Bandai Namco Amusement’s long-awaited sequel to their 2009 swashbuckling skeleton shooter, GoldStorm Pirates, has been on location test and in the works for a while by this point. Having first appeared here in the States in June 2023, almost exactly one year ago AH reader Federico R. then provided us with a hands-on look at the game from its second known US test at Dave & Busters’ now-closed Addison, IL location.
After a long spell of no news since its last appearances in Japan during late 2023/early 2024, today we can finally confirm GoldStorm Pirates is now back out there on test. Fed has also returned to us with a preview of this latest version, with detailed photos where we can see what has changed. Let’s get into it…
Disclaimer: The game discussed in this article is a prototype which has been seen on location test. Though in the specific case of this game it is a later test and will likely look somewhat similar to this on release, the final production model can still change slightly – OR it could not even be released at all in the end. As such, reserve your final judgments for later.
GoldStorm Pirates Goes Back On Test In The USA
To look back on the game a little for those who may not remember it, this is now GoldStorm Pirates’ third known test in the USA, following several back in Japan. The first in June 2023 used an enclosed motion theater similar to the one seen over in the East, with only a few minor changes, but the second saw that being swapped for a larger open cabinet, using a bigger screen whilst retaining the motion seat.
The open design we caught a year ago forms the basis of this third US test cabinet – currently situated at Dave & Busters’ Schaumburg, IL location (the former GameWorks at Streets of Woodfield). The Addison location we previously saw GoldStorm at had been the principal site over the course of many years for most tests by various manufacturers, but now that it is gone, nearby locations pick up the slack. There are indeed several changes that have been made to GSP’s cabinet, which is also why we like to put that disclaimer:
As can be seen from the above photo and the below photo gallery, one of the biggest immediate changes you notice is the addition of extra theming and lighting to the motion seat part of the cabinet. This includes a part at the top made to better resemble a pirate ship, with fake plywood and a couple candle lantern-like lights. Elsewhere, there is also some extra speakers, a few LED-lit panels added to the monitor part of the cabinet (presumably to make it appear more connected to the motion seat), and a new marquee:
Fed also shot this video giving a quick overlook of the cabinet again:
But the cabinet is just one side of things here; in terms of the game, there are definitely some differences too. On all of its initial appearances last year, GoldStorm Pirates seemed to have only a couple stages completed to play. Though it was clear this was down to the game still being a work in progress, that has now changed, as Fed's below screenshots make clear that there are more available to players for selection. He even included a few of what looks like one of the endings (spoiler alert for that of course).
The photo is blurry so we have elected to not include it here, but Fed also sent a snap of the first couple staff credits after completing the game. Thanks to it, we now know the two main developers from Bandai Namco who are helming production: executive producer Atsuhito Osawa, and producer Shugo Ito. From the looks of their known credits out there, they last most notably worked on Time Crisis 5... though whether that shares any more creative DNA with this one (directors, designers etc) remains to be seen.
Additionally worth noting is the game's price in D&B currency this time - on their previous test back in Addison, it was 15 chips per credit, and now it has been almost halved to 8. Whether that may be related to the price of the cabinet or internal D&B things isn't clear however.
Lastly, a question on a lot of readers' minds will inevitably be whether this game will be at IAAPA 2024, and then when it will be releasing after all this time. Fitting with what I had been originally told in 2023, yes, the game will be at the show. A specific release date has not been revealed yet, but it looks like that still fits with the "Q1 2025" window Bandai Namco had originally suggested.
It may seem like this release has taken a long time to get here, but part of that is down to our good fortune in hearing very early word of what was pretty much its first ever Japanese test, way back in May of 2023. We don't always have that benefit, though that is always changing thanks to social media...
Thanks to Jdevy for spotting this test first last week on the AH Discord from a low-quality livestream, Federico R. for snapping/sharing all of the media you see here, and Ted for reaching out to him plus assisting with this piece in general. What do you think of GoldStorm Pirates from this latest preview of the game? Are you looking forward to it appearing at IAAPA 2024?
