IAAPA 2025 is approaching fast, and today we have a preview of the new arcade titles and updates that Raw Thrills will be bringing to the show. There is always interest from players and the industry in regards to what they are doing, and what arcades can expect from that, so let’s jump straight into it:
Jackpot Racer
Starting off with the first new debut and perhaps the main one of the bunch, we have a motorcycle racing video redemption game that we first saw on test earlier this year by the name of Jackpot Racer. As the unchanged title suggests, this is primarily intended for ticket redemption play, however, it does have an amusement-only mode. Here is the cabinet, then we’ll get into the game itself.
While the first impression may be of Super Bikes 3 again, there are a few notable differences, including the dual screen setup, a large LED ticker display, the lack of an air blower, and the seat and wheels using a translucent, lit-up material instead of straight black. If an operator buys just one cabinet, then they don’t get the giant marquee seen above. Operators can still link up to eight units, but there are only the two colors available, yellow and orange.
Gameplay-wise, as this is focused on tickets, that means much faster gameplay than with Raw Thrills’ usual racers, with the average game time clocking in at just a little over a minute. There are four tracks, where your goal in each race is to beat the computer-controlled “Jackpot Racer”. If you don’t beat them, you’ll still win certain smaller amounts of tickets, just not the big “jackpot”. It is taking the idea of the “rival racer”, and applying it to a redemption game.
This is hitting production very soon, and could possibly hit select arcades before IAAPA 2025 opens its doors. It has already been tested at a few locations, with the Round1 in Gurnee, IL having it most recently, so anyone who wants to give the game a ride should keep their eyes peeled. Pricing should be not far off Super Bikes 3, so ask your preferred distributor what it might be (as they're all a little different).
The media kit for this game can be viewed here.
Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe (Non-VR)
Recently covered on test in the same post as Jackpot Racer and on its original Asian debut at GTI 2025 via UNIS, the new Deluxe, non-VR edition of Godzilla Kaiju Wars will also be making its first official Western appearance at IAAPA 2025. At first, this might look like "just" the Godzilla game without VR (the cabinet looks almost the same as what was seen in China at GTI), but there's a little more to it than that.
Where this edition will stand out is that it is not 1:1 the same game as found in the VR version. Aside from changes to make the perspective fully on-rails, Raw Thrills have also doubled the game length - there are still five main levels with a sixth as the "Final Battle", but now each of those will take longer to complete. This makes it around the same start-to-finish playtime as Terminator Salvation or Aliens Armageddon.
It will also now have a optional Redemption Mode, much like many other Raw Thrills titles in recent years (not least Jackpot Racer above). I know some will grumble about that, but for operators who run redemption as well as games like Godzilla, this is an easy win-win for them, so it's not too surprising.
The cabinets will begin production in December, likely placing them in arcades during early 2026. Price-wise, it will fall somewhere above a single Fast & Furious Arcade, whilst still coming in below the existing VR version by a bit.
The media kit for this game can be viewed here.
Updates For Angry Birds Boom! & The Wizard of Oz
Though Jackpot Racer and Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe are the two main new products, Raw Thrills are additionally debuting new content updates for existing recent games of theirs at IAAPA.
First, their videmption shooter Angry Birds Boom! is receiving new software that implements a high score leaderboard, alongside the jackpot feature, allowing for both fixed and variable ticket payouts. These should go a long way in ensuring more repeat plays and engagement for it. Because Angry Birds Boom! is not an online-enabled game, however, any operators will need to contact the distributor they bought the cabinet from (or Raw Thrills technical support directly) to get their hands on this.
Last but not least, there is also a small update that has been made to the Wizard of Oz videmption game that Raw Thrills released earlier this year. This is just a model without the marquee, instead incorporating that into the top display, so that it can fit into locations that have lower ceilings.
Quick Thoughts
We appreciate Raw Thrills sharing the information above, and look forward to checking these out at IAAPA 2025. Aside from dedicated game videos, I'll also capture a booth tour, as I've always done in the past.
That all said, keep in mind that there could still be an unannounced surprise. I would place that chance lower on the scale that I used to do, just because over the past few years, they've been indulging in such things less and less. I feel like I can take some blame for that, given that we are often discussing location tests on here, although I have been working to reduce that across all manufacturers. It's a tough balance though, given how quickly word spreads about anything online in this day and age.
As for these games, since I don't run any redemption, Jackpot Racer isn't of interest for my location, while Godzilla Deluxe on the other hand is (although it does still fall on the pricier end of things). I also wasn't expecting it to come with longer levels, which I do think is a pretty nice touch.
I've already shared my thoughts about the state of virtual reality elsewhere, but perhaps we'll have to have some more discussion on it (possibly in a YouTube video) as we see more pivoting away from the technology. I see few requests for that, but I'm willing to do so if anyone is interested.
Which of the new products debuting from Raw Thrills at IAAPA 2025 interest you most?
