What Is Eggconsole? - All PC-88 & MSX Nintendo Switch Games 1
Image: Nintendo Life

The Switch has been a boon for retro gaming enthusiasts for a while. Hamster's huge Arcade Archives series has felt right at home on the console, but late last year, a new retro rerelease series entered the fray

EGGCONSOLE is a series of Japanese home computer games that are being ported to Switch by retro specialists D4 Enterprise. This oft-forgotten generation of games is often hard to get your hands on nowadays without a PC, and to see them slowly make their way to Switch has been pretty exciting. This is real gaming history making its way onto consoles, kids.

Starting with Relics back in October 2023, the Eggconsole series has been slowly making its way through PC-88 greats. From a bevy of Falcom classics to action RPG originators, there's an ever-growing library of games being added to the Switch.

In this Eggconsole guide, we'll list every Eggconsole game on Switch and answer some common questions about the series.

EGGCONSOLE Switch eShop Games - Full List

First up, here's an up-to-date list of every Eggconsole game on Switch:

What's the best EGGCONSOLE game? Where should I start?

If you're interested in checking these games out, then we've picked a small selection to kick off your PC and MSX history lesson. Here are our picks for the best Eggconsole games to start with, in no particular order:

Ys PC-8801mkIISR

Ys is probably one of the most historically important RPGs of all time, and the series has been going for longer than the likes of Final Fantasy. Also known as Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, it's a heavily story-focused adventure and features "bump" combat — it's basically an early action RPG, where you attack enemies by walking into them. Plus, this boasts music from the legendary Yuzo Koshiro. It's a little unforgiving, but if you're curious about RPG history, Ys is a must-play. Plus, if you like it, you can pick up Ys II and Wanderers from Ys.

Thexder PC-8801mkIISR

Before Game Arts became known for the beloved Lunar and Grandia RPG series, the developer started life on the PC creating shooters and run-and-gunners. Vertical shooter Silpheed is also on the Switch, but we wanted to pick the studio's first video game, Thexder. This fast and difficult sidescroller has you controlling a mech that can also transform into a jet. Your shots will automatically target enemies, but you also have an energy gauge that you have to wait to recharge if it runs out. It's one of the best examples of the arcade scene on the PC-88, and worth checking out.

Xak PC-8801mkIISR

You might notice that there are a lot of action RPGs on the PC-88, but we're recommending Xak: The Art of Visual Stage for its "VR system". A graphical marvel back in 1989, this presents the world with cutting-edge 3D visuals that help bring the world to life. The music, partially composed by Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest's Ryuji Sasai, is also absolutely excellent. Xak pushes the PC-88 to its limits, and we hope the sequels make an appearance on the service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is EGGCONSOLE?

Eggconsole is really just the name of D4's series, which in turn references another project by the developer — Project EGG. Games in the Eggconsole library were all originally available on Project EGG, an emulation-based distribution service that's available on PC.

In case you were wondering, the EGG stands for Engrossing Game Gallery — so really, this is the Engrossing Game Gallery Console.

Okay, so what is Project EGG?

As mentioned, Project EGG is the emulation service that started this all. This service launched in November 2001, initially managed by Bothtec before being handed to D4 Enterprise. Over 1,000 games across 21 different platforms are available to play through this service, and you can access them all from the website.

This is only Windows-based, however, and there are no plans for the service to come to the Switch as it is.

What do the EGGCONSOLE versions add?

Not much! These rereleases are, essentially, the original computer games as they were when they were first released.

However, you'll get an art gallery and a How To Play guide with each game, so that's something!

Wanderers from Ys Eggconsole
Image: D4 Enterprise

Are the EGGCONSOLE games in English?

While they are available on Western eShop storefronts, all of the Eggconsole games are in Japanese-only.

Only the How To Play guides, available before booting the game up from the menu, are in English.

Who is D4 Enterprise?

D4 Enterprise is a Japanese-based publisher that's known for these subscription-based services. But it's also a specialist in porting games to consoles, and has helped Nintendo re-release titles from the Neo Geo, MSX, and arcade to the Wii and Wii U eShops, respectively.

D4 has also worked on the port of Guru Logi Champ to DS, Final Fantasy VIII (not Remastered) to PC, and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition to multiple platforms, including Switch.

How much are the EGGCONSOLE games?

Currently, all Eggconsole games cost GBP 5.39 / EUR 6.03 / USD 6.49 each. There are no bundles available.

What systems does the EGGCONSOLE cover?

Currently, all Eggconsole releases cover the PC-88 series and the MSX2. Project EGG covers many more systems, however, so it's likely we'll be seeing more variety as more games get added to the eShop.

How often are new EGGCONSOLE games added?

There doesn't seem to be a set release schedule for Eggconsole games. One or two titles a month seem to drop on the eShop, so it's worth keeping an eye out every week.

That's the Eggconsole — sorry, EGGCONSOLE — for you, then! While not as comprehensive as Arcade Archives, this is still an ever-growing collection of historically important games, and well worth checking out if you're into your retro titles. Let us know if you've picked any of these up in the comments.