Taito Continues Retro Revival With Plump Pop's Release on Modern Consoles
Taito, a legendary force in classic arcade game development, is bringing one of its most unique titles, Plump Pop, to modern gaming platforms this week.
Originally released in arcades in 1987, Plump Pop is set to launch as part of both the Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 series, making it accessible on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5), and Xbox Series X|S on Thursday, March 5th. Plump Pop stands out among Taito’s extensive arcade portfolio for its vibrant, animal-themed action and inventive gameplay reminiscent of earlier hits like Atari’s Breakout (1976) and Exidy’s Circus (1977).
Players assume the role of a family of animals—choosing from dogs, cats, or pigs—whose mission is to bounce a young character into floating objects and foes above using a trampoline (or, occasionally, their heads).
As in the brick-breaker classics, the objective is to maintain momentum and avoid letting the main character drop to the bottom of the screen.
However, Taito’s design brings new layers of interaction and challenge. Notably, certain items yield a variety of collectible fruits for bonus points, while hazardous objects like dumbbells can hinder progress if they fall and strike the player.
The game features a robust structure with 10 rounds, each divided into four levels.
Every third stage serves as a bonus round focused on fruit collection, while every fourth level challenges players with a boss encounter.
In addition to solo gameplay, Plump Pop also includes a two-player cooperative mode, allowing friends to team up and master the arcade experience together. According to a statement adapted from Hamster Corporation, the publisher overseeing the Arcade Archives series, the PS4 and Nintendo Switch version of Plump Pop will retail for $7.99, featuring traditional bonuses such as alternative game modes, CRT filters, and the inclusion of online leaderboards for competitive ranking.
The enhanced Arcade Archives 2 edition—available on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S—will be priced at $9.99 and introduces support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) as well as a new Time Attack mode for added replay value. Since its original arcade debut, Plump Pop has seen a handful of re-releases, most notably as part of the Japan-exclusive Taito Memories II Volume 2 for PlayStation 2, the Western market compilation Taito Legends, and, more recently, in the Egret II Mini Paddle & Trackball Game Expansion Set for Taito’s Egret Mini II. With this release, Taito and Hamster continue to make their influential catalog accessible to new audiences while preserving the vibrant history of arcade gaming.
Fans eager to revisit—or discover—Plump Pop will find it available on their platform of choice from March 5th, 2024, further extending the legacy of a singular, genre-blending classic.
Originally released in arcades in 1987, Plump Pop is set to launch as part of both the Arcade Archives and Arcade Archives 2 series, making it accessible on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 4 (PS4), PlayStation 5 (PS5), and Xbox Series X|S on Thursday, March 5th. Plump Pop stands out among Taito’s extensive arcade portfolio for its vibrant, animal-themed action and inventive gameplay reminiscent of earlier hits like Atari’s Breakout (1976) and Exidy’s Circus (1977).
Players assume the role of a family of animals—choosing from dogs, cats, or pigs—whose mission is to bounce a young character into floating objects and foes above using a trampoline (or, occasionally, their heads).
As in the brick-breaker classics, the objective is to maintain momentum and avoid letting the main character drop to the bottom of the screen.
However, Taito’s design brings new layers of interaction and challenge. Notably, certain items yield a variety of collectible fruits for bonus points, while hazardous objects like dumbbells can hinder progress if they fall and strike the player.
The game features a robust structure with 10 rounds, each divided into four levels.
Every third stage serves as a bonus round focused on fruit collection, while every fourth level challenges players with a boss encounter.
In addition to solo gameplay, Plump Pop also includes a two-player cooperative mode, allowing friends to team up and master the arcade experience together. According to a statement adapted from Hamster Corporation, the publisher overseeing the Arcade Archives series, the PS4 and Nintendo Switch version of Plump Pop will retail for $7.99, featuring traditional bonuses such as alternative game modes, CRT filters, and the inclusion of online leaderboards for competitive ranking.
The enhanced Arcade Archives 2 edition—available on PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S—will be priced at $9.99 and introduces support for Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) as well as a new Time Attack mode for added replay value. Since its original arcade debut, Plump Pop has seen a handful of re-releases, most notably as part of the Japan-exclusive Taito Memories II Volume 2 for PlayStation 2, the Western market compilation Taito Legends, and, more recently, in the Egret II Mini Paddle & Trackball Game Expansion Set for Taito’s Egret Mini II. With this release, Taito and Hamster continue to make their influential catalog accessible to new audiences while preserving the vibrant history of arcade gaming.
Fans eager to revisit—or discover—Plump Pop will find it available on their platform of choice from March 5th, 2024, further extending the legacy of a singular, genre-blending classic.
