Update #2 [Sat 30th Jul, 2022 17:15 BST]: ININ Games confirmed to release Ray’z Arcade chronology and also RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection on the Switch here in the west.
There is no release date yet and ININ will handle the publishing duties of both games in digital form (via Gematsu). The physical version of Chronology will be distributed locally by precision Limited – with pre-orders opening July 31.
Update [Tue 5th Jul, 2022 15:30 BST]: Taito announced a Japanese release date for Ray’z Arcade chronology – March 9, 2023 (thanks, Gematsu).
It will cost 7,480 yen, though there is a fancy special edition version with Blu-ray, two-disc CD set, manuals, and other printing software that will set you back 18,480 yen.
While Taito hasn’t released any news on an overseas release, anyone who pre-orders the game via Amazon Japan on Official Day (July 12-13) will receive a code for the game. R-GEARa previously unreleased sequel to Rayforce was canceled and replaced by Raystorm. Pretty cool for shooter fans!
We’ll keep you updated as we have Western announcements.
Original story [Tue 28th Jun, 2022 04:45 BST]: Taito Corporation and the retro experts at M2 have announced that they will be bringing Ray’z Arcade Chronology to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 next year in Japan. There is no news of a Western release at the moment.
The Switch already has a list of great shmup games to choose from, and this new collection strengthens it with a total of five games. It’s a mix of the original releases along with several remakes.
Here’s What You Can Expect In This Chronology (via Gematsu):
RayForce (1994)
RayStorm (1996)
RayStorm NEO-HD (2023) – A remake of the arcade version of RayStorm. RayStorm HD launched in 2010 with additional elements and 16:9 aspect ratio, but RayStorm NEO-HD includes the same content as the arcade version and retains the same 4:3 aspect ratio.
RayCrisis (1998)
RayCrisis HD (2023) – Remake of RayCrisis.
Developer M2 has previously worked on all sorts of classic collectibles throughout the Switch’s life, and even helped bring some classic games to Nintendo’s Online digital library.
Are you interested in this upcoming release? Leave a comment below.
