Operation Night Strikers also includes Operation Thunderbolt, Night Striker and Space Gun, and is coming to Switch and Steam.
A collection of classic shooters is coming to Nintendo Switch and Steam. Operation Night Strikers features four TAITO arcade classics, and will be available to buy as digital downloads in August.
The included games are:
- Operation Wolf
- Operation Thunderbolt
- Night Striker
- Space Gun
Reissued with Clear River Games, these were originally lightgun games; Nintendo Switch users can play with Joy-Con motion sensing controls, while USB mouse and other control options are available on both PC and Switch.
Steam Deck compatibility is currently unknown.
Operation Night Strikers games
Here’s a look at all four games in the collection:
Operation Wolf
Using only a machine gun and rocket-propelled grenades, gamers must infiltrate enemy territory, secure the hostages, then get them safely to the extraction point! Your mission code name is Operation Wolf. Do not fail!
Operation Thunderbolt
A hostage rescue mission in Africa is in play, and only one man can help! Roy Adams, hero of Operation Wolf is back, and this time his former green beret team-mate, Hardy Jones joins the fight. Your mission code is Operation Thunderbolt. Impossible odds and an army of bad guys mean nothing to these soldiers!
Night Striker
Assuming the role of an elite member of the UNSTAF’s (United Nations Special Tactical Action Force) main offensive unit, a.k.a. Night Striker, gamers are tasked with the mission of destroying the enemy terrorist organization. It won’t be easy, but armed with your high-speed combat hovercraft: Inter-Gray Xsi, players face impossible odds and non-stop blasting action!
Space Gun
2039 AD: an age of space exploration. On their way to investigate an unexplained incident on a sprawling space station, a team of crack space marines receive a distress call from a cargo ship, but nothing could prepare them for the horrors onboard! Use your multi-purpose rifle to slay the monsters, rescue the hostages and save the day before time runs out!
Of these, I’m only familiar with Operation Wolf and Operation Thunderbolt, and I think the collection is worth it for those two alone. Operation Wolf is included on the TAITO Super Pocket, so I’ve played that relatively recently, and it still stands up. It’s desperate for a larger display, however — something around the size of a Nintendo Switch.
The collection also offers players various quality-of-life improvements:
- Play it like you remember: Apply authentic CRT filters to simulate 80’s arcade monitors
- Information is key: Gadgets display various useful information to either side of the play area
- Discover your new favourite version: Includes multiple arcade versions of each title
- Pick up where you left off: Save/load anywhere during play
- Claim your bragging rights: Upload your own play data, or download and view top ranking players’ data
- Play for fun, not frustration: Extra bullets, extra ease, no one is judging! Choose how intense you want your lightgun games to be!
Operation Night Strikers is scheduled for digital download availability starting August 7, 2025. Wishlist now on Steam and pre-order today on Nintendo Switch.
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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.
