The sequel to Namco’s classic 1979 arcade oddity Bomb Bee has been released as this week’s Arcade Archives release, and yes, it looks every bit like the peculiar blend of Breakout meets pinball that fans remember.
Gee Bee’s quirky arcade legacy
Before Pac-Man and Galaxian, Namco kicked off its solo arcade development career with Gee Bee, a strange, bright-yellow, semi-pinball puzzle game designed by Toru Iwatani — the man who would soon give the world Pac-Man.
Bomb Bee launched shortly after Gee Bee, but unlike its predecessor, it barely made a splash. Seeing new gameplay highlighted now feels like a small but meaningful rediscovery of arcade history.
To be honest, there isn’t a huge amount of difference between the two games:
| Feature | Gee Bee (1978) | Bomb Bee (1979) |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Namco | Namco |
| Lead designer | Toru Iwatani | Toru Iwatani |
| Gameplay | Pinball-meets-Breakout hybrid | Same, but smoother board layout |
| Visuals | Bold geometric shapes | Cleaner presentation & tighter scoring focus |
| Cabinet availability | Rare | Even rarer |
In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking they were just variants of the same unit. But regardless, seeing Bomb Bee out on the record-breaking Arcade Archives series underlines how Hamster is prepared to deliver pretty much any title to modern consoles.
Fancy Bomb Bee?
This isn’t a modern remake or a slick re-release (not yet, anyway). It’s a port of the original game, for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 with some added quality of life features, and for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with even more QoL enhancements.
And perhaps it’s also a reminder that arcade history is full of half-forgotten experiments — and sometimes those experiments are the stepping stones to legends.
If you’re the kind of player who:
- digs obscure arcade design
- loves Namco history
- wants to see where Pac-Man’s creator was warming up
— Bomb Bee is worth a look.
It’s also just nice to see something that isn’t endlessly remade into neon-soaked, nostalgia-extraction trash. Sometimes, a small revival of a weird little game is exactly what retro fans need.
Head to the Arcade Archives to get the links to your regional digital download stores.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
