Newsbytes: Q*Bert Returns; Formula Zeta; NTG#65

While I can’t do anything about world events and the atrocities that vile reprobates commit against innocents, I can find positive or good news to share. Here is what is going on in the world of arcades.

Q*Bert Returns As A Videmption Game: This might be better suited to a solo post but we’ll just take it as is. Reader Jdevy caught a glimpse of anew Q*Bert videmption game on test months ago but it was just the side of the monitor bezel so that wasn’t enough to go on and the manufacturer declined to comment. Now a full picture has emerged of a new arcade entry to the classic cussing fuzzball, who has enjoyed a resurge in popularity in recent years thanks to some movie appearances in films like Wreck-It Ralph and the lesser watched Pixels; there also have been occasional remakes of the concept for home although neither seems to have taken off. This picture below fills us in on some details to confirm in that it has been designed by Raw Thrills; it is a videmption game and it has a diagonal movement controller although it is a large button instead of a joystick. Seems a little odd for the Start to be mentioned right on the control instead of above the Start button itself…could be something they are adjusting for beta. We can assume that the game will borrow some concepts from the recent Pac-Man Chomp Mania and the upcoming Galaga Assault – you play something like classic Q*Bert with the goal to clear the board then you go into a bonus round to win the jackpot. Like Galaga Assault, this does mention that you can purchase more Q*Berts to improve your chances of winning the big jackpot but whether or not there will be an “Amusement mode” like Galaga Assault has is something we will have to wait and see on. I’ll keep an eye out for this at IAAPA next week and dig into all of the features.

Formula Zeta By UNIS: For another item that may or may not show up to IAAPA this next week is a new linked simulator game that UNIS highlighted on one of their social media channels. Called Formula Zeta, this has an obvious connection to mid-scale attractions like Sega’s Indy 500. All that is known about this for now is that it supports 8 motion racing cabinets with large HD screens and it is available in China. Given UNIS’ push into the West, I do imagine there is a good chance you might see this at a higher end venue before too long.

Arc Systems Works Acquires Rights To Some Classic Arcade titles: Thanks to Michael Louie for the tip – I thought I had covered this news when it came out earlier this year but I guess I overlooked it – apologies about that. Arc System Works picked up the rights to the games from Million Co. Ltd., which includes titles like Double Dragon and Super Dodge Ball. Arc Systems Works does still occasional arcade releases in Japan such as with Guilty Gear or Blazblue although they do not pump out arcade releases like some other manufacturers. We’ll have to keep waiting to see whether or not they will grace arcades with a new Double Dragon again, I do imagine it would take a title with such a name to bring interest back to the arcade brawler genre again.

IAAPA Prep: I expect to see more of these pop up from different companies over the next few days but only one where I’m seeing product is this tweet by Sega Amusements:

Team Sega setting up for @IAAPAHQ 2015 at @OCCC! Only 3 days to go! #IAAPA2015 #IAAPA pic.twitter.com/YZrvm6VFzT

— Sega Amusements (@SegaAmusements) November 15, 2015

Name That Game #65 – No the last Name That Game wasn’t terribly hard, especially where the ‘theme was games running on 64-bit platforms. One of those platforms has an anniversary of sorts tomorrow as the CoJag hardware’s base hardware of the Atari Jaguar turns 22. Here are the answers in case you didn’t see the correct guesses:

#1 – Maximum Force by Atari Games

#2- Xtreme Rally / Off Beat Racer by SNK

#3- Tower & Shaft by Aruze

For this week, I have been trying and trying to get the online gif makers to work but they are not co-operating this week and I don’t have all night, so static images it is!