Xevious 3D/G hits Arcade Archives 2 tomorrow

Hamster Corporation released new gameplay footage of Xevious 3D/G running on modern hardware, ahead of the arcade shooter's release tomorrow in the Arcade Archives 2 lineup. The 1996 Namco title originally ran on the System 11 arcade board, which was heavily based on original PlayStation hardware.

The three-minute trailer shows off the game's transition from 2D sprites to 3D polygons. You can see the Solvalou ship dropping bombs on the massive Andor Genesis flying saucer, recreating the most recognizable boss fight from the 1982 original in full 3D.

The footage also highlights a multi-legged mechanical spider boss at the end of the first area, which unfolds dynamically as the camera shifts perspective. Later in the video, the player uses red and yellow homing lasers over a blue ocean trench, filling the screen with early 3D particle effects.

System 11 gets its due

Because the System 11 board was so similar to home console hardware, Xevious 3D/G received a direct port to the PlayStation in 1997. That home release was solid, but this marks the first time the actual coin-op ROM is playable on modern systems. I'm glad we are finally getting the arcade originals from this era instead of just repackaged PS1 discs.

Hamster recently brought the original arcade version of Tekken to the Arcade Archives 2 series. That was also a System 11 game, which signaled that more titles from that specific board were likely on the way. Xevious 3D/G confirms that trend. Namco's mid-90s arcade output is full of strange experiments that haven't been touched in decades, and this gives me hope for games like Pocket Racer.

The gameplay itself remains faithful to the classic Xevious formula. You have a primary weapon for aerial targets and a reticle-based bomb system for ground installations. The jump to 3D mostly serves the visuals, allowing the camera to pan and tilt during boss encounters while the core action stays locked to a 2D plane. The game spans seven areas, including the classic desert geoglyph stages and a final space fortress.

Current generation only

The Arcade Archives 2 version includes the standard suite of Hamster emulation features. You'll get high score and caravan modes, variable refresh rate support, and display options to mimic a CRT monitor. It's priced at $16.99.

You can grab it on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Hamster's second wave of arcade re-releases skips the older generation of consoles, so you won't find this one on your PS4 or original Switch.

It's available digitally starting September 24. If you want to dig into the rest of the release schedule, you can check the official Arcade Archives website.