This week's Arcade Archives release is... Warp & Warp (Namco, 1981)
Switch
EU eShop browser link not available yet
US
Only the Japanese ROM is included, although AFAIK the only difference with the English ROM is the text on the blocks in the middle of the Space World screen. Preference settings include toggling the boot screen on or off and switching on a grid that allows you to more easily determine enemy placement and movement.
As a brave space fighter, you must take on the hordes of BEROBERO enemies invading the Space World and the Maze World! In the Space World you have a fairly open space to work with and a laser gun with Galaxian technology (meaning only one bullet on-screen at once). When the warp road starts flashing in the middle of the screen, duck in to be taken to the Maze World where you switch your laser gun for bombs you lay on the ground with variable fuse timers. Clear out the BEROBERO enemies to move on to the next board!
A real vintage Namco title this week! I'm not especially familiar with this game but this rerelease is, as far as I know, the first reissue of the original arcade game, and it's pretty fun! It has some pretty interesting ideas for the time such as a complete lack of maze walls in the Space World sections, some Bomberman-esque mechanics in the Maze World (and you can even hold the button down to make the bomb timers longer!) and some neat scoring strategies. The BEROBEROS will eventually change colour and shooting three of the same colour in a row makes a high-point monster appear, plus you can get big points by destroying multiple enemies at once in the Maze World, although it's very tricky to do. I think this one's pretty neat, so if you have an interest in this early era of Namco games, give it a try! You might also want to look into the enhanced remake / sequel (it's unclear) Warpman on the Famicom, also available on the Japanese Namcot Collection on Switch.