Games Not At IAAPA 2018: Cosmotrons; Exa-Arcadia; Oktoberfest; Racecraft; Step ManiaX; Tipsy Raccoons

While it could just be me, it feels like the run-up to IAAPA 2018 is the busiest I’ve ever experienced. There are a ton of products on their way, setting 2019 up to be quite the stellar year for arcades.

Even though the IAAPA event is our version of “E3,” it is not the only place where you will find new arcade games. I am creating this post to inform you about a few games that we don’t expect to see there. These are generally indie games, where the developers don’t have the cash to ship their games to Orlando and operate a booth.

For those that will be there plus some of my best guesses, click here.

Cosmotrons

This game did recently make headlines when a new, more compact version of the four-player classic-style space battle game appeared at Pinball Expo. The manufacturer, Arcadeaholics LLC, is actively taking orders for both the Delux-O-Tron and standard models. The latter doesn’t have an official name yet – I’ve floated a few suggestions, but if you have, feel free to leave one in the comments.

The company has also been on a roll with the video promotion of the game. They’ve recently posted three videos about the game – from What Is Cosmotrons, to the pair below: an operators perspective on the game and Eugene Jarvis (CEO of Raw Thrills) discussing the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUyXupBiNpY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDgBebDYzRo

Exa-Arcadia

The upcoming kit system was originally planning on making it to IAAPA, but unfortunately that has not come to pass.  Instead, the system is still in the works, with the big official launch that was going to take place at IAAPA moving to JAEPO 2019 in February. Given that most developers behind this one are Japanese, this makes sense.

I wouldn’t fret about any delays; such things happen, especially with new product launches (whether you’re a big corp or small). Exa had been making new game announcements at the rate of about one per month, but the last time we got one was back in September with Devil Engine. They have been occasionally keeping us up-to-date on Twitter; you had the Strania EX location test in Japan last month; they also are doing voice recording for…something.

Oktoberfest: Pinball On Tap

Unveiled at The Pinball Expo a couple of weeks ago, I do not see any indication that this (or Houdini) will make an appearance at IAAPA. Granted, while pinball is found at the show, Pinball Expo serves as the main event that most pinball makers focus on. Still, either of these titles would be a welcome surprise.

With a pinball game featuring three flippers & multiple CRAZY wireforms, such as the corkscrew rollercoaster, you will have endless hours of fun playing our latest release — #Oktoberfest! https://t.co/7Q8rmaN2ZF pic.twitter.com/Ie35bbAwbE

— American Pinball (@americanpinbal1) November 1, 2018

Race Craft

I’ve been interested in this one since it first popped up at EAG 2018 in January, but getting information on it has been difficult. Enough that I wasn’t able to include a page about it in my Arcade Almanac. While I suppose there is a chance that this one could appear at IAAPA, the manufacturer Tecnoplay does not have a booth themselves. Here is a flyer that the company recently posted to their Facebook page; even though it’s in Italian, my Portuguese is sufficient enough to pass along: It has 3 single player modes, a kid mode (probably meaning that they don’t need to push the gas), 15 different tracks, a professional F1-style steering wheel, and the ability to connect up to 8 machines. The cabinet shown here is also different than the other styles shown up to now:

Here’s a very quick video of a four-player setup that was also posted to Tecnoplay’s Facebook page:

[fb_pe url=”https://www.facebook.com/Tecnoplay/videos/1668993163139155/” bottom=”30″]

Step ManiaX

While this one was released as a coin-op machine earlier this year, we’ve heard little about it since. A unit is available at Eight On The Break in NJ, with a coin-op unit in Singapore at a Timezone FEC (where it is reportedly earning well above the average of titles found at the location, high triple digits per week), while non-coin units are found in various non-profit locations around the world.

While the game is unfortunately not coming to IAAPA, I have confirmed that it is still available for purchase, with the next major shipment of units happening Q1 next year. Hopefully it will be able to make an appearance at either EAG or Amusement Expo 2019.

Tipsy Raccoons

Glitchbit has also been active in promoting their debut arcade title, Tipsy Raccoons. The other day they posted about a new minigame that has been created for the game:

https://twitter.com/tipsyRaccoons/status/1059899896050974722

They also have been nominated to the MAG Fest Indie Videogame Showcase. I imagine that will mean some great exposure of them among gamer circles.

That is all that I have managed to collect on these types of games – if I missed one, feel free to let me know and I’ll see about squeezing it in. We’ve got quite a bit more to talk about!