exA-Arcadia has announced a modern revival of Tattoo Assassins, the unfinished Data East fighting game that became one of arcade history’s most unusual curiosities. The reveal arrived during the final day of the company’s appearance and exALive streams at EVO Japan 2025.
The story behind Tattoo Assassins
For many arcade fans, Tattoo Assassins is familiar as an internet oddity. Others may have encountered it through emulation or at specialist arcades. Its reputation largely comes from the question it continues to provoke: how did a game this strange ever reach testing?
The answer is tied to the mid-1990s arcade market. Digitised graphics, Mode 7 effects and texture-mapped 3D were still relatively new, encouraging developers to build games around these techniques. Some releases successfully followed the advances made by titles such as Daytona USA; others struggled when they attempted to chase a trend without the same resources.
That was the fate Tattoo Assassins became for Data East. The project originated with Data East’s pinball division, which later became Sega Pinball and then Stern Pinball. It was conceived as a response to the growing popularity of Mortal Kombat in 1994.
The design team was led by Data East’s Joe Kaminkow, while Bob Gale, the Oscar-nominated writer associated with the Back to the Future films, was hired to develop the story. The plot centred on a form of “living ink”, supporting a game intended to challenge the leading fighting franchises of the period.
However, the game performed poorly during testing and was quietly shelved. Years later, the project resurfaced online, where its unfinished presentation attracted considerable mockery and curiosity. It is now set to receive a far more serious second chance.
exA-Arcadia’s Tattoo Assassins revival
exA-Arcadia is collaborating with Data East’s current rights holders to restore the unreleased title. The team has recovered the original source code and assets, describing the result as a “perfect port” enhanced with new balancing, bug fixes and additional content.
The update is also designed for contemporary displays. Planned improvements include visuals that make better use of 1080p and 4K monitors, scanline filters and low input lag. Character balance is being revised too, with the aim of producing a more satisfying fighting-game experience.
The revival is intended to retain the game’s full cast and its finishing moves and variations, including animalities and nudalities. Details remain limited at this early stage, with the announcement currently consisting of the available project information and the accompanying image.
A curious return for arcade fans
Tattoo Assassins has long been discussed as a failed Mortal Kombat-era experiment. A source-code restoration with technical improvements and revised gameplay could give players a clearer idea of what the original project was trying to achieve.
For more coverage of arcade developments, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Anyone considering a dedicated cabinet can also consult the arcade machine buying guide, while owners planning upgrades or preservation work may find the arcade repair service useful.
Further updates will follow as exA-Arcadia shares more about the project, its content and its eventual arcade release plans.
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