After a dull couple of weeks (1980’s Crazy Balloon, anyone?) Hamster are pulling out the stops for their next two Arcade Archives re-releases.
This week – 3rd July, specifically – sees the release of Namco’s 1995 flight shooter AIR COMBAT 22 on all formats – including Switch 2 and Xbox Series. It was the sequel to 1993’s AIR COMBAT and ran on the upgraded System Super 22 board that offered a higher polygon count to its predecessor.
In this re-release the difficulty level can be adjusted, while modes include Original Mode, High Score Mode and Caravan Mode. The Arcade Archives 2 iteration (for Switch 2, PS5 and Xbox Series) further adds a Time Attack – which entails beating the whole game as fast as possible – and a Network Mode with selected online play. Online leaderboards also feature, along with multiple save slots and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support.
Just like Ridge Racer, it’s arriving at a higher price point than most Arcade Archives titles. A upgrade path will be avaliable for Switch and PS4 owners.
Then on 10th July we can expect Super Dimension Fortress MACROSS II on PS4 and Switch. As this is a licensed game, the price tag is likewise higher than usual, listed as $14.99.
Originally released by BANPRESTO in 1993, it follows the story of the anime The Super Dimension Fortress Macross II -LOVERS AGAIN- and takes the form of a side-scrolling shoot’em up. Visually it appears comparable to SNES shooters of the same era.
The trailers for both can be found below:
Arcade Archives AIR COMBAT 22
Arcade Archives Super Dimension Fortress MACROSS II