Influential PS1 Fighting Game From 1997 Returns on Modern Platforms

A fighting game that came to PS1 consoles in 1997 has received an unexpected new release this week on modern platforms. Throughout its lifespan, the PS1 was home to a number of phenomenal fighting games that have stood the test of time. Between various entries in the Street Fighter, Tekken, and Mortal Kombat franchises, the PS1 was also home to stellar titles like Dead or Alive, Bushido Blade, and Marvel vs. Capcom. Now, another popular PS1 fighting game from the past has made a reemergence this week, and it’s one that went on to be quite influential.

Coming from publisher Koei Tecmo, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes is the PS1 fighting game in question that’s getting a new release this week. Originally released in arcades in 1996, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes went on to receive a home console port for PS1 the following year in 1997. Sadly, this version of the game never ended up getting a worldwide release, as it was exclusive to Japan.

While this means that many in Western territories surely aren’t familiar with Touki Denshou Angel Eyes, it doesn’t mean that the game is any less important. Specifically, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes was the first fighting title developed by what was previously Tecmo. The studio took its learnings from this game and eventually went on to create the aforementioned Dead or Alive, which would be far more popular and eventually came to PS1 platforms around the globe in 1998. As such, even though Touki Denshou Angel Eyes doesn’t have name recognition outside of Japan, it’s a very important game that helped establish Dead or Alive as the massive franchise it would later become.

As for this new version of Touki Denshou Angel Eyes, it’s coming to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2 platforms thanks to Hamster. It happens to be the latest release in Hamster’s ever-growing Console Archives program, which is dedicated to bringing back forgotten games from this era on modern hardware. While there have already been quite a few big-name titles that have been included in this catalog, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes is arguably one of the most important purely from a game preservation standpoint.

Outside of debuting on these new consoles, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes has also received some minor upgrades. These improvements happen to include new video filters, customizable button layouts, and new save options for players to take advantage of. Other than these tweaks, Touki Denshou Angel Eyes should be the same as it was on PS1, complete with its Story and Training modes.

If you’re looking to pick up Touki Denshou Angel Eyes for yourself, it will hit the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop tomorrow on August 13th. When it does become available, the game will retail for $11.99 across both platforms.

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