PS1 Game From 1997 Returns With Unexpected Port on Modern Consoles
A PS1 game that launched nearly 30 years ago in 1997 is getting a new port this week on modern platforms. Over the past few years, a number of different games that appeared on the original PlayStation have been getting new releases that have allowed them to become more accessible than ever. While some of these ports have come directly from PlayStation, others have stemmed from various third-party developers and publishers.
Set to arrive on September 24th, Namco’s PS1 shooter Xevious 3D/G will be making its way onto PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2. Originally released in arcades in 1996, Xevious 3D/G is a vertically scrolling shooter where players control a fighter ship that looks to take on waves of oncoming forces. While Xevious 3D/G was the eighth mainline entry in the Xevious series, it was the first to get ported to the PS1 in 1997. As such, many may associated it more with the original PlayStation console than they would with its arcade iteration.
“The classic masterpiece Xevious 3D/G is reborn in polygons!” says the description of this new port. “Everything is rendered in 3D with diverse screen angles and camera work, plus new weapons and enemy characters have been added. Conquer all seven areas, including the desert with the geoglyph and the space fortress!”
Like with many other ports we’ve seen in recent months, Hamster is the developer that happens to be behind this new release of Xevious 3D/G. The former PS1 game is the latest title to join the sprawling Arcade Archives catalog that Hamster has continued to bolster over time, which has resulted in countless forgotten games from the 80s and 90s being brought back.
As for the new features that Xevious 3D/G offers, Hamster has added a new mode called Time Attack, which challenges players to complete the game as fast as possible. New gameplay modifiers such as a rapid fire option, save slots, and a rewind function have also been included to make things a bit easier. Perhaps best of all, though, is that Xevious 3D/G will also come with VRR support, which means that the game’s performance can reflect how it originally was seen in arcades. Because of all of these new upgrades, this should make this port of Xevious 3D/G the definitive way to now experience the game for those looking to revisit it or check it out for the first time.
As mentioned, if you’re looking to pick up Xevious 3D/G for yourself, the game will hit the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop tomorrow on September 24th. Like with past Arcade Archives titles, Xevious 3D/G will retail for $16.99 across both PS5 and Switch 2.