In a rather incredible bit of video game preservation, Namco’s first ever video game Gee Bee will soon be getting an Arcade Archives release across all platforms. The first ever re-release for the game since its 1978 debut, Gee Bee was designed by Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani after the company wouldn’t let him develop a pinball table. As such, you’ll notice pinball elements within Gee Bee that were directly inspired by Iwatani’s love of physical tables.
Set to release tomorrow, October 2nd, 2025, Gee Bee will be available as part of Arcade Archives 1 and 2. For those unfamiliar with the distinction between the two, Arcade Archives is the collection of games available on older hardware that comes with all the standard features of past re-releases. This includes “Original Mode,” “Hi-Score Mode,” and “Caravan Mode.” Arcade Archives 2 is available for next-gen platforms, which includes PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, while also adding VRR support and “Time Attack Mode.” VRR is crucial as older arcade games didn’t run at fixed refresh rates like modern console games.
According to what information I can find, Gee Bee was controlled with a dial pad and would go on to become the eighth highest grossing arcade title of 78. It was followed up by two sequels in 1979, titled Bomb Bee and Cutie Q. It would be interesting to see if those eventually get an Arcade Archives release. For now, you’ll be able to grab the game for $7.99 on last-generation hardware or $9.99 on current-gen. A $2.99 upgrade pack is available if you want to migrate that older version over to a newer console.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
