UDPATE: Additional info from the press conference has been added below, look for the update tags.
While a lot of attention is being focused on IAAPA Expo and the new games announced there, that does not mean that everything in the arcade world is centered around the Expo at the moment. With the Exa-Arcadia platform, one promise it has brought to the table is increasing the number of games that are released to arcades every year. With the launch of the system in Japan, and subsequent opening of pre-orders for the rest of the major world markets, the company behind it all is working at building interest and expand their reach.
That was done today through a press conference in Japan. While the main focus of the conference was to highlight the launch of both the Exa board and Aka & Blue Type-R, more information about additional games was also released, which is pertinent to us. Let’s start with the newly announced games:
Chaos Code
Developed by FK Digital and originally released to the Sega Ringwide hardware back in 2011, this 1v1 fighter later came to NESiCA and the PS4. Now, it is headed to EXA, replete with new, exclusive characters and additional balancing. Most of the videos online show the PS4 version in arcade mode, but I did manage to find this video from the original Ringwide version:
Super Battle Princess Madelyn
Known in the console world without the “Super” moniker, Battle Princess Madelyn is a game that serves as a love letter to Capcom’s Ghouls ‘N Ghosts. It was successfully kickstarted back in Q2 2017, where as the ultimate and most expensive perk, you would have a dedicated Battle Princess Madelyn arcade cabinet built for you. The also included an Arcade Mode, so it is likely that the Exa version will stick to that with the appropriate tweaks to keep it playable for a commercial, public setting. We’ll have to wait and see what will make this version “super,” but it further bolsters the Exa library, giving us another title that isn’t in the realm of shoot ’em ups and fighters. Here’s some footage of the Arcade Mode on the Nintendo Switch:
[Update] Other Games
From this article over at Famitsu, we have more information on some of the other titles coming to Exa.
First, Gimmick exAct Mix! will be receiving it’s first location test in Japan this December. This one is being developed internally at Exa-Arcadia and thus serves as a platform exclusive – no PC/console/mobile version is being made. They also stated that it will feature arranged music by Manabu Namiki and a new 16-bit themed aesthetic drawn by a Japanese artist.
Fight of the Gods Arcade Edition was shown on a slide, with a mention that it will receive 4 new, exclusive characters, new character balancing and brushed up graphics. That link takes you to the updated game page on the Exa site.
Blazing Chrome AC is also mentioned, it will have an all new soundtrack composed by Motoaki Furukawa, the composer of Super Contra, a brand new character and redone game balance for arcades. It will likely begin testing in January. I also believe it’s game page has received a minor update.
Aka & Blue Type-R
Here is the press conference itself, broadcast through Mikado Arcade in Tokyo. Aka & Blue Type-R officially launches in Japan on Nov. 27th, so this was allowing the press to find out more about the game and the Exa prior to that. Mikado has been the biggest proponent of the Exa platform there, having tested Exa content there numerous times. If you speak/understand Japanese, then you’ll be able to get the most out of this, otherwise you can catch some visual things, such as how the hitboxes on ships are setup, graphical enhancements, object models, the differences between 16:9 and 4:3 modes for vertically based games and so on (I’m not sure why the cover image is showing Fighting Layer EX, as that isn’t shown at all during the conference):
