Taito’s 1987 Shooter Exzisus Joins Arcade Archives Today on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox

Another Taito oddity is back. Hamster has released Exzisus, Taito’s 1987 horizontal shooter, on Arcade Archives today, for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

What is Exzisus?

You play Cosmo Fighter Robin, a mech who can switch between a robot form and a fast Turbo Jet mode, fighting off a mysterious army in the 4th Galaxy with a blaster and missiles. Collect power-ups and you can summon robot animal helpers, a bird and a dog, to fight alongside you. Each stage ends with a giant robot boss, and the trick is aiming for its weak spots. It supports one or two players.

It is one of those late-80s Taito games that never got the fame of Darius or Rainbow Islands, though it did appear on compilations like the PS2 Taito Legends series. For a lot of players, this will be the first proper chance to play it on a modern console.

Two versions, two prices

Version	Platforms	Price
Arcade Archives	Switch, PS4	$7.99
Arcade Archives 2	Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S	$9.99

Upgrading from the Switch or PS4 version to Arcade Archives 2 costs $2.99. Both include the usual Original Mode, with difficulty and display settings, rapid-fire, button remapping, save anywhere and a rewind function, plus Hi Score and Caravan modes with online rankings. The Arcade Archives 2 version adds a Time Attack Mode and VRR support. All the details are on the official Arcade Archives page.

Our take

Transforming mechs, a robot dog and big bosses: Exzisus is pure 1987 arcade, and exactly the kind of deep cut that makes Arcade Archives worth following week to week. It is a good month for Taito fans too, with Taito Milestones 5 on the way to Switch. If you have a shmup-shaped hole in your evening, this is a cheap way to fill it.

Did you ever find an Exzisus cab in the wild? Tell us in the comments.