Arcade Archives is a collection of arcade games that are recreated by Hamster Corporation. A special group within this series, called ACA Neo Geo, focuses on re-releasing games from SNK's Neo Geo line in their original MVS arcade version, which is different from other services that recreate console versions. Each game in this group is released one at a time every week. Another special group, called Console Archives, focuses on releasing video games designed for home consoles.
History
Hamster Corporation was started in 1999 by people who used to work in the video game part of Toshiba EMI. The company made similar game collections before, like Arcade Hits for the PlayStation, and Oretachi Gēsen Zoku, which was only available in Japan for the PlayStation 2. Hamster also bought the rights to games from companies that are no longer in business. These companies include Nichibutsu in March 2014, UPL in May 2016, NMK in June 2017, Video System in March 2018, Allumer in February 2023, and Athena in September 2023. Game development happens in Hamster's offices, and some software that helps play old games is made by former employees of Hudson Soft in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Hamster has a partnership with Nintendo, providing games for their Virtual Console service. However, Nintendo surprised Hamster by allowing them to use their arcade games for the series, but only on the Nintendo Switch. This included Sky Skipper, which was not officially released outside Japan except for a version on the Atari 2600 by Parker Brothers. Hamster was allowed to copy the game's data from the only working copy stored by Nintendo of America.
Release
Arcade Archives was first released for the PlayStation 4 on May 15, 2014, through the PlayStation Network. Nippon Ichi Software helped create the series during its early years. The Nintendo Switch version was launched on the Nintendo eShop on March 3, 2017. It initially included Neo Geo games and later added other arcade games, including titles from Nintendo. It supports features that let players share screenshots and videos and compete online for rankings.
The Xbox One version of the service, which only includes Neo Geo games, was released on February 23, 2017, through the Xbox Games Store. The Windows version was launched on December 15, 2017, via the Microsoft Store and also includes only Neo Geo games. ACA Neo Geo games were released for iOS (via the App Store) and Android (via Google Play) by SNK on November 30, 2021.
In May 2024, Hamster announced ACA 2 Neo Geo for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Standard ACA 2 Neo Geo games include Time Attack and Network (online play) modes. Users who previously bought ACA Neo Geo titles for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One receive discounts when purchasing ACA 2 Neo Geo titles. ACA 2 Neo Geo debuted on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on February 27, 2025, with The King of Fighters '98: The Slugfest as the first title.
During the Nintendo Direct for the Nintendo Switch 2, Hamster announced Arcade Archives 2, with Ridge Racer as the first title released alongside the system. Later, Hamster confirmed that Arcade Archives 2 would also be available on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with Ridge Racer as its debut title. Versions for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 were also confirmed as part of the original Arcade Archives. Users who previously purchased titles for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch will receive discounts for Arcade Archives 2 versions on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. The titles are released at irregular intervals.
A few games, including R-Type and Gambare Ginkun, were announced but not released.
Games
There are currently 405 games on the original Arcade Archives list, 34 games on the Arcade Archives 2 list, 110 games on the ACA Neo Geo list, 1 game on the ACA 2 Neo Geo list, and 20 games on the Console Archives list below.
Embedded compilations
These are collections of arcade games that use the same basic emulator programs found in the Arcade Archives series. They are usually marked with the phrase "Powered by Arcade Archives."