With EAG now past the next amusement trade show we look forward to is taking place in Japan called JAEPO 2013. This is a new trade show that is taking the place of JAMMA and AOU, kind of like how Amusement Expo combines two trade shows here in the West. Japanese game makers tend to reveal more about what they are bringing to these shows in advance, partly because they have a lot more to offer so it helps attendees plan in advance what they are going to do.
As such following the revealation of Taito’s Groove Coaster Arcade, now everyone seems to be flooding the Japanese news lines about upcoming arcade products. There are some exciting announcements so far, which I will summarize here, all tempered of course by the fact that these are all primarily destined for Eastern markets. Please keep in mind however that not everything revealed today is all that will be there – I expect more announcements in coming days and on top of that there are always a few surprises. On occasion some games meant for international release are demonstrated so we will be sure to keep an eye out for those.
UNDER DEFEAT HD+ : This vertical helicopter shooter first came to arcades in 2005 and was followed up a few years later with Under Defeat HD on home consoles. Now that version is coming to arcades with some improvements via Sega’s ALL.NET P-Ras Multi arcade download system. ALL.NET + hasn’t had much in the way of content beyond the launch titles so this will likely be welcome to the line-up. Among the enhancements this will have is a horizontal orientation mode, more detail in the battlefield and a “New Order” mode where apparently you can choose from different types of aircraft. Famitsu has more details. I think it would be awesome to have a dedicated version of this, you could do a standard upright version with a helicopter type joystick
Sega also will be showing off their new card-based game called Code of Joker (details can be found here but its all in Japanese, online translator doesn’t work) and Phantom Breaker AC which I believe is a fighter.
DANCEDANCEREVOLUTION : We’ve known about this one for a while now, the latest DDR game has removed all subtitles to just go by DDR once again. The cabinet is white which fits the current BEMANI color themes. I have no idea if this will be destined for international markets as DDRX3 missed that boat.
Konami has likewise launched a page to show off all of their games headed to JAEPO. It will include GITADORA (the new Guitar Freaks/DrumMania), Beatmania 20 Tricoro, Jubeat Saucer, Reflec Beat Colette, Pop N’ Music Sunny Park, DanceEvolution Arcade, and a new version of their run-around-and-kill-alien-bugs game Steel Chronicle Be. More details and a few other games can be found at the Konami JAEPO Site.
Namco generally holds back on revealing everything but according to Arcadia Magazine, at the moment it is known that they will be showing off the latest version of their drumming game Taiko No Tatsujin, Bhutto Burst (kids game with the cool card accepting light-guns) and something new called “Lucky Marine Theater Deluxe Sea Story“. It’s anyone’s guess at what that is for the moment – last year Namco launched a fishing game called Fishing Spirits so this could be along those lines but at the same time the suggestion of it being a deluxe theater game could indicate a sit-down co-op light-gun shooter the likes of Deadstorm Pirates or Dark Escape 4D. I suppose we will find out soon enough!
Square Enix also has something new for Japanese players that is certain to cause excitement. Among the top earning games found in Japanese arcades is a SE game called Lord Of Vermillion. It’s a card-based video game and as you can see at the Top Game Charts over at Arcade Belgium, LoV2 was the number one title in Oct/Nov in Japan.
That’s it for now but stay tuned, there is likely to be much more coming our way over the next few weeks!
