Taito turns Psychic Force into gacha collectibles as series remains dormant
Taito has repurposed its mid-1990s fighting series Psychic Force into collectible merchandise, announcing a run of acrylic stand figures distributed through gacha machines at two Tokyo arcades on May 3, 2024.
Psychic Force, developed and published by Taito, debuted in arcades in 1995 and was subsequently ported to home platforms; the new merchandise highlights renewed interest in the franchise's legacy even as the series itself remains inactive.
A brief series timeline and platform history
- Psychic Force first launched in arcades in 1995 and received a PlayStation port.
- An arcade-only update, Psychic Force EX, arrived in 1996.
- A full sequel titled Psychic Force 2012 released in arcades in 1998 and was later ported to the Dreamcast and to the PlayStation under the name Psychic Force 2 in 1999.
- In 2006, Taito released Psychic Force Complete on PS2, packaging the original Psychic Force and Psychic Force 2012 (renamed and remixed as Psychic Force 2012 EX).
Since those releases, the series has remained dormant with no major new games announced.
Gacha release details and retail availability
Taito confirmed the collectible acrylic stands will be dispensed from gacha (capsule toy) machines and stocked exclusively at two Taito Station locations in Tokyo: Taito Station Tachikawa North Exit and Taito Station Shinjuku South Exit.
The items go on sale Saturday, May 3, 2024.
The move follows Taito’s long history as both a developer/publisher and operator of arcade locations under the Taito Station brand.
Rewriting notable statements in journalistic language
The original coverage observed that Psychic Force is not an obvious candidate for merchandising; Taito’s decision to package the franchise as gacha collectibles represents a targeted merchandising effort that leverages nostalgia for a niche, anti-gravity fighting series.
Context for collectors and platform fans
While Psychic Force enjoyed arcade and PlayStation/Dreamcast-era exposure and received a PS2 compilation in 2006, it has not been the subject of recent re-releases on modern digital storefronts or contemporary platforms such as Nintendo Switch or the Nintendo eShop.
Fans interested in physical merchandise can visit the specified Taito Station locations on May 3 to obtain the acrylic stands directly from the gacha machines.
Taito has repurposed its mid-1990s fighting series Psychic Force into collectible merchandise, announcing a run of acrylic stand figures distributed through gacha machines at two Tokyo arcades on May 3, 2024.
Psychic Force, developed and published by Taito, debuted in arcades in 1995 and was subsequently ported to home platforms; the new merchandise highlights renewed interest in the franchise's legacy even as the series itself remains inactive.
A brief series timeline and platform history
- Psychic Force first launched in arcades in 1995 and received a PlayStation port.
- An arcade-only update, Psychic Force EX, arrived in 1996.
- A full sequel titled Psychic Force 2012 released in arcades in 1998 and was later ported to the Dreamcast and to the PlayStation under the name Psychic Force 2 in 1999.
- In 2006, Taito released Psychic Force Complete on PS2, packaging the original Psychic Force and Psychic Force 2012 (renamed and remixed as Psychic Force 2012 EX).
Since those releases, the series has remained dormant with no major new games announced.
Gacha release details and retail availability
Taito confirmed the collectible acrylic stands will be dispensed from gacha (capsule toy) machines and stocked exclusively at two Taito Station locations in Tokyo: Taito Station Tachikawa North Exit and Taito Station Shinjuku South Exit.
The items go on sale Saturday, May 3, 2024.
The move follows Taito’s long history as both a developer/publisher and operator of arcade locations under the Taito Station brand.
Rewriting notable statements in journalistic language
The original coverage observed that Psychic Force is not an obvious candidate for merchandising; Taito’s decision to package the franchise as gacha collectibles represents a targeted merchandising effort that leverages nostalgia for a niche, anti-gravity fighting series.
Context for collectors and platform fans
While Psychic Force enjoyed arcade and PlayStation/Dreamcast-era exposure and received a PS2 compilation in 2006, it has not been the subject of recent re-releases on modern digital storefronts or contemporary platforms such as Nintendo Switch or the Nintendo eShop.
Fans interested in physical merchandise can visit the specified Taito Station locations on May 3 to obtain the acrylic stands directly from the gacha machines.
