An unreleased arcade game, shelved for 30 years, resurfaces in Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 2

Japanese studio Jaleco revealed on August 6, 2026 the final 12 titles of its Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 2 compilation, completing a 32-game lineup spread across two volumes. Among these announcements, one revelation stood out for preservation enthusiasts in particular: Chimera Beast, a biological shoot'em up that had only ever reached the location-test stage, never commercially released in arcades.

In Chimera Beast, the player controls a creature able to evolve by devouring its enemies, an unusual concept for its time that never left test cabinets before this digital resurrection. Vol. 2 also gathers classics such as Exerion, E.D.F. Earth Defense Force, Big Run, Psychic 5, and Kick Off, alongside more obscure titles like Makaiden and Second Earth Gratia.

Preservation led by the original developers. The compilation follows the formula already proven by other Japanese publishers with this type of collection: faithful reproduction of the original source code, period-accurate cabinet DIP switch settings, and a rewind function to make the games more accessible to less experienced players. Jaleco Arcade Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 will launch this winter on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.

For a game that had remained unreleased for nearly three decades, this release is a rare treat: Chimera Beast previously existed only in the memory of a handful of testers and in Jaleco's own archives.

Source: Famitsu

Image credit: “MEGASYSYTEM32 01” by Baz1521, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.