Going Down… permanently
Here’s an absolutely wonderful little surprise for retro gaming fans — two gemstones from Taito’s Sega Saturn catalog, Elevator Action Returns and Cleopatra Fortune, are to be rereleased on PC and console platforms this month. The games will return as part of the “S-Tribute” range of Saturn classics.
Originally released in arcades in 1995, before making the leap to Sega Saturn 1997, Elevator Action Returns is a sequel to Taito’s modest 1983 hit, fully designed as an explosive, bullet-pumping, action epic. One or two players choose from a trio of special agents, before engaging in frenetic and highly cinematic side-scrolling run ‘n’ gun action.
While maintaining some of the core elements of the 1983 release, Elevator Action Returns is a highly adrenalized and thoroughly compelling shooter, featuring detailed sprite animation and a wild sound package. If you’re a classic gaming fan and are yet to experience this unsung classic, then you should definitely make sure that this new release gets a spot on your radar.
Cleopatra Fortune hit the arcades in 1996 during the twilight years of the block-puzzler frenzy, before being ported to Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation in 1997. Guided by the impossibly cute queen, the player must align falling blocks of Egyptian iconography — such as gemstones, sarcophagi, and scarab beetles, in order to clear the board before things get a little too cramped for comfort. Cleopatra Fortune can be played alone, or against a friend in local head-to-head action.
Both S-Tribute editions of Cleopatra Fortune and Elevator Action Returns will include modern-day features such as save states, rewind, custom controls, dip switch settings, and scanline filters. These are two really solid games, and kudos to City Connection for bringing them both back to life for modern audiences.
Cleopatra Fortune will launch on PS4, PC, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on November 24. Elevator Action Returns will follow on the same platforms on December 1.
