While it is unusual for a Newsbytes to be published outside of a weekend, it is still September while I type – assuming I can finish what Ted and others on the AH Discord have helped to compile and send over in enough time, it can be a hybrid closer for Q3 and opener for Q4. Regardless, let’s get up to speed on some of the news (e.g. AAMA Gala 2024):
Trade Show Updates
As observed in our Trade Show Season Preview post at the start of the month, September has been a very busy one for arcade industry events. So, even after the coverage of GTI Asia China Expo and IAAPA Expo Europe, here we have a little more from these shows.
First off, the AAMA Gala 2024 happened in-between them. This was a much smaller, lower-key affair as is usually the case, but did see a few companies showcase ‘new’ products. Not much media has come out of it to show what those may or may not have been (it’s possible most was new to AAMA Gala 2024, not new-new), however a video of Sega Amusements demonstrating Apex Rebels was sent by AH’s source at Raw Thrills. AVS Companies did also post a few photos, including Bandai Namco’s Tom & Jerry Kitchen Chaos and Stern previewing The Uncanny X-Men:
Then for an update on GTI, a few companies who attended it and the organizers themselves have been slowly posting more videos from the show. Ted was both taken aback and amused by this official video by GTI of a company’s train-themed pusher with a very loud horn at the start (keep your volume down before clicking there), but most notable here is UNIS’ highlights reel from the show, which offers up some very brief glimpses at the new titles they had placed photography sharing bans on (e.g. Monster Kart, Amazing Universe, Picture Book Land, and Sailor’s Quest VR 2):
That UNIS video will take us onto another topic here in a second, but before going there, it should be noted that November’s Japan Amusement Expo is starting to get some pre-show action. Here are three new official AE sites which have just opened up, given that it is already October over in Japan:
More will likely come soon; exA-Arcadia will also be there this year, although what they might unveil remains to be seen. Also note that with those sites open above, they don’t reveal everything that will be coming to the show.
Now, with the AAMA Gala 2024 and all the odds and ends cleared up, onto that UNIS bit we talked about.
New Trailers (UNIS, Sega Amusements)
Despite having a photo share ban, UNIS have indeed now posted an official trailer for one of the new titles they showed off at GTI (hopefully the others will get their own trailers soon as well). Now known to be called Monster Kart in English, this one looks to ape Mario Kart with an original IP and a much more distinctive motion-based cabinet. Not many arcade kart racers have gone down that route; Sega’s Club Kart did have the expensive Cycraft simulator, and Namco’s Kart Duel had some motion, albeit a lot less. With the exception of those you’d probably have to go back to the old ‘taikan’ version of Power Drift for another.
Then for a new trailer of an existing game, Sega Amusements recently made this one of their newest videmption game, Zombies! Ready, Deady, Go!. It’s especially appropriate with Halloween on the horizon. Astute UK readers may also notice something familiar about the location this has been filmed at…
Asteroids Recharged News
As we haven’t mentioned Asteroids Recharged in a little while, here are a few small updates on what’s been going on with that recently (for full transparency, this part of the post is all by Ted and not Adam, who is currently working with AR developers Alan-1). The latest of these comes from the Portland Retro Game Expo (PRGE) just gone, where it appeared on Atari’s booth alongside their newer console projects from other companies. Even Nolan Bushnell was there to sign an original PONG machine. Next stop, Pinball Expo in a couple weeks time…
But the game hasn’t just been appearing at events – it’s already available out in the wild on location in the US. It had been at Arcade Galactic (presently it is not, but that will change soon with a newer hardware model), it has landed at Flynn’s Retrocade in Roy and The LAB in Ogden (all of those are in Utah). Outside of UT, the unit above at PRGE just went to Ground Kontrol in Portland, OR, and there are a few others testing in Georgia and New Hampshire… exactly where though is not clear right now. Until that is known, and even more pop up in time (the software should be done by IAAPA), here’s a fun original flyer recreation:
Maimai DX Prism
This one is slightly old news by now, but the latest version of Maimai DX was released in Japan by Sega earlier this month. Subtitled Prism (and stylized in-game as PRiSM, for those who like their lower-case ‘i’s…), it has brought forth another UI aesthetic refresh and a bunch of new music to boot as usual. This will likely end up being the first one to release in the States too if the game passed its location tests – D&B’s two month test in Texas is about to finish with little fanfare, but the Round1USA one before it did inevitably do a lot better, so perhaps a limited release at the latter will indeed be all it is going to get.
As it’s relevant here, Sega also recently announced entry openings for the sixth King Of Performai competitive event on the game. It will have an ‘international’ division too… though whether anyone outside of Asia will participate remains to be seen.
RIP Shukuo Ishikawa
News sadly broke last week of a Namco legend’s passing at 69. For those unfamiliar, Shukuo Ishikawa was one of the company’s longest-standing veterans, with involvement dating back to the late 1970s. He quickly began to make his name at Namco by creating a slew of successful electromechanical games – most notably Wani Wani/Gator Panic. After that, he went on to become their development manager, overseeing critical titles like Taiko No Tatsujin and Wangan Midnight. Though not the main creative force behind them, without his management it’s likely they would’ve never seen the same level of success.
Having finally advanced to become its CEO in the latter half of the 2000s, Ishikawa retired from his post at Bandai Namco Entertainment back in 2018. He leaves behind an incredible legacy of work that will still be loved for many years to come.
July / August Arcade Releases
Lastly, for the arcade releases of July and August, check this quick clip. This one is even later than Maimai DX Prism, but as they were fairly uneventful months it wasn’t a huge priority or anything. Look out for the September video sooner than later too…
Headlines
ARIKA And The Tetris Company Sign Agreement For A New TGM Series Game – Will it actually happen after what went down last time? Debatable. Will it be released in arcades too? Who knows…
“Pac-Man Eats Tokyo”, A Massive Pac-Man Game Projected On The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Bamco most definitely upping the ante on Space Invaders Gigamax here
Why Tekken 8 Probably Won’t Ever Have A Proper Arcade Edition – That said, I heard a VERY interesting rumor about this recently, so it is possible that this tweet is in error…
Mobile Suit Gundam EXVS 2 Overboost Gets Its Eighth Class Update
New Update For Touhou Scarlet Diabolique Fantastica
Bandai Namco Location Tests “Tekipaki Kitchen”, A New Cookery Arcade Game – Shades of Ryori No Tatsujin, their older mini cooking cabinet, but with video
Sega Testing Out New Video Card Vending Paw Patrol Kiddie Ride In Japan – Barron Games did one like this out West, but without the vending/video aspect
AM2’s Kancolle Arcade Is Still Going
Sega Updates Eiketsu Taisen To Ver 2.5
Happy Belated Birthday, Bub & Bob
Sega Rally Championship Gets A New 30th Anniversary CD Album
FY2022 Japanese Amusement Industry Survey Preliminary Results – post-pandemic bounce back or crane game mania? Perhaps a bit of both…
Initial D The Arcade Team Tournament Coming To Amusement Expo – would be cool if these happened at events like IAAPA out West as well
Bemani Pro League Season 4 Begins For Dance Dance Revolution
Taito’s Unproduced Fist Of The North Star Laserdisc Game Documents
Interview With The Late Fukio Mitsuji On Bubble Bobble/Rainbow Islands
Pop’n Music 28: Jam & Fizz Releases
DanceRush Stardom Removes Butterfly…
Dance Dance Revolution… In Book Form!
You Can Now Get Chuck E. Cheese Ice Cream – No, it is not cheese flavored
[Console Headlines]
Time Crisis Gets An AI-Powered Plug And Play Release – Remains to be seen if the game emulation quality is any decent
14 Year Old Game Developer Sued For Gaming Addiction – a real WTF one, so to speak
The Atari 50th Anniversary Collection Adds 19 Games Including Berzerk For $8
Entire Staff Of Annapurna Interactive Resign – Another headline you don’t hear often (!)
Nintendo Sue Palword Creators Pocketpair – Also in more lawsuit shenanigans…
PS5 Pro And 30th Anniversary Collection Announced – Hopefully you have deep pockets
Legendary Sega CD/Saturn RPG Lunar Is Remastered
A Jaleco Arcade Connection For Console Is Coming Soon
Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego? Returns On Switch
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remaster Trailer
Redot Engine Is Forking From Godot After The Latter Goes On A Bizarre Banning/Blocking Spree – Many Godot devs were banned simply for mild complaints about the engine. Stop hiring people with paper thin skin.
How Do Video Game Graphics Work?
That’s about it for this Newsbytes now. Which of this week’s news (e.g. the trade show updates featuring AAMA Gala 2024) interested you most?
