
The famous video game developer Taito Corporation - known for legendary arcade hits like Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble - will celebrate its 70th anniversary on 24th August 2023. To prepare for this epic milestone, the company has already kicked things off by opening a commemorative website and a special Twitter account:
"Happy New Year... Taito celebrates its 70th anniversary this year."
Taito was founded in 1953 by Michael Kogan. It made a name for itself with vending machines and jukeboxes and then moved into electro-mechanical games in the 60s. This followed with its entry into the video game arcade cabinet business in 1973 - with Tomohiro Nishikado creating the popular shoot 'em up Space Invaders in 1978.
Apart from some local promotions in Japan such as giveaways and restaurant events, it's unclear at this stage what exactly Taito has planned for its big 70th anniversary celebration. One highlight for the company over the past year was its mini arcade cabinet - the Egret II Mini. You can learn more about it on our retro game website Time Extension.
As we get closer to the anniversary later this year, we'll be sure to keep you updated.
[source taito.co.jp, via siliconera.com]
Comments 45
Congratulations!
P.S. I had to wiki what games they made in recent years.
It's good to know that Taito is still alive, well, It is true that it has been very silent in terms of games on consoles, but that its IPs are still valid under its name and that its retro games gradually reach the present day is something good to see.
Hopefully the year Knuckle Joe returns! Come on Hamster
Damn, had no idea they were that old already. Nice to see them still being around though.
I'd be very much interested in another Taito collection.
Are they still making games?
Taito is an interesting company, despite their big list of games, Bust-A-Move (Puzzle Bobble) is probably the only game I really loved of theirs.
Maybe give the Atari 50th lads a call?
According to Wiki, the New Zealand Story is scheduled to release as an Arcade Archive title at the end of this month.
We had Bubble Bobble last week.
I am hoping Rainbow Islands, Chase HQ, SCI, Operation Wolf / Thunderbolt (with motion control) will follow
So who is excited for Operation Wolf Returns! I know I am!
Rainbow Islands: The Story of Bubble Bobble 2 on Switch!!!!!!
PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
The problem with Rainbow Islands is the Over The Rainbow tune in it. That's why they release the Extra version these days.
The Japan only Mega Drive version has the original tune I recognise from playing the Amstrad Cpc464 version (on a green screen) as well as the Extra version.
@jrt87 oh no - I've just looked up those games you've mentioned and it looks like I will be doing the same thing!
@Gerald
Yes! All of those please. There was a spell in the late 80s and early 90s where I loved loads of Tahiti Arcade games. It helped that several of them got really good conversions to my home Micro of choice (Amstrad CPC)
Remaster Operation: Wolf please. I have a love-hate relationship with that game back on the NES. I wanted to get good at it but was garbage playing with any controller options, but my dad, who rarely plays video games, was awesome at it with the gamepad. It was one of the few games he mastered but I couldn't quite get a grasp on.
I now wonder how I'd do if I ever played it again.
@electrolite77 I also had an Amstrad 6128. From what I remember, most of the Taito Arcade Conversion were done by Ocean, and were fantastic.
The Sega Arcade Conversions were mostly done by US Gold, and were so disappointing
Arcade Archives Bubble Bobble is on the eShop at last. 🥳
Please let there be a new Densha de Go game or new content in the 2020 game. 😬
I really enjoyed playing classic Taito arcade games on their Egret 2 Mini last year. I received its first “Arcade Memories” expansion pack last week and will try out those games soon - especially Gladiator which I remember seeing as a kid.
Hopefully in this Anniversary year they’ll release Arcade Memories vol. 2 for the Egret and Hamster will get a few more Taito hits out on Arcade Archives.
@Gerald
An Amstrad brother! That’s exactly how I remember it. US Gold did a terrible job with the Sega stuff like Outrun and Capcom games like Strider and Ghouls N Ghosts.
Ocean OTOH were great with the Taito games. Op Wolf and Thunderbolt, Bubble Bobble, Rainbow Islands, Arkanoid, and of course Chase HQ which I personally think was one of the best games on the system.
Ok but can there really be any more iterations of Space Invaders worth doing after Space Invaders Forever? ... all been done now surely!
I also would really like another collection on switch. Something similar to the volumes 1&2 from the 4th gen consoles. Kickle Cubicle was always a favorite of mine.
Awesome! They're one of my favorite developers and I've kind of been feeling spoiled these days (Taito on Arcade Archives, those Darius collections, the Egret Mini). So more Taito would be awesome. I'd like a Switch collection that is not Taito Milestones, please.
Also: for the Taito fans, it looks like New Zealand Story is coming to Arcade Archives at the end of this month---possibly as part of this campaign?
HELL YES!!!! If this means they're going to finally re-release the two Puzzle Bobble saturn games they were talking about with City Connection this year, I will be drooling all over the floor (not literally ofc)! :333333
@jrt87
I've been eyeing it up, but the price is a killer at the moment. Plus, since I bought the Mjnu, there's another six of its games released on the AA series!
@MediaKing
I'm sure I reas that the tune becomes public domain very soon. Was gutted to only get Extra on the Egret, just not the same.
Congratulations, a collection of arcade games for current consoles would be great.
I am pretty sure this site mentioned there would be Puzzle Bobble 3 available on the switch. I am still waiting and hoping that happens :c
@Erigen
"P.S. I had to wiki what games they made in recent years."
"wiki"?
@Gerald
"According to Wiki, the New Zealand Story is scheduled to release as an Arcade Archive title at the end of this month."
"Wiki"?
@Mario500 Hi there. Wikipedia.
There is an Arcade Archives / ACA Neo Geo page. It lists all game available for PS4 and Switch
It is regularly updated. Occasionally you get Bogus Entries, but I find most of the time this is reliable and accurate
I'm glad that even though they are part of Square Enix, they still do their own things separate from the main two in the company. This is unlike Hudson who is a part of Konami but has done nothing yet other than Super Bomberman R.
@MediaKing Really but I thought the melody was different enough that they could get away with it and that's why they did it like that. And why would they be able to use it back in the day but not now?
@Clyde_Radcliffe it's called getting caught! They haven't released the original arcade version on any system and I think that Japanese Mega Drive version was the last with the old music. The PS1 era versions were released with Bubble Bobble had different music included.
Even though their parent company SQEX is having the runs as of late, it’s nice to know taito is functioning semi-autonomously from them (ultimately it’s still up to SQEX if they make any announcements this year)
looking forward to the Puzzle Bobble I pre-ordered (with the 2 plushies cuz I'm a sucker)
An actually new Darius game would be incredible
I hope that Puchi Carat (the hybrid of Arkanoid and Puzzle bubble) y Cleopatra Fortune come soon to Switch (and if is possible, Cleopatra Fortune 2)
Hopefully I get to play PHOENIX again this year. I haven't played my favourite shooter since the 80s on my atari 2600. Please release it Mr Taito
@jrt87 does it have Phoenix on it?
@Angelic_Lapras_King Digital Eclipse. They did the Cowabunga Collection and several others too. They're definitely the high water mark for collections.
70 years?! I didn't know they were that old?!
@FatWormBlowsASparky About Fricking Time. That was amongst the PS4 Arcade Archives Stuff for the last few years. Now I can banish the disappointing Bubble Bobble 4 Friends from my memory card.
Also, I hope to finally see Bubble Symphony and Bubble Memories get an official home consumer release outside of Japan. I remember the arcades versions from one of those arcades that used to be on George Street Sydney back in the 80s and 90s. I've got Symphony and Memories ROMs on the RG351P, but I'd be quite happy to fork out for Arcade Archives releases of those two.
Space Invaders is such a well written game. Also I'm playing and loving Puzzle Bobble on Switch at the moment. I can't wait for the new Switch Puzzle Bobble coming soon.
I’d be thrilled just to see Taito Legends 1&2 come back! Great collections on PS2!
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