Columbus Circle has announced a physical Famicom re-release of Snow Bros, the 1991 Famicom port of Toaplan’s 1990 arcade platformer, and a matching Limited Edition variant of its 8-bit Pocket V2 handheld.
The company says the boxed cartridge and handheld bundle are scheduled to ship in November and will initially target the Japanese market.
Snow Bros began life as a 1990 arcade title from Toaplan and was later ported to Famicom hardware in 1991 by Soft House.
The single-screen platformer follows protagonists Nick and Tom, who are turned into snowmen and must traverse a string of maze-like stages, turning enemies into snowballs and sending them off-screen to clear each level.
The game’s structure, boss encounters and bonus stages span 50 levels in the Famicom version.
In promotional material, Columbus Circle emphasized the game’s core appeal — the fast-paced, single-screen snowball combat and stage progression — using energetic language to highlight the return of all 50 stages.
The publisher also described new cartridge artwork as being intentionally evocative of arcade-era visuals and distinct from the packaging used for the 2024 Nintendo Switch release, Snow Bros.
Wonderland.
Columbus Circle’s rerelease package will include a boxed Famicom cartridge with fresh artwork and a Limited Edition Snow Bros variant of the company’s 8-bit Pocket V2 handheld.
The handheld is a licensed, retro-style Famicom device produced by Columbus Circle that has seen prior limited releases and color variants aimed at collectors of physical retro hardware.
No announcement has been made regarding a global or Western retail release; Columbus Circle’s initial communication identifies Japan as the launch territory.
Interested buyers outside Japan should expect to obtain the products through import channels if no international distribution is later confirmed.
Snow Bros remains notable for its lineage in the early 1990s arcade and home console era and for carrying gameplay motifs familiar to fans of single-screen action-platformers.
The upcoming physical reissue and handheld variant add to a continuing wave of retro-focused releases for collectors on Famicom hardware and preserve a piece of Toaplan’s catalog for cartridge collectors and retro enthusiasts alike.
The company says the boxed cartridge and handheld bundle are scheduled to ship in November and will initially target the Japanese market.
Snow Bros began life as a 1990 arcade title from Toaplan and was later ported to Famicom hardware in 1991 by Soft House.
The single-screen platformer follows protagonists Nick and Tom, who are turned into snowmen and must traverse a string of maze-like stages, turning enemies into snowballs and sending them off-screen to clear each level.
The game’s structure, boss encounters and bonus stages span 50 levels in the Famicom version.
In promotional material, Columbus Circle emphasized the game’s core appeal — the fast-paced, single-screen snowball combat and stage progression — using energetic language to highlight the return of all 50 stages.
The publisher also described new cartridge artwork as being intentionally evocative of arcade-era visuals and distinct from the packaging used for the 2024 Nintendo Switch release, Snow Bros.
Wonderland.
Columbus Circle’s rerelease package will include a boxed Famicom cartridge with fresh artwork and a Limited Edition Snow Bros variant of the company’s 8-bit Pocket V2 handheld.
The handheld is a licensed, retro-style Famicom device produced by Columbus Circle that has seen prior limited releases and color variants aimed at collectors of physical retro hardware.
No announcement has been made regarding a global or Western retail release; Columbus Circle’s initial communication identifies Japan as the launch territory.
Interested buyers outside Japan should expect to obtain the products through import channels if no international distribution is later confirmed.
Snow Bros remains notable for its lineage in the early 1990s arcade and home console era and for carrying gameplay motifs familiar to fans of single-screen action-platformers.
The upcoming physical reissue and handheld variant add to a continuing wave of retro-focused releases for collectors on Famicom hardware and preserve a piece of Toaplan’s catalog for cartridge collectors and retro enthusiasts alike.
