First launched in 1992 on Sega’s Mega Drive (known as the Sega Genesis in North America), Vixen 357 is set to arrive on Steam later this year. Originally crafted by NCS brand Masaya Games (now rebranded as Extreme), the SRPG saw a physical revival in cartridge form for original Genesis/Mega Drive systems via publisher Shinyuden, with preorders dispatched in the past month. The upcoming digital version, however, aims to bring this overlooked classic to players who lack Sega’s nearly four-decade-old console.
Vixen 357 is a turn-based strategy game featuring colossal mechs, positioning it as a forerunner to Square-Enix’s Front Mission series (Toshiro Tsuchida, the producer of Vixen 357, later founded the Front Mission series after leaving Masaya). The narrative follows the Slash unit, a team of 24th-century mech pilots whose military outpost is assaulted by an enigmatic enemy. Against overwhelming adversity, they unite to retaliate and unravel the mystery behind their unseen adversaries. The setting overlaps with Hisou Kihei X-SERD, another tactical mecha title from Masaya under Tsuchida’s guidance that debuted on PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) in 1990, though Vixen 357 progresses with a distinct cast and plotline.
Players direct their units across a grid resembling a chessboard, positioning them for confrontations with hostile forces. Upon unit engagement, the game transitions to a side-view to enhance the visual scope of the encounter. This mechanic will resonate with those familiar with classic installments in Nintendo’s Fire Emblem series or Bandai Namco’s Super Robot Wars games. Another feature echoing Fire Emblem is the inclusion of permanent death; should an allied unit be defeated, they cannot be revived unless the player reloads an earlier save. The store page also suggests that player choices may shape the story’s conclusion.
Notably, this isn’t the first effort to release Vixen 357 in English recently, though Shinyuden marks the first to bring it to contemporary platforms. In 2019, San Diego-based publisher Super Fighter Team—recognized for localizing vintage Taiwanese PC and Mega Drive games such as Beggar Prince in the 2000s and 2010s—announced a collaboration with fan translators to produce an English-language cartridge version of Vixen 357. However, that project was shelved for undisclosed reasons. Before the cancellation, Super Fighter Team stated to Time Extension that they had no intention of porting the game to modern systems. Thus, the title would likely have remained exclusive to the original Genesis/Mega Drive had Super Fighter Team’s release proceeded.
The PC version offers several enhancements over the physical cartridge edition. Alongside save states, rewind functionality, turbo mode, and built-in cheats, it also features screen filters for a nostalgic CRT aesthetic and a gallery showcasing the game’s original artwork, posters, and packaging.
The Steam debut of Vixen 357 is slated for some time in 2026, per the game’s store page. For those seeking the genuine 1992 experience, physical cartridge copies are still available for order from Shinyuden’s site for a limited duration.
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