Play Nichibutsu Arcade Classics (Japan) Online

Nichibutsu Arcade Classics came out for the Super Nintendo in 1995, a time when compilations were starting to appear more often on home consoles. It was published by Nichibutsu, a company better known for its arcade presence than its console output. This collection gathers a handful of their older arcade titles, offering a straightforward, no-frills trip into the past.

You control various characters depending on the game, from spaceships in Moon Cresta to a climber scaling buildings in Crazy Climber. The main objective is simply to survive and score as many points as possible, often against relentless enemy patterns and tight timing. Signature mechanics include splitting and combining your ship into different formations mid-stage, or using the D-pad and both sets of face buttons independently to control the left and right hands of the climber. The pacing is generally fast and the difficulty is unapologetically steep, reflecting its quarter-munching origins. It feels like playing through a small, stubborn slice of arcade history, complete with all the rough edges left intact.