Balloon bomber has been announced as this week’s release in Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 lines of emulated coin-op titles for modern formats, following on from last week’s Arcade Archives 2-exclusive release of Xevious 3D/G, on which we reported at the time.
Originally released into arcades by Taito way back in 1980, Balloon Bomber is a shooter the aim of which Hamster Corporation describes as being to: “control the anti-aircraft gun and destroy the balloon bombs as they gently sway through the air,” adding that:
“however, destroying the balloon bombs is no easy task. Aim and shoot so your bullets hit only the bomb itself, and: “if your shot hits the balloon instead, the bomb will fall and blow a hole in the ground. Be careful, as the anti-aircraft gun cannot pass over holes, narrowing your movement range.”
The Arcade Archives version of Balloon Bomber is set to be released tomorrow (October 1, 2026) on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, priced at $7.99 USD or local equivalent.
Meanwhile, the Arcade Archives 2 version of Balloon Bomber, which adds a new Time Attack mode to the game, is set to be released on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and XBOX Series X|S, priced at $9.99 USD or local equivalent.
As usual, purchasers of the Arcade Archives version of the game on Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4 can upgrade to the Arcade Archives 2 version at a later date, on Nintendo Switch 2 or PlayStation 5 respectively, for $2.99 USD or local equivalent.
