The dust from New Years celebrations and vacations have settled, so now it’s time to get into some news. And for our first bit of news of the year – and the decade – we have an update on the Exa-Arcadia system and the first game shipping out for it.
Aka & Blue Type-R began shipping out to Japanese arcade operators back in November, on the 27th to be exact. Pre-orders for “overseas” (aka, most other territories around the world) began the first week of that month, but those who placed orders have had to wait for news.
On the Arcade Otaku forums, one user who had ordered an EXA Board with Aka & Blue Type-R received an email yesterday stating that his order was processing. I followed up with Exa-Arcadia CEO “ShouTime” about it to confirm, and he stated:
Aka & Blue is beginning to ship this week. Customers are receiving an upgraded version that’s not out yet in Japan, which includes some bug fixes and game improvements.
While I did order an Exa board, I didn’t go with Aka & Blue for the moment, opting for the fighter, Kung Fu Vs. Karate Champ. ShouTime mentioned that it would be shipping “soon,” with delays caused by the holiday period that takes place in Japan at the beginning of the year (in particular with the printed materials that are set to come with the game). Where most businesses restarted with this Monday, that should mean that things will be moving along a bit faster now. If you ordered, then I’d suggest hanging tight for just a little longer; if you’re just interested in the new games, then you should be able to play them soon.
I’ve added A&B to the “Already Released” column on our 2020 Arcade Releases page, and will keep my eyes peeled for any more info.
I am glad that I investigated Arcade Otaku forums for reasons of the delay. Turns out to be Japanese holiday break. I happen to browse that forum regularly.