This week I expect most arcade news to originate from Japan thanks to the JAEPO Expo getting started but here we have something from the North American market to begin the week.
UPDATE: Right after I posted this I was informed by a few readers on Facebook that ALL Dave & Busters locations are supposed to get Mario Kart Arcade GP DX through April. So in a sense this could mean it’s one of the largest location tests I’ve ever heard of although it’s more along the lines of a timed exclusive as I’m sure there isn’t much that would change on the software (perhaps some hardware tweaks if needed). Jordan Fredrick shared a link of this video he took of the game at the Kansas City, KS location
BONUS: Sam shared the D&B TV spot that specifically mentions D&Bs timed exclusivity with the game. It is pretty rare that any video arcade game gets name checked in a TV commercial so this is a big deal in marketing the industry to the masses. (You must have AdBlock disabled/paused to see it)
[field name=”mariodave”]
Released in Japan last Summer, the 3rd installment of the Mario Kart Arcade series will soon grace Western arcades with its presence, starting in April according to the latest information I have received. If you live in or near Hollywood, FL however, you can already go and play the game at the Dave & busters facility there, as tipped to me by Eric Katz. First pic shows the games before they were fully setup.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX is an arcade exclusive title, thus it is not simply a restyled version of the upcoming Mario Kart 8 for the WiiU which is slated for a release in May. Also according to a Namco rep I spoke with last week, they plan on offering approximately “5 years of online updates which will include new tracks, characters and avatars”; the game also should be able to connect either wired or wirelessly to a local network. It does not have online cross-site play but as you can see above multiple units can be connected together. I’ll get some hands-on time with the game at Amusement Expo next month.
Does the American version have the Banapassport reader? We know that service it’s not available outside Asia, but maybe Namco Bandai left the IC card reader on the cabinet for a future launch of the service…maybe.
It does not have the reader. The rep I talked to mentioned the years of updates but did not hint at any updates being hardware related :/
The new game is amazing. First off it has Don-Chan from Taiko No Tatsujin (Taiko Drum Master) as a guest racer in the series, keeping alive my hopes of an american version of the game to one day come out.
This racer really meets the needs of many arcades who want to provide the three “S’s” (Stupid, Short, Simple). Character selection is really more of a preference than a technical decision as you get a random kart with different stats instead (same with the items). NAM CAM is still a feature in the game. Most importantly, the game introduces “Auto-Accelerate” for children. If the game starts and the gas is not pressed within 1 second, the kart moves on its own. Most of the races are quick, simple, and fun, making this a well balanced arcade game.
I thought Banapassport support is here in the U.S. considering Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited at Round 1 Arcade in California is connected to it
It’s connected to the network but does not use any data card features.
The D&Bs in San Diego has a 4P cabinet setup. It’s a pretty fun game!
Any online rankings at all? I know the previous games had this feature although the IC card was required.
https://arcadeheroes.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/MK3a.jpg
http://ispot.tv/a/7TaN
How much is it?
Any idea if other arcades will be able to location test this machine?
Shawn, from what i know so far, this game will not be tested/played at any other arcades due to copyright issues. Company chains such as Round1 and D&B have an exclusive contract with Namco. In the future maybe but, this being a new game and all may not see the light of day in other arcades until further notice. Company chains are more or less the exception.