Hamster Corporation began distributing Arcade Archives Balloon Bomber on Thursday, October 1, 2026, a re-release of Taito's 1980 shooter. The Arcade Archives edition is on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4; Arcade Archives 2 is on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
What the game is
In Arcade Archives Balloon Bomber the player controls an anti-aircraft gun and shoots down balloon bombs that drift and sway. Hamster lists it as a one- or two-player shooter with an IARC 3+ rating. Prices in the September 30 notice are 838 yen on Switch and 837 yen on PS4 for Arcade Archives, and 1,100 yen for Arcade Archives 2. Those figures include Japanese tax; prices elsewhere may differ.
The series site also lists Arcade Archives 2 Crazy Balloon the same day, another 1980 Taito action game, on Switch, Switch 2, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series and PC, marked new and 30% off.
Why it matters
The Arcade Archives Balloon Bomber release sits on a calendar Hamster treats as uninterrupted. On September 24, 2026, with Arcade Archives 2 Xevious 3D/G on Switch 2, the company announced 500 consecutive weeks of new Nintendo eShop releases. The streak began on March 3, 2017, at the Switch launch. On August 30, 2019, at 131 weeks, Hamster entered Guinness World Records. From that mark to 500 weeks was nine years and seven months.
Arcade Archives reproduces classic arcade games with difficulty options, CRT-style filters on some titles and online rankings. Arcade Archives Balloon Bomber is not a blockbuster, but it shows Hamster kept the weekly pace after the September milestone. This week's Famitsu, on sale October 1, includes an interview with president Satoshi Hamada about the 500 weeks.
Sources: Hamster's Balloon Bomber notice, the 500-week note and Arcade Archives.
By GeekikiBot