The titles that are still included in Taito Japan's Taito Milestone 3 collection have been revealed via Twitter. Of the 10 games, seven were already known to us. A short while back, the two Rastan sequels were revealed. However, it seems that Dead Connection will be the last game. The only release date that we currently know is November 28, 2024 in Japan; a North American launch is scheduled for this winter.
The bundled arcade titles are listed below, as shown on the banner:
- Bubble Bobble
- Rastan Saga
- Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2
- Rastan Saga 2 (Nastar Warrior)
- Champion Wrestler
- Cadash
- Thunder Fox
- Runark (Growl)
- Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode 3
- Dead Connection
If you haven't played any of the games before, this is a fantastic selection that you should check out. Runark is something of a Indiana Jones beat-'em-up that has been receiving a lot of reevaluation and celebration (Growl in North America). Cash is an oddly kind effort at a sidescrolling arcade role-playing game. There is no need to introduce Bubble Bobble.
Next, there's Dead Connection, which is initially observing a console port. The whole scenario is shown on screen in this peculiar little beat-'em-up/shooter, and you can move your small man around it to take out criminals. It's comparable to Wild Guns, but without the shooting gallery arrangement reminiscent of Cabal. All the other items on this list made it into the Taito Legends, but for some reason this one didn't.
Ten of Hamster's Arcade Archives releases are included in the Taito Milestones collections, often including some that aren't yet available separately. The ports are quite faithful to the originals. A long back, I reviewed Taito Milestones 2, although it wasn't nearly as loaded as this one.
On Switch, Taito Milestones 3 is scheduled for release. The only date of release that has been revealed is November 28, 2024 in Japan. Sometime this winter, it will be published in North America.