Snow Bros. is coming back to Famicom cartridges this November

Japanese hardware maker Columbus Circle has set a late November release for its physical Famicom reissue of the 1990 arcade platformer Snow Bros.. The reproduction cartridge costs 6,980 yen (around $47) and includes a newly developed Time Attack mode.

The company published a promotional trailer detailing the package, which features new box art and a blue cartridge shell. It isn't an officially licensed Nintendo product, but the board interfaces directly with original Family Computer hardware and modern clone consoles. Columbus Circle is producing the release under license from Tatsujin, the company that currently manages the intellectual property of original developer Toaplan.

A cheaper way to play on original hardware

The original Famicom port of Snow Bros. launched in Japan in December 1991, near the end of the console's primary lifespan. Because it arrived late in the generation, print runs were relatively low. Authentic copies routinely sell for hundreds of dollars on the secondary market today, and the North American NES version published by Capcom commands similar premiums. This new reproduction gives players a way to run the game on a CRT without paying collector prices.

The game itself is a single-screen action platformer in the vein of Bubble Bobble. Players control twin snowmen Nick and Tom, throwing snow to freeze enemies into giant spheres. You can then kick those spheres across the stage to clear out remaining enemies. Kicking a snowball into a group causes a chain reaction, dropping bonus items like sushi and potions that increase your movement speed or shot power. The Famicom port successfully retained the two-player cooperative mode that made the arcade original popular.

Toaplan originally released Snow Bros. in arcades in April 1990. After the studio went bankrupt in 1994, its catalog eventually moved to Tatsujin, a company founded by former Toaplan composer Masahiro Yuge. Tatsujin has been active with the property recently, overseeing the 2022 Snow Bros. Special remake and the 2024 3D sequel Snow Bros. Wonderland.

Time attack mode

Columbus Circle added a dedicated Time Attack mode to this specific release. The mode challenges players to rescue the game's princesses within a strict time limit, adding a new layer of urgency to the arcade mechanics. The core 50-stage campaign remains intact.

The cartridge is scheduled to ship in Japan this November.

Columbus Circle has carved out a specific niche producing physical media for legacy platforms. They previously released a Super Famicom reprint of Kaizou Choujin Shubibinman Zero and manufacture various clone consoles. For anyone keeping a genuine Famicom hooked up in 2026, they are one of the few companies still pressing new plastic for the system.