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It is rare for a retro collection to drop with such immediacy, but Limited Run Games has pulled the trigger. The Fighting Force Collection is set to release digitally on January 23, 2026, bringing the classic Eidos franchise to PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. For those who view their game library as a physical archive, the news is even better: a physical edition for the Nintendo Switch has been confirmed, ensuring that this slice of late-90s history won't be lost to server shutdowns.
This collection is a fascinating two-part story. On one hand, you have the original Fighting Force (1997), a game that screams "arcade fun." It was one of the first successful attempts to bring the co-op brawler into a fully 3D environment. The game allowed for a level of environmental destruction that was unheard of at the time. You weren't just punching enemies; you were smashing their heads into police cars, throwing tires, and wielding office furniture as weapons. It captured the chaotic energy of a Jackie Chan movie filtered through the polygon count of a PlayStation 1.
On the other hand, the collection includes Fighting Force 2 (1999), a title that serves as a cautionary tale of industry trends. By 1999, the "beat-’em-up" was considered dead, replaced by the immersive sim and the stealth-action game. Fighting Force 2 chased this trend, abandoning the multiplayer co-op that defined the original in favor of a single-player, stealth-heavy experience starring only Hawk Manson. It was a jarring shift that alienated fans at the time, but playing it today in 2026 offers a unique window into the identity crisis developers faced at the turn of the millennium. Having both games in one package allows players to trace the rapid, often awkward evolution of 3D game design in real-time.
The confirmation of a physical release specifically for the Nintendo Switch is a calculated move. The Switch has become the de facto "legacy console" for the industry, a machine where 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit games feel most at home due to the portable nature of the hardware. Playing Fighting Force in handheld mode feels like a realization of the dream we had in the 90s—taking a console-quality 3D brawler on the go.
Limited Run Games’ decision to decouple the physical announcement from a long pre-order window for the digital release is consumer-friendly. Usually, players are forced to wait months for a physical copy before they can play. By unlocking the digital version on January 23, LRG allows the hype to build naturally. The physical copy becomes a collector's item for the superfans, rather than a gatekeeper to the gameplay.
Running on the Carbon Engine, this collection is expected to be more than a raw ISO dump. The original Fighting Force utilized a dynamic camera system that, while impressive in 1997, can be disorienting by modern standards. The emulation wrapper likely includes options to mitigate the infamous "texture shimmering" of the PS1 era, stabilizing the image for modern 4K displays.
Furthermore, the original game suffered from severe slowdown when too many enemies and destructible objects were on screen. Modern hardware—even the modest specs of the Switch—should brute-force past these limitations, offering a locked frame rate that the original hardware could never achieve. This changes the gameplay loop significantly; input latency is reduced, and the combat rhythm becomes snappier, allowing for a more precise, skill-based experience than memory might serve.
The Fighting Force Collection is a reminder that the "jank" of the early 3D era has a charm that modern polish cannot replicate. As the game unlocks tomorrow, January 23, it invites a new generation to experience the growing pains of the action genre. It was a time of experimentation, where "smash everything" was a legitimate design document. With the digital version providing instant access and the Switch physical release catering to the preservationists, Core Design’s lost brawler is finally getting the second round it deserves. It’s time to pick up a vending machine and get to work.
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