Atari’s Asteroids Recharged arcade machine has entered a three-month location test at Arcade Galactic in Utah, just weeks after the project was first revealed. Utah-based Alan-1 is using the venue to evaluate the game in a public, real-world setting.
Asteroids Recharged moves from home game to arcade
Asteroids Recharged Arcade is an arcade adaptation of the home release launched in 2021. Alan-1 secured the agreement and received the game code only six weeks before Amusement Expo 2024, making the completed cabinet and substantially revised arcade version shown at the event an impressive turnaround.
A public three-player location test
Alan-1 delivered the three-player cabinet to Arcade Galactic in Utah for testing. The planned three-month run is longer than the roughly six-week testing period often seen for arcade titles, although testing schedules vary.
The open approach is also notable. Many US arcade developers keep location tests confidential, whereas this one was announced from the beginning. The venue’s audience should still provide useful feedback: although some visitors actively seek out the arcade, many discover it after already arriving at the mall, and casual players outnumber dedicated followers who travel specifically to play there.
Inside the Asteroids Recharged cabinet
The test unit is the same three-player cabinet displayed before Amusement Expo 2024 in Las Vegas. Its equipment includes a 55-inch screen, LED-backlit buttons, wind, rumble and knocker effects, plus a 2.1-channel sound system.
A few marquee lights appear not to be attached, and the coin mechanisms required modification before testing. Otherwise, the cabinet needed no significant preparation.
The software build is also the same version shown at Amusement Expo for now, though further changes are expected during the test period.
Why does the cabinet have four start buttons?
Although the current listing identifies the machine as a three-player model, its control panel contains four start buttons and four individually assigned coin slots. Only three stations are connected, however, and the present software supports three players.
This suggests the cabinet may originally have been intended for four-player operation. A technical issue or the tight schedule before Amusement Expo may have prevented all four positions from being completed, but the reason has not been confirmed.
Testing exposes the remaining software bugs
The cabinet currently has a problem with coin pulses. One pulse can award two credits, while the game may also add a large number of credits when a player dies. Alan-1 is working on a fix, so earnings recorded during this stage may not be accurate.
That is the purpose of a location test: to identify faults and refine the experience before wider orders begin. Testing in an operating venue can reveal practical issues that may not appear during a trade show demonstration or internal development.
Players near the Utah venue can share feedback through If there is anyone who reads this that is in my area. The machine remains a work in progress, and player responses may help shape the final version.
For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Readers comparing cabinet formats can also explore the arcade machine buying guide, upright arcades and arcade parts.
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