On Test From Raw Thrills: Godzilla Kaiju Wars [Non-VR]; Jackpot Racer

With the start of the next big trade show season for the amusement industry edging closer, today we have got two games that have recently been seen on location test out in the arcade wilds, both from Raw Thrills. One is a new non-VR model for Godzilla Kaiju Wars, the other is a new racing video redemption title currently under the name of Jackpot Racer. The company has declined to officially comment on both games for now, which is their standard policy when it comes to tests, but let’s take a look at what is out there with them already so far.

NOTE: The games discussed on this post are on location test, which is the arcade industry equivalent of a beta test. The final product may differ significantly from the final production release – if the games pass the tests and reach production.

Godzilla Kaiju Wars [Non-VR]

The first game we’ll discuss is a model variation that I’ve been hoping for, and one that I think I saw when visiting Raw Thrills’ HQ last year (it was super-super early and I wasn’t able to see it up close, but it did have the guns pointed at the screen; I saw it from behind while taking a tour and only really caught the glimpse of the guns). That variation – a version of Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR that doesn’t have the VR component to it. This particular test was first spotted in a video posted about the arcade at a Great Wolf Lodge location, then seen on a Instagram post (where the below snap comes from). There is also this video showing the attract mode.

As you can see, this new model keeps the same basic components but naturally turns the seats around to face the dual screens instead of having them face outwards. Of course, the cabinet could still change – I would not expect it to be an enclosed “environmental” design however, as it has been a while since RT has used that, and the stacked two screen format (which they seem intent on keeping) wouldn’t quite fit into it.

Assuming it hits production though, I am quite curious to see what the price difference may be. While the VR version is priced lower than some comparable VR arcade titles, it’s still pretty high for smaller locations to grab. Since the VR element is effectively the only part missing from this version, it seems likely it won’t knock off more than a few thousands, but we shall see.

The only other thing I would assume about this is that it would have the six levels of the VR version as standard instead of an update, and with some changes to the game flow to adjust things since you can’t look around at will. Any other changes would be unexpected, though they can’t be ruled out entirely with no more information on it avaliable at the moment.

Jackpot Racer

Seen elsewhere on test back in the Spring, this next one is a little bit of a surprise. Raw Thrills have been leaning harder into video redemption (“videmption” as we say around here) titles in recent years – not exclusively doing titles of that nature, but certainly doing more, such as Wizard of Oz, Nerf Arcade, and Angry Birds Boom! with Play Mechanix. While a lot of their output here has matched most other types of videmption games in style, this one is taking a different turn – by being a motorcycle racer. Not many (besides a few Ace Amusement releases) have gone that route so far.

From this photo, the first thing some may have spotted is its cabinet similarities with another game, albeit with two additions – it is currently a reskinned Super Bikes 3 with two screens. We have seen RT test games in reused cabinets before in their earliest stages, so you can take it as an expectation that we will see this with a different design if it releases. Something else that I also would guess will change is the name. The amusement industry has shied away from the term “jackpot” in favor of “bonus” or “super bonus” due to the connotations that come with it – although I do think that this name sounds better than those other options, or “Ticket Racer”.

Besides the aforementioned redemption element, this is the first time that they’ve given a motorcycle game the dual screen treatment, although that really was a trend that they popularized with Fast & Furious Arcade, and has been copied by many a game out of China in recent times (most frequently with racers). Also, while the photo above isn’t the only one we’ve seen of the game, it is the clearest. Given the screens that are visible, I do not know if it is reusing tracks from Super Bikes 3, Fast & Furious Arcade, or if they’re all original, nor can I speak to how many tracks there are. But we’ll keep an eye out for it regardless.

It’s likely that if they have passed testing, both of these titles will end up debuting sometime during the next season of trade shows that the industry has coming up – we have GTI Asia China next week, then IAAPA Expo Europe after that, then IAAPA 2025 in November. So, there are plenty of chances where one or both of these can show up, although it would be unusual for RT to debut a game at a show like GTI (that doesn’t mean it can’t happen though).

Until then, what do you think of these two new Raw Thrills arcade games?