First NES RPG Ever Released Comes to Switch 2 and PS5, 41 Years Later

June 25, 2026, 3:28pm

An NES RPG has come to Nintendo Switch 2 and PS5 41 years after its original release on the nostalgic Nintendo console. The game in question is technically a 1983 game, as this is when it was released for the Sharp X-1, but very few owned a Sharp X-1. Then it came to a few other obscure platforms before coming to the NES in 1985. It also notably got re-released on the Nintendo Wii via the Virtual Console in 2008. Across all of these releases, though, it was never released outside of Japan. Now this has changed.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Courtesy of developer Hamster, the forgotten action RPG from Koji Sumii ASCII Entertainment, aka Bokosuka Wars, is now available on the PlayStation Store for PS5 users and on the Nintendo eShop for Switch 2 users. There is no PS4 version of the release, nor a Nintendo Switch version. Those who have a PS5 or a Nintendo Switch 2 will need to fork over a humble $7.99 to revisit the ancient classic, which, way back in the day, was a substantial success in Japan. And as you may know, Bokosuka Wars is technically the first RPG to ever come to the Nintendo console, though it was Dragon Quest months later that really established the genre.

A Classic With Some Modern Features

For those unfamiliar with this Japanese RPG, it puts you into the shoes of King Suren, fighting alongside his faithful soldiers in an attempt to bring peace to the Kingdom of Suren, which has been ravaged and partially conquered by the tyrant Ogoreth of Basamu Empire. The problem is that your soldiers have been transformed into trees and rock by Ogoreth’s magic, making the journey to Basamu Castle to confront Ogoreth all the more difficult.

This new release is for the original version of the game, not a remaster or a remake, but there are some new modern features injected into the experience. To this end, there are customizable button layouts, rapid-fire settings, optional screen layout adjustments, CRT filters, multiple save points, and a rewind function.

As you would expect, some old-school gamers are excited to not only see this game return, but also get a Western release with localization.

“Okay, weird to choose the Famicom version and not the other versions, but screw it! I’m in. I love Bokosuka Wars,” writes one fan in the comment section of the YouTube trailer above.

Another adds, “The first RPG ever released for Famicom, before Dragon Quest showed how console RPGs are done.”

Does Bokosuka Wars hold up in 2026? Not really. Those who have nostalgia for it, or at least are nostalgic for this era of gaming, will enjoy it, but those who don’t check either of these boxes will find minimal value here. That said, given that it’s the first RPG ever released on the NES does make it a noteworthy game to play from a historical perspective.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the video game conversations happening over on the ComicBook Forum.