The final instalment of our AAA 2025 coverage surveys the smaller exhibitors and the unusual machines that filled the Chinese trade show. Alongside original rhythm games, the floor included racers, shooters, redemption hardware, virtual reality attractions and several machines aimed almost entirely at the domestic market.
Thanks to Oga-Shi from Sega Amusements and Ted for helping document the event. The earlier reports covered Wahlap and Bandai Namco on day one, followed by UNIS and Ace on day two. For Australian operators and collectors, our arcade news and features offer further industry coverage.
Arccer expands its rhythm-game range
Arccer is one of the better-established Chinese developers creating original rhythm attractions. Its catalogue sits alongside, rather than replacing, the officially licensed Japanese rhythm games distributed in China by companies such as Wahlap.
The company’s main presentation was Dance Cube Show Evo, the latest version of a series that began during the 2010s. Earlier entries emerged partly during a period when Sega’s maimai was not being officially sold in China. The newest release uses Arccer’s recent hexagonal cabinet design, adding more music and visual improvements while increasingly establishing its own identity.
Arccer also promoted its large Dance Battle machine, which draws obvious comparisons with DanceRush. International maimai player TRG posted extensively about Dance Cube online and appears to have visited Arccer’s headquarters. A small number of overseas locations have reportedly obtained the game, although music licensing remains an important question for any wider release.
Baohui brings back Speed Rider
Baohui has been active in China for roughly as long as better-known manufacturers such as Wahlap and UNIS, although its products have had less visibility in Western markets. The company’s headline debut at AAA 2025 was Speed Rider 4DX, following earlier entries that received limited US distribution through Fun Hoops around 2019. Footage of those earlier releases is available here.
The new cabinet occupies familiar territory for modern racing machines. Its overall form recalls Asphalt Moto Blitz DX, while the course-map display above the screen brings Apex Rebels to mind. The lighting package and possible gameplay additions may help it distinguish itself when running, but its international distribution has not been established.
Flamestone and Leon Amusement focus on shooters
Flamestone and Leon Amusement are names associated with the recent return of metal-gun shooting galleries, including On Target and Mega Shot. Their range has expanded beyond that format, with titles such as Thunder Attack showing a broader interest in shooting attractions.
The larger new machine at the booth was Dragon Knight, a conventional two-screen, mounted-gun shooter arranged one display above the other. That differs from cabinets where a second screen is used only for spectators. Its presentation shares a few design cues with other recent dragon-themed shooters, but the similarities appear limited to general styling rather than a direct duplication. No Western distributor was identified.
HY Technology shows Sega partnerships
HY Technology had a larger presence at AAA than at the recent GTI Southeast Asia event, although no completely new video game was apparent. The company continues to work with Sega Amusements and 3MindWave on Chinese versions of selected products, including Apex Rebels.
Of particular interest were smaller 49-inch cabinets. These retain the motion platform and LED dot-matrix marquee used by the larger presentation, potentially allowing a lower-cost configuration without removing the main attraction. HY also displayed Bop It! Arcade, which appeared broadly unchanged apart from Chinese-language presentation.
Lilian enters the rhythm competition
Lilian presented two new rhythm games, adding another manufacturer to a sector that has recently grown through both Chinese-developed titles and official imports. The company’s first release was a new version of the older Dance Super Station E5 series, which has appeared outside China intermittently rather than maintaining a consistent international presence.
Dance Super Station E5 uses a streamlined cabinet with a prominent LED-light treatment. Its visual approach may recall the deluxe direction taken by StepManiaX, but the instruction boards indicate that the play system has also been revised.
Lilian’s second title, Stellar Echo, targets the same general space as Sega’s Chunithm. It combines pad controls with its touch-based interaction and appears to include an unusual vending-related feature. A cabinet render even showed a gameplay screen, making the intended comparison particularly clear.
Superwing moves beyond water-shooter redemption
Superwing is known internationally for Ice Man, the kids’ redemption water-gun game that helped popularise the format, while Smash DX reached Western venues through distributors including LAI Games. The company also presented Skywalk, an Air Strike-style attraction that already has a sequel, at a previous IAAPA event.
Its newer direction includes The Future, a science-fiction environmental shooter revealed the previous year and recently released in China. AAA 2025 also featured Mini World, which uses block-like visual design and supports three players on one motion platform.
Flash Rider adds another motorcycle-racing option, with a two-screen layout similar to Bikers Madness. A second cabinet uses a vertical display, an unusual choice for a bike racer and one of the more distinctive configurations at the show.
Domestic oddities and specialist machines
Many of the remaining products appeared unlikely to travel beyond China, but they show the variety of hardware being developed for local venues.
Quanhun Entertainment displayed several multi-game cabinets featuring SNK fighting titles, including slim designs with LED dot-matrix marquees and a much larger cabinet reminiscent of Sega’s Megalo format.
The licensing arrangement is reportedly valid for Chinese sales only. SNK China appears to have approved the products independently of the company’s Japanese head office, creating a complicated regional rights situation. The catalogues seen at the event did not clearly communicate the domestic-only limitation.
The agreement also covers newer The King of Fighters games. It is not clear whether these represent genuine arcade versions or older software installed in new cabinets; a downloadable-content screen suggested the latter may be possible.
Yuto Games used two vertically stacked displays for Crazy Drift. Rather than simply enlarging the playfield, the upper screen provides a rear-view mirror and scrolling encouragement while the player drives. A LinkedIn post shows the machine operating, while this direct capture shows one screen.
Joint Fun introduced Saga of Knight, combining mounted horse riding with a fantasy knighting theme. Another company displayed a related concept, although confusingly it used the same Dragon Knight name as the Leon shooter.
Magic Sound Pushing Rhythm was another new rhythm title. Its cabinet resembles Stellar Echo, but the controls are entirely touchscreen-based, a format once more common in arcade rhythm games. The developer was not clearly identified, and the game appeared at as many as two or three booths.
VR, redemption and crane attractions
EnjoySport showed several science-fiction cabinets in the style of VR Agent, with UFO-inspired shells. Behind them was a sequel to the 3D-glasses shooter Galaxy Squad, also known as Interstellar Team. The game had previously been tested in the UK before disappearing, and its appearance under the Maiteng Animation logo was notable because earlier material had associated it with Superwing.
Playmore presented three new pushers. The company’s earlier machines have reached overseas venues through LAI Games, while Sega Amusements has also worked with Playmore on the High Five crane.
Tong-Li remains another major pusher manufacturer, with past collaborations involving Andamiro and UNIS. Several newer original products could not be photographed because of image-sharing restrictions, although the company appears to be expanding quickly.
Yingpin represented the large field of neon crane manufacturers. The recent Western growth in dedicated crane venues now appears less certain: some operators have reported nearby sites closing within weeks, with equipment then entering the used market. Whether that reflects changing novelty value, commercial caution or other market pressures is unclear.
AAA 2025’s strangest machines
A large armoured jeep shooter supported four players and had the rough, oversized character of Chinese attractions seen a decade or more ago.
Another attraction revived the broad idea behind Sega Super Circuit, bringing a sizeable physical driving experience back into view.
A retro-styled 8-bit card-game cabinet offered a striking contrast to the more elaborate machines around it. Its design also prompted thoughts of adapting the shell to a mid-century appearance with suitably themed music.
The most unusual example may have been a hybrid digital and electromechanical golf game. Pulling the tee handle makes a golfer figure swing, while a successful shot triggers a small pigeon to emerge from the cabinet.
What AAA 2025 says about arcade development
AAA 2025 appeared to be a strong event despite uncertainty around tariffs. The number of English-speaking staff on booths was reportedly higher than before the COVID-19 period, while Japanese-originated intellectual property remained visible even as fewer Japanese-built products were shown.
A major theme was manufacturers looking beyond car racing. Motorbikes, dragons and aircraft were among the subjects replacing the previous concentration on cars, recalling the more varied concepts associated with Sega’s NAOMI era. Variety is welcome, although a diverse catalogue does not automatically guarantee a healthier arcade market.
Physical interaction remains central. Card systems, shooting ranges and other attractions that cannot be reproduced easily at home are likely to receive more attention, particularly where recognisable intellectual property can be combined with a strong venue experience.
Virtual reality had a noticeably smaller role than in previous years. Mixed-reality and augmented-reality concepts may offer more practical room for experimentation, while successful VR attractions will probably be the exceptions rather than evidence of a complete industry shift. Recent mixed-reality karting work illustrates that alternative direction.
The clearest hardware trends were dual displays, microLED dot-matrix marquees and motion seats. These features can make a cabinet more physical and visually immediate, but they also make it easier for manufacturers to reproduce the same formula. Several machines at the show reportedly reused existing hardware and software with minimal changes.
Rhythm games were another strong category, from officially licensed imports to home-grown Chinese releases. Their prospects outside China will depend not only on operator interest but also on whether developers secure appropriate music rights for international distribution.
For Australian arcades, the show offered a useful reminder that new machines are still being developed across a wide range of formats. Operators considering a new cabinet can compare space, maintenance and play-style requirements in our arcade machine buying guide, browse arcade machines, or explore dedicated racing arcade options.
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