Ace Driver Returns
Hamster has announced that Namco's 1994 3D racing game Ace Driver is joining the Arcade Archives range on Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox platforms.
Ace Driver ran on Namco's System 22 arcade hardware, a board closely tied to the company's early 3D arcade push. The game was designed by Tatsuro Okamoto and Shinichiro Okamoto, who is also known for Pole Position.
Geki-Oh ShienRyu Is Also Coming
The news does not stop with Namco's racer. Console Archives Geki-Oh ShienRyu is also on the way to Nintendo Switch 2 and PlayStation 5.
Hamster has acquired all rights connected to the games and other properties of Warashi Inc., the studio that developed Geki-Oh ShienRyu. Warashi is also known as the developer of TriggerHeart EXELICA.
Geki-Oh ShienRyu first appeared in arcades in 1997. The Console Archives release is tied to the enhanced PlayStation 1 port, giving this shooter a clear home console link in Hamster's growing library.
Big Fighter Gets A New Release
Hamster has also confirmed another return: Tatakae! Big Fighter is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S as part of the Arcade Archives 2 series.
That game has already been released on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, so this new version brings it forward for the newer hardware generation while keeping it under Hamster's preservation-focused label.
For Z-retro, this is a quiet but welcome reminder that arcade history is not one single lane. From Namco's 3D racing experiments to Warashi's shooters, these releases help make older games easier to find without overstating their place in the past.
