Ray'z Arcade Chronology Coming To The West, Courtesy of ININ Games

When Taito and retro specialists M2 announced they were bringing the shmup collection Ray'z Arcade Chronology to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in Japan, we were wondering how long it would take before a Western release was announced. And now it seems we finally know the answer: not long at all.

The publisher ININ Games confirmed at the end of July that it has partnered with Taito to bring not one, but two different collections - Ray'z Arcade Chronology and RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection - to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, giving western fans of the series a reason to rejoice (Thanks Gematsu).

And in case you're confused by what the differences are between these two versions, we've took the time to break it all down below.

First things first, RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection only features the four games (RayStorm, RayStorm NEO HD, RayCrisis, and RayCrisis HD), whereas the Ray'z Arcade Chronology adds RayForce, the title that originally kicked off the series back in 1994.

The RayStorm x RayCrisis HD Collection is also 10 dollars cheaper - retailing at $39.99 compared to the Chronology collection's $49.99 - and will be available as a digital and physical release. This is in contrast to the Ray'z Arcade Chronology, which will primarily be available digitally with Strictly Limited Games selling a few limited edition copies on its website in various tiers.

There's currently only a vague 2023 release date for both collections but we're glad to see them being brought overseas. And if you've never heard of the Ray Series before, it seems like now is the perfect time to learn more about it.