Both Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 are set to get a 1980s NES game tomorrow, bringing with it some hardcore arcade platforming action with it. The new near-stealth release does not include Xbox or PC. The game in question actually debuted as an arcade game, but later came to the NES. In fact, this is the only console platform it ever came to, making it an NES console exclusive. And it is the NES version that is being re-released tomorrow via the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store, not the arcade version.
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More precisely, Japanese developer Hamster, which specializes in porting forgotten arcade and console games from the 1980s and 1990s. To this end, every week it re-releases a classic arcade game and a classic console game for modern PlayStation and Nintendo hardware. This week’s console release is Chack’n Pop, originally developed and published by Taito in 1984, and a standalone release that never got a sequel nor had s a predecessor. That said, it is often cited as the spiritual predecessor for Bubble Bobble, also from Taito, which ended up being much more popular and remains active to this day. Chack’n Pop is not active to this day, making this re-release more surprising.
NES Game Returns With New Features
As you would expect, NES nostalgics and those who grew up playing arcade games in the 1980s are excited to see another forgotten game return, especially a game they likely haven’t played since the 1980s. To this end, the trailer above doesn’t have a single dislike.
That said, the game is not returning just as a straight port, but more of an enhanced port. The gameplay and presentation are the same, but there are modern features, such as the ability to save and load at any point, customizable button layouts, and customizable screen settings. Meanwhile, there is also VRR, which actually makes the experience of playing the game closer to the original arcade version than the original NES version could achieve four decades ago.
Does the game hold up in 2026? Not overly. If you don’t have nostalgia for it, or at least nostalgia for this era of platformers, it’s hard to just jump into it 42 years later. And if you were going to transport back to the 1980s and play a platformer, there are better options than this. This isn’t to say the game is bad, though. It was actually one of Taito’s best games at the time, despite the difficulty, which turned some people off.
If this NES nostalgia doesn’t tickle your nostalgia, the good news is there is plenty of other new NES nostalgia. To this end, Konami just re-released one of its great NES games and actually made it free.
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Courtesy of Saber Interactive
