Konami’s Battle Tryst, the 1998 arcade fighter, has made a surprising leap onto the rare 3DO M2 FZ-35S kiosk system—a feat that marks a new chapter in both retro game preservation and hardware history.
The 3DO M2, known as one of the most renowned unreleased consoles, was originally designed as a successor to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.
Despite ambitions to surpass contemporary hardware like Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, the M2’s life was cut short.
In 1996, 3DO sold rights to M2 technology to Panasonic’s parent company, Matsushita, leading to the hardware’s cancellation just a year later. While the M2 never reached consumers as a home console, it did emerge in the form of the FZ-35S—a kiosk-unit targeted at commercial clients.
According to respected sources including the 3DO Archive, the FZ-35S carried the same advanced internals as the unreleased consumer M2, but it lacked compatibility for the arcade game library built on M2’s dedicated hardware.
This limitation made it an object of fascination among collectors, but of limited functionality for even the most ardent M2 enthusiasts. The breakthrough arrived thanks to the dedication of the retro community, most notably Dutchconsolefreak (Twitter handle @Clown57859).
Through technical expertise and preservation work, an M2 arcade port of Battle Tryst is now playable on the FZ-35S kiosk system for the first time.
This accomplishment not only revives an elusive chapter in gaming hardware but also honors Konami’s notable 1998 release, which once promised playable characters based on Castlevania icons Simon and Richter Belmont. Battle Tryst is remembered as one of five Konami titles to utilize the M2 arcade board, alongside Heat of Eleven '98, Evil Night, Tobe! Polystars, and Total Vice.
Each of these games represents a piece of arcade history tied to the fate of the M2 platform.
Battle Tryst, with its fluid 3D visuals and ambitious crossover concepts, stands out as a significant artifact of late-1990s arcade innovation. This new port underscores the enduring passion within the gaming community for hardware preservation and digital archaeology.
As FZ-35S units continue to occupy a unique space in retro collecting, efforts like this spotlight how collaboration can extend the legacy of platforms once thought lost to history.
With the successful arcade port of Battle Tryst, both Konami’s development legacy and the cultural value of the 3DO M2 receive renewed recognition—ensuring their stories endure in the ever-evolving landscape of video game heritage.
The 3DO M2, known as one of the most renowned unreleased consoles, was originally designed as a successor to the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer.
Despite ambitions to surpass contemporary hardware like Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, the M2’s life was cut short.
In 1996, 3DO sold rights to M2 technology to Panasonic’s parent company, Matsushita, leading to the hardware’s cancellation just a year later. While the M2 never reached consumers as a home console, it did emerge in the form of the FZ-35S—a kiosk-unit targeted at commercial clients.
According to respected sources including the 3DO Archive, the FZ-35S carried the same advanced internals as the unreleased consumer M2, but it lacked compatibility for the arcade game library built on M2’s dedicated hardware.
This limitation made it an object of fascination among collectors, but of limited functionality for even the most ardent M2 enthusiasts. The breakthrough arrived thanks to the dedication of the retro community, most notably Dutchconsolefreak (Twitter handle @Clown57859).
Through technical expertise and preservation work, an M2 arcade port of Battle Tryst is now playable on the FZ-35S kiosk system for the first time.
This accomplishment not only revives an elusive chapter in gaming hardware but also honors Konami’s notable 1998 release, which once promised playable characters based on Castlevania icons Simon and Richter Belmont. Battle Tryst is remembered as one of five Konami titles to utilize the M2 arcade board, alongside Heat of Eleven '98, Evil Night, Tobe! Polystars, and Total Vice.
Each of these games represents a piece of arcade history tied to the fate of the M2 platform.
Battle Tryst, with its fluid 3D visuals and ambitious crossover concepts, stands out as a significant artifact of late-1990s arcade innovation. This new port underscores the enduring passion within the gaming community for hardware preservation and digital archaeology.
As FZ-35S units continue to occupy a unique space in retro collecting, efforts like this spotlight how collaboration can extend the legacy of platforms once thought lost to history.
With the successful arcade port of Battle Tryst, both Konami’s development legacy and the cultural value of the 3DO M2 receive renewed recognition—ensuring their stories endure in the ever-evolving landscape of video game heritage.
