For several years now, one of the most heavily-rumored arcade games out there has been the next major entry in the Wangan Midnight series of racers by Bandai Namco. This has been talked about under the assumption it would finally be a Maximum Tune 7 – with a huge overhaul anticipated for the game itself and its cabinet. After many months, Bandai Namco have now finally started to roll back the curtain on what is not just a seventh instalment but looks to be one of the biggest advancements on their arcade racing games in years. Welcome to Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition…
Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition
This is still so hot off the press in Japan that details remain scant for now, besides an official website and articles by the likes of 4Gamer, but from those we can confirm that Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition is indeed the next mainline entry in the Wangan Midnight series: new name, new game, new engine.
This new release will be headed by Kazuhiro Maeda, who contributed to the original Maximum Tune lineage as a prominent director/producer from its origins to 5DX+. This latest game marks his return to WM, and he is doing so in style with an all-new cabinet design:
Many of the rumors surrounding the game that have been in existence revolved around this aspect. You may recall us mentioning information from a source in Japan which claimed that they had gone back to the drawing board with it at least once, partly explaining why this new game has taken so long to come. Some of those rumors also suggested it would take a multi-screen approach, or curved monitors – but it looks like it eschews both of those from the above image.
Curiously, there is also no kiosk station in it, but it could just be too early to reveal. I wouldn’t complain if that is dropped and instead gets integrated into each machine. The one I have doesn’t get used all that much, but it did add a few thousand to the game’s price tag…
The game is due to begin testing in Japan from next month, with what the official website is calling “ultra-fastest location tests” at a couple of Namco arcades over there in Matsudo and Kawasaki. Where it goes from there remains to be seen… but, although this is partly speculation on our part, it is looking somewhat likely that Bandai Namco will try to stage a worldwide launch for it in relatively close succession. Tentative plans have existed since before 2020 to finally bring the series back on the global stage and fully up to speed with Japan again; but for various reasons, including COVID, those haven’t come off. However, with Taiko No Tatsujin being primed for not just a USA release, but a European one, it’s now more than just wishful thinking that Wangan Midnight will receive the same treatment.
If further information comes out for Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition (likely from the location tests next month), we will certainly pass it on as and when. We’ve also reached out to Bandai Namco Amusements out West for comment, but the lateness of the news means we’ll probably have to update this later, in the event that they have something to say. Until whenever that comes, what do you think of this big new Wangan Midnight development?
