Sunsoft's Retro Game Selection 2 launches this December

Sunsoft has announced SUNSOFT is Back! Retro Game Selection 2, a compilation of four 1980s Famicom titles launching on December 17 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC. The package follows the first volume released earlier this year and focuses on the publisher's earliest console releases.

According to the press release, the collection includes Ikki (1985), Super Arabian (1985), Atlantis no Nazo (1986), and Maharaja (1989). All four games feature new save states and a rewind function. The compilation also includes a gallery mode packed with original concept art and promotional flyers, alongside a 3D cartridge viewer.

Sunsoft operated as the video game software division of Sun Corporation during the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. They built a reputation for pushing the technical limits of the Nintendo Famicom, particularly with their audio drivers and detailed pixel art. The publisher initiated a massive brand revival in 2022 to preserve its back catalog, which led to the first Retro Game Selection volume earlier this year. That initial package included The Wing of Madoola, Tokaido 53 Tsugi, and Ripple Island.

The original crappy game is back

The headline inclusion here is Ikki. The 1985 top-down action game follows two peasant farmers staging a rebellion against a feudal magistrate. It's widely credited with inspiring the term "kuso-ge" (crappy game) in Japanese gaming culture.

The game started in arcades before making the jump to the Famicom. The console port was notoriously difficult and unbalanced, leading essayist Jun Miura to coin the famous moniker. Despite the label, the game was a massive commercial success. Sunsoft has fully embraced this reputation, proudly advertising the game's notorious status on the official website. The company even revived the property in 2023 as a 16-player roguelike called Ikki Unite.

Atlantis no Nazo is a 100-stage platformer originally designed to compete with Super Mario Bros. The game tasks a protagonist named Wyn with rescuing his missing master across non-linear branching warp zones. The difficulty is punishing. A single hit kills you, and the warp zones often drop you into impossible situations. This new release modifies the original ROM to allow players to access stages that were previously unreachable due to bugs in the 1986 Famicom release. I'm curious to see exactly what those broken stages look like after 40 years of being locked away.

First port in 37 years

The most surprising addition is Maharaja. The 1989 release blends text-based menu exploration with turn-based RPG battles in an Indian setting. It hasn't been ported to another console since its original Famicom debut.

Super Arabian, Sunsoft's very first home console game, rounds out the package. It's a port of the 1983 arcade game Arabian. You control a prince collecting magic jars across multiple platforming stages to rescue Princess Leia. Defeating enemies in specific sequences grants bonus points, and collecting all the jars turns you into the invincible Super Arabian.