The next company to receive our IAAPA 2023 focus is on Wahlap and Amusement Source International. Wahlap is based in Guangzhou, China, while ASI is setup in Texas. I need to stress that they are NOT the same company but ASI carries a lot more Wahlap product than anyone else at present. Some Wahlap games are also sold via LAI Games (Asphalt Moto Blitz, Dragon’s Bane) and Sega Amusements (Storm Rider 2, Crazy Rafting).
Wahlap are one of the biggest names on the Chinese arcade scene, and should be pretty familiar to most readers of the blog. They are an advertiser here too, as you may have noticed from their advert on the sidebar.
For ASI, they are led by Cory Haynes, and they also work with companies such as Ace Amusement and Nitto Game to bring certain games to the US. These non-Wahlap pieces from them are noted where possible below.
In case you missed/overlooked previous recaps:
IAAPA 2023: The Raw Thrills Round-up
New Fighters For Arcades: Omen of Sorrow
IAAPA 2023: The Sega Amusements Round-up
IAAPA 2023: Pinball (Stern, Jersey Jack, American, Chicago Gaming)
IAAPA 2023: The LAI Games Round-up
IAAPA 2023: The JET Games Recap
The Wahlap IAAPA 2023 Booth
Starting with Wahlap, they did have their own booth at the show, which had Asphalt Moto Blitz DX as a headliner. Since I already covered that game in the LAI games recap, I won’t overfocus on it here. Several of Wahlap’s other titles that you see here, including Wawa Show, Karate Chop, Thunderbolt Shot, Puzzle Monsters, and Skip Time, are all available in the US via ASI. That’s why I’m bundling the two companies here. 🙂
Thunderbolt Shot
Carried by ASI, Wahlap’s Thunderbolt Shot hearkens back to the Crossfire board game (and prototype Atari arcade game) of old. Thanks to Nick at Arcade Hunters for remind about that connection. Players take control of a ball shooter that will continuously fire small white pellets and your goal is to knock the green and red balls into your opponent’s goal. It’s a little unusual but if you’re looking for something different for your arcade, this certainly fits that bill.
The Amusement Source International IAAPA 2023 Booth
One reason why ASI didn’t have all of those Wahlap games at their booth was space. They had a smaller layout than Wahlap did, but they managed to pack it corner to corner with games, while somehow managing some table space in the center.
Some of Wahlap’s other games that you’ll see here include Clutch Shoot, Fantastic Train, and Go Hero Of Robots.
As I look through my videos, I don’t have enough footage of Ace’s Sky Riders DX nor Racing Car NOS to highlight them separately below; I did film the standard version of Sky Riders at Amusement Expo earlier this year; Racing Car is a lot like Hot Wheels without that licensing.
Note the “Value Line” of games at ASI’s booth. I don’t recall the pricing on them but it was pre-pandemic/inflation low. If you have a route or a location where you don’t want to break the bank, then they looked like great pieces. They are also small, making them perfect for kids to enjoy. Granted, pretty much all of ASI’s products are competitively priced, but that line even more so.
Go! Hero of Robots
Hero Of Robots, designed by both Wahlap and IGS out of Taiwan, is an Augmented Reality game that has been around for over a decade now. This version is perhaps the latest, although I have to admit that I’m not up on my Hero Of Robots lore. It’s a series that’s mainly stuck to Asia, only finding its way here through the occasional import. Perhaps now that it is being carried by ASI that it will find its way into more venues out there, although it is aimed more at kids than adults.
Parkour Motor 2
There were quite a few new racing games at the show, including the aforementioned Asphalt Moto Blitz DX. Where that game went over to LAI Games, ASI still has a new motorcycle racer to offer from Ace Amusement. The art aesthetic here is more appealing to kids but I was able to play it like any other motorcycle piece. It has a character levelling system that will improve the more you play, although I didn’t see an indication of a save system.
Zombie Crisis
For those wanting a new zombie shooter, this one from Nitto Game fits the bill… I don’t know if House of the Dead Scarlet Dawn is still in production, and The Walking Dead definitely isn’t (although TWD did just launch to Big Buck Reloaded). So that leaves the zombie shooter market somewhat open. This one also works to vend tickets, if the location chooses to do so.
Redemption
There are A LOT of redemption games available between the two companies. I know that ASI has a good relationship with Chuck E. Cheese, as CEC purchased quite a few standard versions of Ace’s Sky Riders. With that in mind, if you are hoping to see one or some of these ticket titles, CEC is probably one place you’ll come across one.
Out of the bunch of games in this class, the one that stuck out the most to me was Wahlap’s Fantastic Train. Perhaps it was the towering presence of the cabinet, but it was a fun piece.
For best impressions on Wahlap’s video games, it would have to go to Asphalt Moto Blitz DX; since that’s sold through LAI, the stand out one at ASI’s booth was still Sniper Strike II, followed by Ace’s Sky Riders DX and Parkour Motor 2. They aren’t big licensed names but they are very competitive on price.
What did you think of Wahlap and Amusement Source’s IAAPA 2023 line-ups?
i like the thunderbolt shot one