The home version of one classic arcade game has suddenly been removed from PlayStation and Xbox platforms without any warning whatsoever. Long before video games were predominantly played at home, arcades were all that gamers had to rely on. Games like Pac-Man, Galaga, Mortal Kombat, Space Invaders, Street Fighter II, Dig Dug, and Pong were all some of the biggest arcade games at one point or another and have remained relevant in the decades since their release. So much so, in fact, that most of these games and many other arcade classics have since been recreated for consoles and PC to play at home. Unfortunately, the home edition of one such arcade classic is now no longer going to be accessible unless you happened to purchase it previously.
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As of this week, Big Buck Hunter Arcade for PS4 and Xbox One has found itself suddenly ripped off of the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. First released in 2000, Big Buck Hunter was synonymous with arcades at the turn of the century. It went on to receive numerous different iterations over the years, one of which was that of Big Buck Hunter Arcade in 2016. This version, developed by GameMill Entertainment, came to Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC platforms. Now, it seems like all of these editions of Big Buck Hunter are soon going to be gone.
While Big Buck Hunter Arcade has already been removed from PlayStation and Xbox platforms, PC is set to follow suit shortly. GameMill posted a recent message to Steam letting users know that the game and all of its accompanying DLC will be taken off of the platform tomorrow, April 15th. A status update on the Nintendo Switch version of the game hasn’t been provided, but it can be safely assumed that this edition will be exiting the eShop as well. As for the exact reason behind this removal, GameMill hasn’t provided an explanation, although it likely has to do with licensing.
The good news is that even though Big Buck Hunter Arcade is being taken off of digital storefronts, those who bought the game previously will continue to be able to access it in their library permanently. Additionally, GameMill did create physical copies of Big Buck Hunter Arcade that have sold at retailers over the years. As such, if you don’t already own the game, you should be able to snag a secondhand copy for relatively cheap moving forward.
[H/T Delisted Games]
