It seems that Tokyo Wars was well received when it arrived in arcades during 1996, offering 3D tank battles in small open environments. In addition to its wanton destruction, it likely helped that it had an eye catching cabinet, featuring bright yellow seats and steering wheel controls – not unlike Namco’s own Ridge Racer.
It never made it to consoles – or more specifically, the PS1 – but that changes tomorrow as it’s this week’s Arcade Archive re-release. This is the latest of a line of 3D Namco arcade games that have made the jump to consoles, with others including Aqua Jet and Air Combat 22.
Two versions will be available. Arcade Archives Tokyo Wars will be gunning for Switch and PS4, while Arcade Archives 2 Tokyo Wars will be rolling out onto PS5, Xbox Series and Switch 2 and features a new Time Attack mode that involves clearing the whole thing as quickly as possible.
VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support has also been added for that arcade feel.
As these 3D titles are a bit more complex, they cost more than standard Arcade Archives re-releases. Expect to pay between $14.99 and $16.99 depending on the version.
Namco revived the concept of 3D tank battles in the Wii U launch title Tank! Tank! Tank! – which despite being a budget title at release, will now run you the best part of £50 to own physically.