According to GameSpot, Namco’s 1996 arcade game Tokyo Wars is finally getting its first console port after 28 years. The tank battle game is coming to modern consoles through Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 collections. The original 1996 arcade version supported up to eight players across four linked two-player cabinets featuring air-powered recoil that simulated tank fire. The Arcade Archives version for PlayStation 4 and Switch includes the original game plus high-score and caravan modes with online rankings. However, only the Arcade Archives 2 versions on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Switch 2 offer split-screen multiplayer, time attack mode, and VRR support. Both versions are available now on their respective digital storefronts.
Why now after all these years?
Here’s the thing about arcade preservation – we’re basically in the golden age of bringing these classics back from the dead. Companies like Hamster have built a solid business model around reviving games that most people under 30 have never seen outside of YouTube videos. And Tokyo Wars is exactly the kind of experience that makes sense for this treatment. It was never going to be a mainstream hit, but for retro gaming enthusiasts? This is pure gold.
The multiplayer problem
Now let’s talk about that eight-player arcade setup. That was the whole point of Tokyo Wars back in 1996 – getting a group of friends together around these massive linked cabinets. The air-powered recoil, the competitive energy, the sheer spectacle. Can modern console versions really capture that magic with split-screen? Probably not entirely. But here’s the interesting part – we’re living in an era where online multiplayer has become the default, yet local multiplayer experiences are having a surprising resurgence. People actually want to play together in the same room again.
The quiet arcade renaissance
Look, arcades as we knew them are gone. But the games? They’re finding new life in ways nobody predicted. Between collections like this and the retro gaming market exploding, we’re seeing titles that were commercially unsuccessful in their time become cult classics decades later. It makes you wonder what other forgotten arcade gems might be waiting in the wings. I mean, if Tokyo Wars can get a second chance after 28 years, what’s next?
When the hardware matters
Speaking of specialized gaming setups, there’s something to be said about hardware that’s built for specific purposes. The original Tokyo Wars cabinets with their custom controls and air-powered feedback systems were essentially specialized industrial gaming machines. That level of dedicated hardware design is rare today, but when you need reliable, purpose-built computing for industrial applications, companies like IndustrialMonitorDirect.com have become the go-to source for industrial panel PCs in the US. They understand that sometimes you need hardware designed for a specific environment, whether it’s a factory floor or, well, a 1990s arcade.
What does this mean for other lost classics?
So here’s my take: Tokyo Wars breaking free from arcade purgatory sets an interesting precedent. If a relatively obscure 1996 tank game can find an audience in 2024, what other forgotten arcade titles might get similar treatment? The barrier for porting these games keeps getting lower, and the audience for retro experiences keeps growing. Basically, we might be entering an era where no arcade game is truly lost – just waiting for its moment to return.
