Games like Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja have, in recent years, become more famous for their meme-worthy quotes than the actual quality of their gameplay, and Polymega Collection Vol. 5 serves as a stark reminder of this fact.

This pack only covers two games – the titular Bad Dudes and its (semi) sequel, Two Crude – and arguably represents one of the weakest entries in the Polymega Collection series so far (in terms of pure value for money, at least).

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When you combine the words "rally" and "arcade", chances are you'll find that Sega Rally Championship enters your mind pretty swiftly. The 1995 coin-op smash hit delivered drift-based off-road thrills to millions of players, but it was far from the first game of its type in arcades.

Visco's Drift Out franchise kicked things off a few years earlier, but with a notable difference – it used 2D technology for its racing action, rather than 3D. The series often gets overlooked for this reason, which is a shame; it's still an awful lot of fun and, realism aside, does a pretty decent job of replicating the sport of rallycross.

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The Polymega Collection is set to expand once again with the release of two collections based on Psikyo's Sengoku Blade and Jaleco's Astyanax.

Each collection comes on a Polymega DVD, which can be used alongside Polymega's game console, and also ships with a visual companion, controller reference, a Polymega Collection sticker, and a collectible pin based on either Sengoku Blade or Astyanax (depending on which game you pick up).

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Toaplan's Tiger-Heli made quite the impact when it arrived in arcades in 1985. Created by the core team of Masahiro Yuge, Tatsuya Uemura, and Yuichirō Nozawa, it was one of the first games to make use of a screen-clearing bomb and was commercially successful thanks to its intense challenge and tight, engaging gameplay.

Tiger-Heli is the game that launched Toaplan into the arcade mainstream, and was a sizeable hit all over the world – and it's now the foundation of the fourth entry in the Polymega Collection series.

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As somebody who has limited space beneath their television (and an increasingly limited amount of spare time to play video games), Playmaji's Polymega modular retro gaming system was a breath of fresh air for me when it arrived a few years ago. Here was a system which could house my curated physical gaming collection (in digital form) on a single, unified hardware platform, complete with creature comforts such as save states, HD output and the ability to use original accessories.

The fly in the ointment with Polymega is the amount of time it has taken Playmaji to fulfil orders; I was lucky enough to get an early review unit (albeit one that isn't the final production spec and has already been back to Playmaji's HQ once for a firmware update that couldn't be applied over the internet), but my Hookshot Media colleague, Ant Dickens, ordered one and had to wait a considerable amount of time before his system arrived. Others are apparently still waiting.

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Polymega has been updated to version 1.1.35, which brings with it a host of fixes and support for the much-delayed GC01 Retro Gun Controller.

The light gun – which is based on the Sinden gun – was originally announced all the way back in 2019. In 2024, Polymega maker Playmaji said it was delayed until Q2 of 2024 so it could be "revised for additional compatibility with Polymega App and Remix" – two other Polymega products which have yet to see the light of day. The company then had to issue a second update later in the year.

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Support for the Atari Jaguar has come to Polymega, the modular retro gaming system. However, before you dash up to your attic to dig out your old cartridges, it's worth noting that this isn't an "Element Module" release but part of the ongoing Polymega Collection.

The first Jaguar game to be playable on the system is Tempest 2000, and it's included in the Polymega Collection Vol. 12, which also features the following games:

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Polymega maker Playmaji has again teased the console's Retro Gun Controller GC01 light gun, which went up for pre-order back in 2021.

The much-delayed gun—based on the Sinden, which can be used with modern-day flatscreen TVs—was pushed into Q2 2024 so that it could "revised for additional compatibility with Polymega App and Remix" (two other products which are yet to see release).

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We've known for a while now that an Atari-themed module is in development for the multi-system retro console Polymega, but it would seem the release is closer than we expected.

The Polymega site has been updated recently with a new page simply entitled '06'. This relates to the as-yet-unannounced sixth 'Element Module' released for the console so far. There's a single image on the page, which has the file name 'Atari'.

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Polymega is getting two new releases as part of its ongoing series of physical releases.

Polymega Collection 9: Strikers 1945 brings together several classic shmups and features the following games:

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Polymega System Software Update 1.1.34 is now live, and while it doesn't do much on the surface, one aspect of the change log could prove to be interesting in the long run.

According to the official Polymega site, this update adds support for "future Polymega hardware." This could refer to the forthcoming and much-delayed GC01 Light Gun, which is apparently shipping soon. No previous system software update has mentioned Light Gun support being added, after all.

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Tue 15th Oct 2024

Polymega's much-delayed GC01 Gun Controller is shipping soon, we can confirm.

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Polymega's series of physical releases has been expanded with another two volumes, both of which contain releases from Visco.

Volume 7: Breaker's has the following games:

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Polymega has announced that the next two physical releases that are coming to the Polymega Collection will be Data East's 1988 beat 'em up Bad Dudes and the 1987 run and gun shooter Heavy Barrel.

Similar to previous releases, both games will come on a Polymega game DVD and will feature a "Visual Companion" instruction manual, a "Controller Reference" card, an Obi Spine Card (FR, JP), a Polymega Collection Sticker, and a Collection Pin. They will also both cost £27.42 and will come with multiple versions of both titles, as well as a companion game.

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The Polymega Collection of physical releases has expanded by two more volumes, with Tiger-Heli and Drift Out joining the range.

Polymega Collection Vol. 3 - Tiger-Heli features five of Toaplan's finest shmups:

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The second in the Polymega Collection series focuses on two of Data East's most famous fighting game franchises, Karate Champ and Fighter's History.

In total, there are 15 different games included in this package – Karate Champ (arcade, NES, Famicom Disk System), Karate Champ PvP (arcade), Way of the Karate (Japanese arcade version), Fighter's History (arcade, SNES, Super Famicom), Karnov's Revenge (arcade, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD) and Fighter's History Dynamite (arcade, Saturn, Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD) – but some of those are simply ports or regional variants of the same game.

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Atari's Asteroids is one of the most iconic arcade titles of all time, and it not only inspired many similar arcade games but also spawned spiritual sequels from within Atari itself. As such, it's a fitting way to kick off Polymega's new collection of physical releases.

Polymega Collection Vol. 1 - Asteroids includes ten games: Asteroids (arcade, 2600 and 7800), Asteroids Deluxe (arcade), Lunar Lander (arcade), Space Duel (arcade), Orbit (arcade), Gravitar (arcade and 2600) and Super Asteroids & Missile Command (Atari Lynx).

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Since the arrival of its N64 module, Polymega fans have had a rather quiet year. Firmware updates have been sporadic, and when they have been forthcoming, they often unintentionally break things.

However, there's been a minor flurry of activity recently with the announcement of the Polymega Collection, a new range of physical releases exclusive to the modular retro system featuring a curated series of games based on a single property. Asteroids and Karate Champ kick things off – they're both available now.

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A fair while back, Playmaji, the company behind the Polymega modular retro gaming system, announced that it would be bringing arcade games to the platform. It was presumed at the time that this would be via a Virtual Console-style digital storefront, but the company has just revealed that the first arcade games to hit the system will, in fact, be distributed physically.

"Polymega Collection is an ongoing series of important classic and contemporary games on physical media, playable exclusively on Polymega," says Playmaji. "Our editions include the original title game, its international releases, as well as additional examples of games that influenced the work and those which were eventually inspired by it."

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Polymega maker Playmaji has revealed that it has sold out of its EM05 Ultra Element Module – the bolt-on accessory that allows users to run N64 titles.

The module went on sale earlier this year and allows you to use physical N64 cartridges and controllers with the Polymega all-in-one retro system.

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Polymega maker Playmaji has published an update on the status of its products following complaints from people who have had pre-orders in place for months, if not years.

According to the company, the EM01 Power Element Module Set, EM02 Super Element Module Set, EM03 Mega Element Module Set, EM04 Turbo Element Module Set, EM05 Ultra Element Module Set, RC05 Ultra Retro Controller and WC02 Universal Wireless Controller are all in stock and ship within 3-5 days.

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Update : Playmaji has revealed that it has worked out a deal which will see the missing games restored after the next system update:

Original Story : Polymega's much-hyped system update 1.1.30 may have introduced support for the EM05 Ultra module, but it has introduced other, less welcome features – some of which we've reported on previously.

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Polymega's delayed system update may have given owners a chance to play N64 games (and side-load Game Boy titles), but it has a few hidden surprises which people are finding a little less welcome.

Neo Geo CD emulation has been impacted by a speed bug, which means that games now run too slowly. A setting to boost the game speed up results in missing visuals (as shown in the tweet reply below).

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Originally announced back in 2017 as the RetroBlox, Polymega has endured a fairly tumultuous journey to market. While the system's objective has always been the same – to offer players the chance to access software for a wide range of cartridge and CD-based retro consoles in one place – we've seen a lot of changes over the past few years. FPGA support was dropped early on, something which caused a lot of consternation amongst potential buyers accustomed to the impeccable performance of Analogue's excellent Super Nt and Mega Sg, and then the system missed its proposed 'early 2019' release window.

Pre-orders opened, but the launch was pushed back again and once more at the close of 2020, and then there was the double-whammy of the Coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest in Myanmar – the Southeast Asian location where California-based Playmaji, the team behind the Polymega, has chosen to manufacture the console. As a result, the system has been hindered by crippling component shortages and frustrating delays.

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Polymega's N64 module allows users to install Game Boy and Game Boy Color games to their system, thanks to the N64's Transfer Pak.

The Transfer Pak was originally intended to allow connectivity between N64 and Game Boy software, but, when connected to a controller on the Polymega, it allows you to dump the game ROM to the system's internal storage.

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