Hybrid Rhythm/STG Game NOISZ ARC⌖CODA Announced For Exa-Arcadia

While there hasn’t been a whole lot of arcade news to chew on lately, some developers are doing what they can to keep things going through the pandemic. One of those cases is with games being made for the Exa-Arcadia platform. We recently had news that Cave bringing DoDonPachi to the EXA, and today we’ve got another previously unannounced game to add to the list – NOISZ ARC⌖CODA.

Before detailing NOISZ, if you are unfamiliar with the EXA board, click here for their website; we’ve also covered it extensively on the site here, so just searching for ‘Exa’ should bring up plenty of articles. Out of games announced for the coin-op system, most belong to the shoot ’em up genre, which is also known as ‘shmups’ or ‘STG.’ While other genres have also been represented, one has been missing until now – that of the rhythm game.

With NOISZ ARC⌖CODA, it is delivering a 1-2 punch by combining rhythm gaming and STG play into one. Players are presented with “bullet hell” style patterns, to dodge, while firing at the character in the center, which is tied to the beat. The arcade version will have more to it, as detailed in this announcement and given extra emphasis by myself:

Anarch Entertainment’s unprecedented rhythm & shooting game fusion is reborn on exA-Arcadia as NOISZ ARC⌖CODA! With each level intricately scripted to the music, battles in NOISZ are a synesthetic experience unlike any other, merging the intensity of classic bullet hell shooter gameplay with an immersive rhythm mechanic that pulls you into every song! NOISZ ARC⌖CODA brings revamped, speedier gameplay aimed at delighting arcade players and operators alike, and features all content from NOISZ and NOISZ re:||VERSE as well as exclusive, blisteringly challenging new stages and songs. For the first time in nearly 20 years, operators can now put a new music game on location without the large overhead cost of a dedicated cabinet, extra subscription fees and forced revenue share. Look forward to more information in the coming months regarding game modes, songs and location tests.

The game page for this also mentions that it has been “optimized” for vertical monitor play, but it will work if the Exa setup is in horizontal mode as well.

As also emphasized in the quote there, this is not coming as a dedicated cabinet, which is unusual for rhythm arcade releases With rare exceptions, the only time that such games have been offered in kit form is for upgrading editions (Pump It Up is the best example of this). Otherwise, when such a game is released, it comes in a dedicated, specially made cabinet that features custom controls for that gaming experience (a dance stage, a touchscreen, an instrument, etc.). So how will this work for Exa? Using the same control scheme as any other title for the system, a joystick and buttons. This will allow any Exa kit to feature the game, if the operator feels that it would be a good fit for them.

The PC version can be found here on Steam, where it has positive reviews all around; here’s video:

There is no release date available for this at this time, as much has been paused/delayed due to the pandemic. What do you think about this announcement?