Forgotten SNES and PS1 Game Is Being Re-Released This Summer

A forgotten SNES and PS1 game wasn’t as forgotten as we thought because it is set to be re-released this summer on August 6 via the Nintendo Switch, PC, and PS5. Right now, there is no word of a Nintendo Switch 2 release to go with its Switch release, nor a PS4 release to go with its PS5 release. Meanwhile, there is no word of an Xbox release at all.

More specifically, developer Wit One and publisher Sunsoft have revealed that both Route-16 and Route-16 Turbo are being re-released this summer alongside a brand-new installment in the maze series called Route-16R. The former, Route-16, is a puzzle game originally released by Sun Electronics back in 1981 in arcades. Then it was published to the Arcadia 2001 and PS1 in 2001. Meanwhile, in 1985, an improved version of the game, the aforementioned Route-16 Turbo was released for the SNES. This version has been available via Nintendo Switch Online since 2019. This version also got an arcade archives release in 2018 via Switch and PS4. Not only are these two forgotten classics returning, but a new game in the series is being made decades later. This new installment is also going to arrive on August 6.

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Old Games in a Dying Genre

“Route-16R is a brand-new entry in the classic Route-16 series, originally released in the 1980s,” reads an official elevator pitch of the game from Sunsoft. “Avoid enemy vehicles and monsters as you race through the stage, collecting every item scattered across the maze. Switch dynamically between Maze Mode, where you navigate intricate labyrinths filled with traps and gimmicks, and Radar Mode, which reveals the entire stage made up of 16 mazes, delivering a high-speed chase experience that surpasses the original games.”

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Currently, it is unclear if these two re-releases and the new release will be Japan-only or be released in the West. To this end, it is also unclear if any of the games will be localized. As you may know, the series isn’t Japan-only, but has always been more relevant in Japan than in the United States and Europe.

As you may know, maze games are essentially a thing of the past. They thrived during the arcade era and persisted through the early console and PC era, but then quickly faded. What makes the Route-16 series stand out in the genre is its zoomed-out overworld map.

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