Polymega just opened pre-orders for its Toaplan FixEight arcade collection

Playmaji has opened pre-orders for Polymega Collection Vol. 21, FIXEIGHT, a physical compilation of five Toaplan arcade games scheduled to ship in August 2026. First revealed earlier this month alongside several other Toaplan-focused volumes, the $39.99 disc brings titles like Out Zone and FixEight directly to the modular console ecosystem.

The Polymega hardware launched in 2021 as a modular system designed around a base unit with an optical drive, supplemented by add-on modules for cartridge-based consoles. To support that optical drive, Playmaji has been publishing its own official collections on DVD. The Polymega ecosystem relies on these physical releases to provide legal, accessible ways to play arcade boards that are otherwise incredibly expensive to acquire today. By continuing to press new physical media for these arcade ports, I think Polymega are helping keep discs alive.

Out Zone and its successor

The highlight of the twenty-first volume is the inclusion of two interconnected run-and-gun shooters. Out Zone hit arcades in 1990 and quickly built a reputation for its punishing difficulty. The game forces players to manage a dual-weapon system, balancing omnidirectional firing with heavy fixed-direction weapons. Players must constantly move forward to avoid running out of energy.

Two years later, Toaplan released FixEight as a spiritual successor. The 1992 follow-up expanded the concept by offering eight different playable mercenaries. Each character comes equipped with distinct weapon loadouts. The transition from Out Zone to FixEight shows a developer experimenting with character action. Instead of generic sci-fi soldiers, FixEight gives you a roster that includes a ninja, a mutant, and a robot. Despite being a staple in early nineties arcades, FixEight never received original home console ports during its era.

They didn't just make shmups

Toaplan is historically famous for defining the vertical shoot 'em up genre. Before the studio declared bankruptcy in 1994, they released foundational titles like Truxton and Batsugun. Former staff members eventually went on to form influential developers like Cave and Raizing, effectively birthing the modern bullet hell subgenre.

This collection focuses on the studio's experiments outside of traditional space shooters. Alongside the two run-and-gun titles, the disc includes Knuckle Bash, a 1993 side-scrolling beat 'em up heavily inspired by professional wrestling. It has a bizarre storyline about fighting an evil wrestling organization to protect world peace. The disc also includes Ghox, a 1991 fantasy-themed paddle game that plays like a combat-heavy take on Breakout, and the 1986 side-scrolling action game Guardian (released in Japan as Get Star).

Physical extras and requirements

According to the official Polymega store page, the physical package includes the game disc.

The disc is compatible with the Polymega console ecosystem. Players can download the free Polymega App (V0.7.24.1 now available). The compilation is expected to begin shipping in August 2026.