 3D twin-stick deathmatch game Cyber Sled https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PJGp6NUx-g this is another game where the multiplayer functionality's exclusive to ACA2

oh neat, the new (& final) update for DE's Mortal Kombat comp adds VRR support, among other features https://www.digitaleclipse.com/media/krossplay-is-here ofc its DE so seeing is believing, but it's nice to see someone aside from Hamster finally offer this as an option

finals in -15min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nySgo9gm24Y

Columbus Circle's next SFC-compatible cartridge release: Super Turrican & Director's Cut, out July 24 https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B0GYNS3K8N/ 🇯🇵 the (disappointingly on-model) art's by former Treasure artist Tetsuhiko "HAN" Kikuchi; Game Labo's also producing a mini-guidebook for the Amazon ver.

ahead of these releases at the end of next month, gamespark spoke to producer Maruyama & director Inoue on their adult bishoujo game reprint initiative https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/04/26/165726.html 🇯🇵 rundown here https://mastodon.social/@gosokkyu/116475354349499207

ran this down a while back, icymi https://mastodon.social/@gosokkyu/114509877524655768 and the post-release Salamander III part, too https://mastodon.social/@gosokkyu/114997626274097533

fwiw Cellebrite has been slowly divesting itself from Sun Denshi, so there will come a point where this is no longer a concern ofc that's predicated on Cellebrite winning more "counter-intelligence" contracts so there's no winning here