Never Ported Since Its 1996 Arcade Debut: Ace Driver: Victory Lap and The Raiden Project Launch October 22 on Switch 2 and PS5
Thirty years after lighting up Japanese arcades, a major piece of 1990s polygonal racing history is finally making its home console debut. Retro preservation specialist Hamster Corporation has officially announced that two landmark classics will launch tomorrow, October 22, 2026: the futuristic arcade racer Ace Driver: Victory Lap (across the Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 lineups) alongside the legendary 32-bit shoot 'em up compilation The Raiden Project under the Console Archives banner.
Ace Driver: Victory Lap Gets Its First-Ever Home Release After 30 Years
Originally released in arcades in 1996 by Namco Limited (now Bandai Namco Entertainment), Ace Driver: Victory Lap serves as the direct sequel to 1994's Ace Driver, which arrived in arcades just ten months after the original Ridge Racer. Built on the legendary Namco System 22 3D arcade board, Victory Lap put players behind the wheel of futuristic Formula-style racing machines across high-speed, elevation-heavy circuits.
Unlike many of its 1990s contemporaries, Ace Driver: Victory Lap never received a home console port during the PlayStation 1 era. Following the Arcade Archives release of the original Ace Driver back in May, this 1996 sequel expands the formula with fully redesigned vehicles, two brand-new tracks added to the original course, and a dedicated Championship mode where racers tackle all three circuits in sequence.
This release marks the twelfth polygonal arcade classic from Namco's System 11 and System 22 hardware families brought to modern platforms by Hamster Corporation, joining a celebrated roster that already includes Ridge Racer, Rave Racer, Air Combat 22, Tokyo Wars, Aqua Jet, Cyber Commando, Ace Driver, Armadillo Racing, Cyber Cycles, Tekken, and Xevious 3D/G.
Pricing, Platforms, and Arcade Archives 2 VRR Enhancements
Launching on October 22, Ace Driver: Victory Lap will be available across two distinct hardware tiers:
- Arcade Archives Ace Driver: Victory Lap (PS4 and Nintendo Switch): Priced at $14.99 (1,500 yen), featuring Original Mode, Hi Score Mode, and Caravan Mode, alongside rewind support, multiple save slots, display customization, and global online leaderboards.
- Arcade Archives 2 Ace Driver: Victory Lap (PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S): Priced at $16.99 (£14.99 / 1,800 yen), this current-gen edition adds a dedicated Time Attack Mode focused purely on completion speed rather than score, as well as VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) support to accurately match the original Namco System 22 arcade board's refresh rate.
- Cross-Gen Upgrade Path: Owners of the standard Arcade Archives version on PS4 or Nintendo Switch can upgrade to the Arcade Archives 2 edition on PS5 or Nintendo Switch 2 for $2.99 (330 yen).
As players continue evaluating how new and classic releases perform on Nintendo Switch 2, native VRR support ensures these early 3D arcade racers run with frame-accurate responsiveness.
Console Archives: The Raiden Project Brings 32-Bit Shmup Action to Switch 2 and PS5
Sharing the October 22, 2026 spotlight is Console Archives: The Raiden Project, launching on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 for $11.99 (1,200 yen).
Originally developed by Seibu Kaihatsu and released in 1995 as one of the defining early showcase titles for the 32-bit PlayStation era, The Raiden Project bundles two arcade vertical-scrolling shoot 'em up titans: 1990's original Raiden and its acclaimed 1993 sequel Raiden II. Players pilot an ultra-high-altitude fighter-bomber to repel an alien invasion using upgradable vulcan cannons, plasma lasers, and screen-clearing bombs.
Hamster Corporation notes that this Console Archives release features the original Japanese version exclusively, meaning all internal menu text remains in Japanese. To modernize the experience on PS5 and Switch 2, the port includes full button remapping, adjustable rapid-fire settings, multiple save states, a rewind feature, screen layout customization, and CRT television filters designed to recreate the visual warmth of mid-1990s displays.
My Take
As a longtime fan of arcade hardware history, seeing Ace Driver: Victory Lap finally break free from its arcade-only status after thirty years is a genuine milestone. For decades, games built on the Namco System 22 architecture remained locked inside aging, hard-to-maintain cabinets. The fact that Hamster Corporation has now rescued a dozen polygonal Namco arcade classics and paired them with VRR support on modern displays is a massive win for video game preservation.
Pair that historic racing debut with The Raiden Project returning to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2, and October 22 delivers an outstanding double feature for retro enthusiasts. While individual Arcade Archives 2 pricing adds up if you collect every release, the exemplary emulation accuracy and the preservation of never-before-ported 1990s hardware make both titles easy to appreciate.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles 'Grimtag' Ronchain is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
