Go Nagai’s legendary series hits the shmup scene
Something a bit special from the retro funsters of Hamster this week, as Banpresto’s coin-op adaptation of the much-loved manga/anime series Mazinger Z has joined the Arcade Archives, and is now available to download on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.
Released to the Japanese arcade market in 1994, the vertically scrolling shmup is an adaptation of Go Nagai’s iconic mecha franchise, which spawned numerous manga, anime, and theatrical films. Players choose from one of three vessels — Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, or Grendizer — before embarking on a mission to defeat the endless forces of The Mechanical Beasts, Mycenae Forces, and The Vegan Empire, which have combined their powers in a joint plan to conquer the world. What follows is eight stages of frenetic arcade action, as the Mazinger forces battle the three factions and the mastermind, Dr. Hell.
While the arrival of Mazinger Z is very much a welcome one, it comes at something of a price, quite literally. In order to secure the license to release Mazinger Z, Hamster was pressed to roll out extra Yen to the license holders. The publisher is looking to pass this cost on to the player, as Mazinger Z will retail for twice the price of all Arcade Archives entries. This is the first time that Hamster has had to pay the additional licensing fee, which suggests that any future re-releases based on popular and lucrative brands might also see a lift in their retail costs.
It’s rough, especially given that many Arcade Archives releases are already a little princely for their longevity, but for Mazinger fans, the extra buckeroos will probably be seen as a bill worth footing.
Mazinger Z is available to download now on PS4 and Nintendo Switch priced at around $15.
