Taito Releases HD Remasters of Ninja Hayate and Time Gal Globally on Steam

Taito, a renowned name in the arcade gaming industry, has officially released its highly anticipated HD remasters of the classic laserdisc titles Ninja Hayate and Time Gal on Steam.

This global launch marks the first time these two pivotal games are available outside of Japan as stand-alone releases on modern platforms.

Both games, hallmark entries in the laserdisc arcade era, are individually priced at £20.99, with a limited time introductory discount reducing each to £16.99.

Players can also opt for a bundled package, currently discounted by 20% and priced at £26.86. Previously, Ninja Hayate and Time Gal were included exclusively in the Taito LD Game Collection, a Japan-only release for the Nintendo Switch in 2024.

This collection also featured Space Battleship Yamato, known to Western audiences as Star Blazers.

The move to bring these remasters to Steam signals Taito’s recognition of the global market’s appetite for nostalgia and preservation of arcade history.

The Steam versions include full language support in English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese, allowing a wider audience to experience these legendary titles. Laserdisc games, popularized in arcades of the 1980s, represented a leap forward in video game animation and presentation by harnessing the capabilities of LaserDisc technology.

These games offered animated graphics that were far more sophisticated than contemporaries, setting a new standard for visual storytelling in gaming.

Among the most famous laserdisc games is Dragon's Lair (1983), developed by RDI Video Systems and featuring animation from Don Bluth.

Japanese developers like Taito, Data East, and Universal were also pioneers in this innovative genre. Ninja Hayate, first released in arcades by Taito in 1984, casts players as the courageous Hayate.

The gameplay involves navigating a perilous castle filled with traps to rescue a princess abducted by a mysterious ninja clan.

Success depends on timely and accurate input commands, challenging both reflexes and memory—a signature trait of laserdisc titles.

Time Gal followed in 1985, centering on the time-traveling protagonist Reika, also known as Time Gal.

Players pursue the villain Luda across different historical periods, from prehistoric eras to futuristic settings, striving to prevent him from altering the course of history. By bringing Ninja Hayate and Time Gal to Steam, Taito extends the legacy of these genre-defining games to new generations of players and veteran fans alike.

The HD remasters are now available for purchase, solidifying Taito’s commitment to preserving arcade classics and expanding their reach beyond their original platforms.

Nintendo Switch Taito Ninja Hayate Time Gal Steam Taito LD Game Collection Nintendo Japan Switch arcade