Taito's Exzisus Is Heading to Arcade Archives With Both Single-Screen and Dual-Screen Versions

Hamster confirms Taito's 1987 mecha shmup Exzisus for Arcade Archives on November 5, featuring both the single-screen and rare dual-screen arcade versions.

Hamster has confirmed another addition to its long-running Arcade Archives programme: Taito's 1987 horizontally scrolling shooter Exzisus. The announcement was circulated by Japanese gaming publication Famitsu on October 8 and received fresh international coverage on October 10. The game is scheduled to arrive on November 5 for PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series platforms. Exzisus places players in control of a transforming combat machine capable of switching between humanoid and spacecraft configurations. Each form provides different capabilities, encouraging players to adapt their approach while navigating enemy formations and environmental hazards. Mechanical animal companions can also assist during combat. The original arcade game contains four stages with elaborate boss encounters, including enormous mechanical creatures that enthusiastically demonstrate the 1980s arcade industry's preference for solving every design problem with additional weaponry. The forthcoming release is especially interesting because Hamster plans to include both the single-screen and dual-screen arcade configurations. According to the announcement, the dual-screen version has not previously received a conventional home-console conversion. Exzisus has appeared in earlier compilations, including Taito Legends, but access to both arcade configurations represents a meaningful preservation improvement. The Arcade Archives series has become an important route for keeping original coin-operated games commercially available without requiring collectors to maintain increasingly fragile cabinets. Exzisus may not enjoy the recognition of Space Invaders or Darius, but it represents another distinctive chapter in Taito's arcade history. Its November return should give shooter enthusiasts another opportunity to discover that transforming into a spaceship does not automatically make avoiding bullets any easier.