The classic PC-Engine series — Cosmic Fantasy — will finally make its way to the Nintendo Switch. Edia recently announced that a collection consisting of the first two titles is slated for re-release in Japan on December 15, 2022.
The two titles in question are Cosmic Fantasy: Adventure Boy Yuu and Cosmic Fantasy 2: Adventure Boy Van.
The first title hit Japan in 1990 exclusively for the PC-Engine CD-ROM. And the sequel hit Japan in 1991 for the PC-Engine CD-ROM and in North America in 1992 for the TurboGrafx-CD. Working Designs, the legendary but defunct American publisher of JRPGs — published the latter.
But wait, didn’t these very same titles get re-released on the Sega CD back in 1992? Indeed they did but as Cosmic Fantasy Stories. Also, the Sega CD edition has enhanced graphics, music, and several gameplay differences.
However, the entire series consists of four games created by Kazuhiro Ochi, who has also worked on Mobile Suit Gundam and numerous other anime. Shin-Nihon Laser Soft developed the series, whereas Telenet Japan assumed publishing duties.
Which Cosmic Fantasy extras will be available?
Edia’s re-release will have a regular version costing 7,480 yen (approximately US$ 52) and a limited edition costing 14,080 yen (US$ 98). The limited edition will also include the original soundtrack, which you can listen to a sample of below:
Acrylic stands featuring characters of Cosmic Fantasy will be available. Will these satisfy diehard fans of the series, or should they release PVC figures instead? If it was up to us, we’d opt for the latter. But given that this is such a niche re-release, we understand why they took the cheaper and less risky route.
The colorful and jaw-dropping key visual revealed
We like our key visuals to be vibrant and full of color, so we’re happy with the results seen below. Now, we do know that the character designs seem outdated, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The ’90s was a decade of stellar anime, and when the medium started making a significant impact in the Western world.
And yes, this sci-fi game series is also available as an OVA (Original Video Animation) titled: Cosmic Fantasy: Ginga Mehyou no Wana. It came out in 1994 as a single episode — but it’s not terribly good — so it’s probably not worth hunting down.
But the games are fun and already have a cult following. Edia has announced an English version but has yet to confirm a release date or the possibility of other platform versions. Hopefully, there’ll be enough demand to justify further console releases. Stay tuned!