Bandai Namco is bringing its children’s card-battling arcade game Animal Kaiser back to venues in the UK and United States. The new Animal Kaiser Plus has appeared at EAG and Amusement Expo, giving operators and players a closer look at the reboot.
The project was presented by Bandai Namco Amusement America, with the UK scheduled to receive the game first and the US rollout planned soon after.
The return of Animal Kaiser
First launched in Japan in 2007, Animal Kaiser is a long-running arcade series built around collectible cards. Its original audience was primarily children, placing it in the same broad category as Sega’s Mushiking and Dinosaur King, but the format also developed an older following.
Different versions of the game created fan communities in several regions. The series reached the United States, although many of its American cabinets were concentrated in Hawaii, making it less familiar on the mainland. The UK developed a stronger presence, including official tournaments and organised competitive events. With no new release for some time, UK cabinets had become increasingly uncommon at arcades and other locations.
Bandai Namco says requests from both operators and players in the UK and US helped prompt the franchise’s return. The company also sees an opportunity in the growing popularity of card collecting across different age groups.
“After the previous run of Animal Kaiser ended, we received a lot of requests from operators and players from the US and UK to bring the game back.
I personally feel like it fits perfectly with this generation of players. We’ve seen card collecting blow up in the past few years among people of all ages, so I feel like AK+ will attract both hardcore collectors and casual players.”
What Animal Kaiser Plus changes
Animal Kaiser Plus was promoted more prominently at EAG after a small teaser post on the official UK Facebook page late last year. EAG featured a promotional area staffed by Bandai Namco Amusement Europe representatives, but playable cabinets were not available there. Amusement Expo provided the first opportunity to see the machines operating in person.
The new game retains the original’s central gameplay and software. Bandai Namco has upgraded the hardware, while leaving the established mechanics intact because operators and players already enjoyed the existing format.
The software has not been changed besides a suitable upgrade to hardware. Many of the operators and players enjoyed the original mechanics and software, so the development team kept it the same as to not ruin the integrity of AK.
We’ve also added a new “Card Buying Mode” that allows players to purchase cards from the machine without having to play a game. We are hoping that this increases players coming back just to collect cards!
As I mentioned before, we feel like we are hitting a good spot in the market where both kids and adults enjoy card collecting TCGs and arcade games. This is a huge market there that I hope we can find a sweet spot in.
In addition, many of the kids who played the original game are grown up and we hope that the familiarity of AK+ can strike a chord with them.
First-look footage shows the familiar presentation and play style. While the visuals may resemble the era of PlayStation 2 games, the game runs at a smooth 60 frames per second. Its straightforward, card-focused design is aimed at children, but the collecting appeal is intended to reach adults as well.
Cabinet design and expected pricing
Animal Kaiser Plus uses a new red cabinet with a 16:9 monitor. Earlier machines used a 4:3 display, a format that was unusual even among older arcade releases. The wider screen is a notable hardware update, despite the game remaining focused on accessible family play.
A final MSRP had not been confirmed at the time of the information provided. The expected operator pricing was around £4,000 or more in the UK and approximately US$5,000 or more in the United States. That would place the cabinet below many modern arcade titles priced above US$10,000, although final pricing remained subject to confirmation.
For readers comparing different arcade formats, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide explains the key considerations when assessing a cabinet, while the arcade machine range covers other dedicated options.
Animal Kaiser Plus cards
Collectible cards remain the main attraction of the series. Version 1 of Animal Kaiser Plus is planned to contain 78 cards, while details for Version 2 have not yet been decided.
- Version 1 will include 78 cards.
- Version 2 remains to be confirmed.
- The price of each card box had not yet been announced, with details expected later.
- Only new Animal Kaiser Plus cards will work in the new cabinets.
- Older cards can still be collected, but they cannot be used in the new machines.
A new chapter for a collectible arcade series
Animal Kaiser Plus combines a familiar arcade format with a new cabinet, a card-only buying mode and a planned return to two markets where the series developed a following. The UK release is scheduled first, with the US version to follow soon after.
For more arcade coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Operators and collectors interested in ongoing cabinet care can also explore arcade repair and maintenance services.
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