exA-Arcadia have been relatively quiet of late compared to previous years, but as we get into the latter half of 2026, they are picking up on the releases. The latest is seeing the return of another 1990s era shoot ’em up title, Truxton II, which was originally crafted by Toaplan. Let’s see what this new release involved.
Truxton II
If you are unfamiliar with the original game, the series went by the name Tatsujin in Japan, with the sequel being called Tatsujin Ou. That was released in 1992 to Asia; it didn’t get a lot of support in the Americas since we were not quite as hot on shoot ’em ups, and I’m not sure how big of an impact it had in Europe, although I do know that there was an overseas version.
Truxton II EXA Label
The exA-Arcadia shouldn’t need an introduction ’round these parts, but in case you haven’t heard of it before, here’s a place to find out more. From the exA website on this new release:
The king has returned! One of the most challenging shooters in gaming history is reborn as TRUXTON II EXA LABEL, the 9th entry in the highly acclaimed exA LABEL series. Supervised by the original game’s producer, Masahiro Yuge, this definitive edition reunites exA-Arcadia once again with original TOAPLAN staff, Junya Inoue aka Joker Jun, who joins as the Character Designer, Key Visual Illustrator and Graphic Designer while Keishi Yonao composed the new arranged soundtrack and supervised the newly added system voices performed by acclaimed anime voice actor, Takehito Koyasu. Together, exA-Arcadia delivers the modern vision for TOAPLAN’s magnum opus.
As mentioned in that paragraph, this is not the first time that exA has taken a classic shoot ’em up and remastered/reimagined it for today’s arcades; the “EXA LABEL” indicates such a thing. Batsugun 1.5 and Airgallet are some recent examples, although with exA taking a more relaxed stance on releases this year, it’s been a little bit since our last EL.
Every EXA LABEL lets you play the original arcade game (with bug fixes), plus some very nice additions. In the case of Truxton II, those are:
Experience both original arcade releases, the Japanese release, TATSUJINOU, and the overseas TRUXTON II, both selectable in Original. For a more balanced experience, Original’ rebalances the classic into a tighter, faster single loop experience while the long-awaited exA LABEL Mode completely transforms the game around aggressive scoring, strategic bomb usage and escalating speed. The better you play, the harder the game pushes back…Veterans looking for the ultimate challenge can take on EXTREME difficulty in both exA LABEL and Original’ modes. Newly redesigned bullets improve visibility during the most intense patterns while players who prefer the classic appearance can switch back to the original style before play. Three selectable soundtracks are also included: the Original Soundtrack, a new Stereo Original mix, and the all new Arrange by Keishi Yonao.
There is also a new Training Mode that lets you jump to any point in the game to practice there, instead of having to slog through from the beginning to get to a point later on that perhaps needs practice. I think that can be appreciated by anyone, especially when it comes to notoriously difficult games.
The game also enjoys 1 frame input lag response, and works either in vertical or horizontal display modes. Either mode features “gadgets” that you as a player can arrange to your liking, which is a nice (and unusual) touch.
The Kits
As they have sometimes done in the past, exA is offering this in three editions: Standard, Limited, and Complete Limited.
The standard version comes in at almost $2200 (after shipping it’ll surpass that) and comes with the game cart, posters, and standard art that you expect to come with any exA kit purchase; there is also one of two banners that you can choose from:
The LE adds more artwork (such as two hanging banners that a location can use), and comes with a Sanwa accessories kit:
Finally, the Complete Limited Edition comes with everything in the LE, plus your very own customized EXA Board (which can play other games, not just Truxton II). This is also numbered and signed by Junya Inoue. This one comes in at about $5500 USD.
There aren’t many more EXA LABEL games we’re still waiting on(Dragon Blaze, Asura The Striker, Neon Inferno, Demon Front – not sure if Tattoo Assassins and Rabbit will fall under that), although they could always announce more. Still, for STG fans, exA continues to bring a genre to modern arcades that otherwise gets mostly ignored by other arcade devs.
What are your thoughts on this release? If you have an exA, is it joining your roster?
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