Retro Re-release Roundup, week of July 25, 2019
Aliens, predators, fighters and strikers.
Lots of shooters out this week, folks — if the classic games featured in today's roundup don't take your fancy, there's also the Switch version of the latest Raiden game and the XB1 and Switch versions of the French-made Treasure homage Pawarumi, to name just a few. As for the overwhelming majority of you who don't particularly care for anything in so niche a genre... oh, who am I kidding, you're already playing the new Fire Emblem game, you don't need me to tip you off.
ARCADE ARCHIVES
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (worldwide)
- Price: $7.99 / €6.99 / £6.29
- Publisher: Hamster / Konami
What's this? Konami's first racing game, released in arcades in 1984; players are tasked with reaching the end of each course as fast as possible, collecting fuel from rainbow-colored vehicles and dodging obstacles all the while.
Why should I care? There's not a lot to it, but wrangling the oversteer caused by glancing traffic is fun while it lasts.
Useless fact: The Famicom and US NES versions of Road Fighter were among the earliest third-party games released for their respective systems but the European NES version wasn't released until mid-1992..
OTHER
Psikyo Shooting Library Volume 1
- Platform: Nintendo Switch (Japan)
- Price: ¥3800 (standard edition) / ¥5800 (limited edition, includes art book, 2-volume binder, replica arcade cards)
- Publisher: City Connection
What's this? The first volume of the second series of Psikyo arcade shooting game compilations, this one aimed specifically at the Japanese market; aside from the particular game configuration, it features the same import-friendly eShop games you're probably familiar with from roundups past. (If not: mid-to-late-'90s arcade shooting games, mostly vertical, mostly very tough, not bullet hel and mostly free of magical girlsl.)
Which games are included? There are six games apiece in this two-volume series, with the first volume featuring Strikers 1945, Strikers 1945-II, Sol Divide, Dragon Blaze, Zero Gunner 2- and, as a limited-time exclusive, the first home port of the final Strikers series game, Strikers 1999.
Why should I care? You didn't already import the first run of compilations assuming there wouldn't be a second one of better value...
Helpful tip: Strikers 1999 will be getting a standalone eShop release at the end of August, if that's the only game that takes your fancy.
- Platform: Nintendo Switch (North America, Europe)
- Price: $1.99 / €1.99 / £1.79
- Publisher: Second Avenue Learning
What's this? A digital recreation of several of the physical dexterity/puzzle games exhibited at Rochester's Strong Museum of Play, many of which date back to the late 1800s, complete with background information and art archives for each game.
Which games are included? The base game includes Pigs and Clover, Aero Race, Niagra Puzzle and Queen Mary, and buying the five $1 DLC packs will add Whirlpool, Harlequin, Speech Day, Puss in the Corner, Rainbow Puzzle, Rabbits in Corn, Golden Rod, Discuss, Juggle, Bowling, Double-Six, Divers, Foxhunt, Blackout, Keep 'em Rolling for Victory, Oom Paul, Race for the Pole, Beehive, Cat and Mouse, Pondsnag and Greased Pigs. No, I cannot offer any sort of further context.
Why should I care? This might be the first and only collection to ever contain games that are too old for Retronauts coverage.
Helpful tip: If two bucks is a little too rich for your blood, there's a f2p version available for iOS and Android.
LIMITED-EDITION PHYSICAL PRINT RUNS
Limited Run Games strikes back
- Platform: NES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64
- Price: $34.99-39.99 (classic edition) / $84.99-89.99 (premium edition)
- Availability: from July 26, 10AM & 6PM EDT
The second trio of vintage Star Wars games is almost upon us, with cartridge reissues of The Empire Strikes Back for both NES and Game Boy, as well as the N64 Dash Rendar "vehicle" Shadows of the Empire, set to go live in a little under 24 hours. As usual, these games will be available in two different price ranges with varying shovelfuls of collector detritus, as well as a $385 all-in-one option for those of you who want to flip the lot on eBay as soon as humanly possible.
Vasara Collection from Strictly Limited Games
- Platform: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
- Price: € 24.99-29.99 (standard edition) / € 44.99-49.99 (collector's edition)
- Availability: from July 28, ships August/September
The digital release isn't even dated yet but Strictly Limited Games is already rolling out orders for the physical release of Vasara Collection, QuByte Studio's ports-plus-remake collection of an obscure turn-of-the-millennium arcade shooting game series by cult developers Visco; the collector's package includes most of the typical bonus items (art book, CD soundtrack, poster, sticker sheet) and is limited to 800 copies (1500 for the Switch version).
SOUNDTRACKS & MERCHANDISE
Alien vs. Predator arcade game figures by NECA
Not only is Capcom's Aliens vs. Predator arcade game getting an unlikely reissue this year, it's also getting an even more unlikely action figure run from NECA: not only can you grab figures of the protagonists Dutch Schaefer and Linn Kurosawa, there are also packs containing the Capcom-designed Alien and Predator variants that never appeared anywhere else and that one must presume won't ever appear anywhere else ever again. (If this is old news to you toy nuts, I apologize — I'm not a toy nut and thus I thought periodically checking NECA's website would be enough to keep me up to date, but it seems these figures were shipped weeks and even months ago with little to no outward indication to a neophyte like me.)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time SNES vinyl & merch from iam8bit
- Format: vinyl LP, pins
- Price: $29.99 (vinyl), $10-12 (pins)
- Availability: ships August
The deluxe edition of iam8bit's surprise Turtles in Time vinyl is already sold out but if you act quickly you can still grab a copy of the standard "Big Apple green" version while supplies last, as well as a couple of different dot-art pin designs including turtle pins that spin. Y'know, just like the game!
