coming to PC this month: Hiryu no Ken Collection, an emulated collection from Culture Brain affiliate company NihonGame containing the four Famicom Hiryu no Ken titles https://store.steampowered.com/app/4575330/Hiryu_no_Ken_Collection/ do note that it's entirely un-loc'd & no Flying Dragon/Warriors

another Rushing Beat X interview with some City Connection folk https://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/04/03/164736.html 🇯🇵 the final game is v3, apparently—dev was rebooted multiple times, including from an initial version that would've used pixel art in the ballpark of SF Alpha 2

🚨Tesse alert🚨 (just-announced roguelite based on some light novel, dev'd/published by Sunsoft) https://store.steampowered.com/app/4320940/GAME_The_Strongest_Job_Is_Apparently_Not_a_Hero_or_a_Sage_but_an_Appraiser_Provisional_Dungeon_and_Mystery_Girl/

cool thing to support instead of whatever dogshit's being pushed atm

idk if there was or ever will be an ideal window for announcing a moneyhatted Tomak remaster but I suspect they probably should've done it before laying off 1k ppl in the name of fiscal responsibility, but maybe that's just me https://store.epicgames.com/p/tomak-save-the-earth-regeneration-c1207c

similarly, the im@s Million Live mobile game now has a Wagyan Land in it

Hololive put out a silly "MoeHolo" baseball minigame today, riffing on MoePro (Moero!! Pro Yakyuu aka Bases Loaded) https://moeholo.com/homerun-derby ...and now they've revealed there's a full, and fully-licensed, MoeHolo game coming to Steam https://store.steampowered.com/app/4521010/holoBase/

i guess Hamster really is serious about completing the ACA Neogeo library: Shogi no Tatsujin ~MASTER OF SYOUGI~, out this week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3Stx1usuSE no heretofore-unseen EN version, either, from the looks of things

for those hanging out for the official global release from NISA, it's finally locked in for June 18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKippZVYitA do note that the XB physicals have been canned incidentally, the Switch version's a complete mess, so take heed

Tatsujin/Truxton Extreme, the brand-new sequel to Toaplan's arcade STG series, has been dated: it'll be out on PS5/Switch 2/XB/PC on July 30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBEPkxy8I2Q this game's developed by Toaplan successor studio Tatsujin, founded by OG programmer/composer Masahiro Yuge

someone at Square-Enix noticed that Enix's Super Galdelic Hour (PS) & Square's Wild Card (Wonderswan) shared an anniversary, so they got Enix producer Yasuhito Watanabe & Square designer Akitoshi Kawazu together to discuss both games https://www.jp.square-enix.com/column/detail/127/ 🇯🇵

Sega cracked the code for zero-effort game anniversary commemorations: slapping labels on their UFO catcher candy, like so

Jiro Ishi's suing crowdfunding platform Ubgoe over payout issues concerning the recently-funded live-action ADV Shibuya Scramble Stories—it was funded in May of last year, but they say Ubgoe still hasn't paid them ~¥27.75M ($150k+, ~50% of their total funding)

following the Ridge Racer series BGM drop on DSPs & ahead of the Ridge Racer Night 25 live CD, Famitsu got Takayuki Aihara, Hiroshi Okubo, Atsushi Ohara, Sho Okada, Ayako Saso, Nobuyoshi Sano, Junichi Funada, Shinji Hosoe, Ryo Watanabe to each put together a personal series playlist with commentary🇯🇵

as revealed by Junichi Koyama (Idolmaster, Gundam BOTB, etc): Namco veteran Yoshihiro Mieda has retired https://xcancel.com/mayanmoyan/status/2037292733795299381 🇯🇵 they were active as both a cabinet/elemeka designer & character designer/illustrator: Wani Wani Panic, Cosmo Gangs, early iM@S...

Cotton Rock With You, the Japan-themed sequel to Studio Saizensen's 2021 Cotton game Cotton Rock'n'Roll, has a release date: it'll be out for PS5/Switch 2 + arcades via APM3 on August 6 🇯🇵 all 8 charas from Rock'n'Roll + Izuna (Legend of the Unemployed Ninja) & a Psyvariar 3 variant of Ria

update: they're crowdfunding a Linux-driven SoC designed for portable A| processing https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000066.000081472.html 🇯🇵 come up with your own insults, I'm so tired

out from today! that is, already out in Japan, and rolling out elsewhere once the store ticks over https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/taito-milestones-4-switch/

I know both handhelds and Nintendo platforms have never been particularly accommodating to 3D FGs but it's kinda wild that OG Switch just doesn't have any outside of shovelware—not contemporary games, not even any ports until VF2 via Kiwami 2 a few months ago oh and Fight for Life ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

out now in Japan (no loc) https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000113699 🇯🇵 again, the Steam version's region-locked... I presume they're holding out for an intl publisher and I can't imagine they'll have trouble finding one, but still

@persona.bsky.social another Zuntata arrange album by ex-Zuntata folk (& guests this time) + Tomonobu Kagawa art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juTMM8URUCE Cleopatra Fortune composer SHU's back ofc, and they arranged a Cleopatra song that's not Shinin' Queen

this release also offers a convenient excuse to get Horii back on stream and let him off the hook, should they choose to be so gracious https://bsky.app/profile/allcityslopshop.com/post/3mgueoyrdj22g

this week's Console Archives release: the Famicom port of Nichibutsu's signature vertical STG, Terra Cresta https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_t3pqG6SJ4 I could be wrong but it seems they might not be including the NES version, which was touched up over the FC ver & is smtg JP players were hoping for

another classic Namco driving game on Arcade Archives this week: Final Lap, the successor to Pole Position https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdtVsQSpTl0 one of this game's big innovations was linked-cabinet multiplayer for up to 8 drivers, but the ACA1+2 version's single-player only

Zuiki's teasing... something (5.25" FDD for X68000Z?)

Game Center CX's season 29 finale, airing this Thursday: Dodonpachi! no word on which version afaik, but they've been relatively Saturn-heavy recently, so...

bringing this one back for Reasons

context: RS34 held a live event this afternoon at which they informally announced, among other things, a PC port for Illvelo Swamp (originally released for Switch in Japan in 2019, and followed by the standalone Happy Together revision released last yr) https://www.youtube.com/live/Dx1VC2sj5DU 🇯🇵

lemme add that the user campaign, which ran in BEEP, covered many elements of the game including illustration, game design, etc and had many winners, including top picks for each category, with the Game System Grand Prize going to a fella by the name of Masahiro Sakurai (then a 17yo, iirc)

From Yellow To Orange has announced ONE-DOT GAMES (iOS+AND), a 5-game redux of the late Kenji Eno's 2009 single-pixel iOS game One-Dot Enemies; out May 19 https://fyto.com/news/872/ the new games are from Kazutoshi Iida, Ritsumeikan Game Seminar students & other associates & alum of Eno and/or WARP

4ST (Cooly Skunk SFC cart run) recently alluded to wanting to produce a new Famicom-compatible RPG in collaboration with programmer Kan Naito (DQ3+4, Shining, Landstalker etc), and that project has now been revealed: LADY STALKER 2D, a new DQ clone starring the cast of Naito's SFC RPG Lady Stalker

reminder: Dispatch Games, the limited-print publisher that ghosted people on multiple releases, didn't just disappear into the sunset: City Connection basically turned them into their western branch, and the people who ran off with folks' money (incl. for CC-adjacent games) are still working

rolling out from today: Rushing Beat X: Return of Brawl Brothers (PC/Switch 2/PS5/XB), City Connection's all-new, polygonal revival of the Jaleco SNES brawler trilogy released globally as Rival Turf, Brawl Brothers & The Peace Keepers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP2eD9GDrys

EGG CONSOLE WATCH: the PC88 version of the first entry in Artdink's signature railway sim series, A Ressha de Ikou (A-Train), out next week both the OG & sequel (released globally for DOS as Railroad Empire), aren't nearly as open-ended as #3 (Take the A-Train) & beyond; think more "economy puzzle"

coming soon to Steam: Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol.1 / Vol.2, emulated 16-packs of Jaleco arcade games produced/published by KR company Gravity https://store.steampowered.com/app/4074840/Jaleco_Arcade_Collection_Vol1/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/4074850/Jaleco_Arcade_Collection_Vol2/

this week's Console Archives title: the Famicom port of UPL's Ninja-kun: Ashura no Shou https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkyZutfUd5A this was a solid port for the time (especially given it's a Micronics joint) but conforms so closely to the original that ya might as well just play the ACA version

an interesting disclaimer on this week's Arcade Archives drop (Devastators, Konami's pseudo-3D run-and-gun): in contravention of typical modern reissue practices, they've explicitly not edited any of the intense flashing present in the original game, for the sake of fidelity to the source material

out now https://store.steampowered.com/app/4402830/EGGCONSOLE_ZANAC_EX_MSX2/

Sanrio Characters Smash Festa is dated, it'll be out March 26... again, the Steam version's region-locked, so you might need to buy the JP Switch version

In this humorous Mega Man Legends interview from 2/98, Keiji Inafune shares the inspiration behind Tron's design, the challenges of finding the right difficulty, and other mecha-centric anecdotes. shmuplations.com/rockmandash/

Learn about Cyberbots' character and mecha design in this vintage interview from 1998! This was part of a mecha-themed interview series conducted by Oh My Goddess! manga artist Kosuke Fujishima for GameJin magazine. shmuplations.com/cyberbots/

DLSS5 Suketoudara, finally

this one's already down to ¥400 in Japan (multi-loc'd) https://store-jp.nintendo.com/item/software/D70010000069576 I mostly mention it bc I checked the intl stores for the discount (no dice) & noticed the PC ver. sitting at one (1) review https://store.steampowered.com/app/2911070/BAD_BOY_BROTHER/

EGDC, the MiSK-owned investment company that owns SNK, has purchased ~5% of Capcom, for purposes they claim are purely investment-driven https://gamebiz.jp/news/422640 🇯🇵

publisher Yanoman & original developer Japan Art Media have formally announced "Aretha Reunion Project", a revival project related to their long-dormant GB+SFC RPG series Aretha—details & announcements are scheduled for the coming weeks (the inference being that crowdfunding may be involved)

"On April 9, Puyo Puyo Puzzle Pop is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Puyo Puyo franchise by adding a brand-new game mode, Puyo Puyo Garden. In a first for the series, players can grow, nurture, and battle their own unique Puyo." ¯\____________(ツ)____________/¯

an apology/correction from the acct of everyone's fav CoroCoro-published joycon fighting game, Ketsu Battler: they've delayed the big sale advertised in CoroCoro bc the person in charge forgot to hit the button on the advertised start date https://xcancel.com/KetsuBattler/status/2032197114554732994

SAPPORO GAME ODYSSEY, Sapporo's first(?) big indie con, scheduled for June 6 @ Chi-Ka-Ho; general admission's free https://www.sapporo-game-odyssey.jp/ 🇯🇵 application form https://forms.gle/dP3MZWVsjKmuv69L6 🇯🇵 ~30 slots available; ¥6600/adult, ¥3300/student

just saw that Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S finally got the promised online doubles update... how bad's the lag?

oh and Toyama from Taito announced the next ACA Taito game, out April 9: the 1980 fixed-screen submarine shooter Polaris, which is virtually unknown in Japan