IAAPA Expo 2024 is less than a week away, making it the perfect time to cover certain games that will make their grand debut at the show – as we have been doing for the past little while. Today, we have the opportunity to discuss a game that has been on our radar since last year: GoldStorm Pirates from Bandai Namco Amusements.
It has been a while since Bandai Namco has released an original shooting game like this; none were even in production until GoldStorm came along. To dive into this return to the shooting game market that has been highly-awaited by arcade fans, we got all hands on deck with Bandai Namco Amusement America’s National Sales Manager Steve Ignarski and Bandai Namco Amusement Europe’s International Sales Manager Josh Hurst. Also a big thanks of Dan Snook at Square In The Air for his assistance in crafting this story.
The game is already beginning to roll out in Japan (some Namco locations there already have their cabinets, with most others appearing in December), and IAAPA 2024 marks the official debut of the game out West, so let’s get the rundown:
The Goldstorm Pirates Q&A
What prompted BN to take aim with a new shooting game and go with GoldStorm Pirates?
SI – We have a great heritage in developing shooting games, stretching back decades with the likes of Time CrisisTM and Deadstorm PiratesTM. While the latter had a decidedly different feel compared to the former, its success warranted us exploring what else we could do with this latest adventure.
We have used that know-how and experience with the genre and spent a lot of time getting this release just right. We know that fans of our classic games and shooters, in general, will enjoy what we’ve got in store for them.
We’ve tried to make sure that we’ve got some fantastic new gameplay features included in GoldStorm Pirates and we feel the demographic that will be attracted to this game has evolved compared to previous products. We’re confident this new release will have an even wider appeal to a greater range of players who enjoy the spread of products that can be found in FECs.
The pirate theme particularly is evergreen and continues to prove popular with all age ranges and across modern media, particularly with movies, TV and console games, so it lends itself very well to the setting of this new title.
What can operators and players expect from the cabinet?
JH – It’s an impressive cabinet that utilizes a motion seat for two players in front of a 75-inch (190cm) HD monitor displaying the action, which is paired with a 5.1 speaker system that delivers a pounding soundtrack and the crisp sounds of battle. The immersion is also elevated again by air that is blown at the players to recreate the feel of hurtling through the levels.
To fend off the fearsome foes that inhabit the five in-game levels, a double-handed gun is in front of each player and the pioneering helm wheel from Deadstorm Pirates™ makes a welcome return, sitting as before in between the weapons.
How would you describe the gameplay?
SI – While the gameplay is inspired by Deadstorm Pirates™, we’ve designed GoldStorm Pirates™ from the ground up. There is the allure of familiarity, blended with much greater detail with all new levels, enemies and strategies for players to adopt to progress. Without giving too much away, stage one acts as a tutorial in the Sea Battle of the Southern Island, with a further four stages to clear, including a pirate fortress and a graveyard of sunken galleons. Each challenging level tasks players to battle through countless foes before coming face to face with a monstrous boss, including a huge mutant crustacean and a hideous giant crocodile.
What player engagement features are there to enjoy?
JH – The chaos of two-player co-operative play that we have pioneered in our legacy titles returns and apart from dispatching the hordes of undead pirates and mysterious sea creatures, there is plenty of other depth to keep sharp-shooting heroes on their toes.
Players can strategically combine their shots with specific targets offering great rewards, while treasure chests can be unlocked by hitting a certain number of times to spring the lid and reveal gold before time runs out.
The helm adds to the action too, sometimes requiring players to carefully steer away from danger, challenging their teamwork to decide who can carefully manage the wheel while the other fends off incoming attacks with carefully placed shots.
Treasure galore can be grabbed across all the stages from both the battles and exploration too – certain areas of the adventure can be destroyed to reveal hidden loot, giving players more to look out for than just the menacing enemies if they want to power up their efforts.
The gold doubloons discovered in-game will restore the life meter upon clearing a stage, making treasure collection a matter of life or death!
Is there anything else you can reveal?
SI – GoldStorm Pirates™ takes everything that was a hit in previous shooters and cranks up the action to new heights with beautifully detailed stages and challenges that will test even the most skillful of seafarers.
It will make its global debut at IAAPA Expo 2024 in Orlando at booth 1300 and we welcome visitors to experience the excitement for themselves before shipping is expected to commence in Q1 2025.
Thoughts
Thanks to Steve, Josh, and Dan for providing the info here. By all accounts, this game looks sharp as a tack and I imagine it will pack in a lot of fun. Stay tuned both to the site as well as the Arcade Heroes YouTube channel for more, as I’ll be filming this in action at their IAAPA booth.
A little more on Bandai Namco will be mentioned in our upcoming IAAPA preview, although as of this writing, the only game 100% confirmed as being there is GoldStorm Pirates. This certainly makes it the “flagship” of Bandai Namco’s IAAPA presence.
Do you hope that your local arcade grabs one when it is available early next year?
