exA-Arcadia has shared new details about two upcoming arcade shoot ’em ups: Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica and P-47 Aces Mk. II. Both revisit earlier games while adding new features, and both were scheduled for Japanese location testing around this period.
For Australian arcade enthusiasts following modern Japanese releases, these projects show how familiar arcade properties can be rebuilt for contemporary hardware. More arcade news is available on the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica
This project is a special remake of the seventh Touhou game. The Japanese release was set for 28 July 2022, giving fans a relatively short wait before the updated arcade version reached game centres.
The arcade edition adds balance adjustments, a revised user interface and optional button-layout settings. It also features 12 voice actors providing performances for the four main characters and eight bosses.
exA-Arcadia also launched a Twitter competition offering very limited autographs from the actresses involved. The contest was already attracting significant attention in Japan at the time of the announcement; fans can find it through exA’s Twitter contest.
The timing was notable for Japanese operators, whose businesses had faced difficult conditions over the previous two years. A high-profile Touhou release offered game centres another major attraction for their floors.
P-47 Aces Mk. II expands the 1995 shooter
Players looking for a more traditional military shooter had another exA-Arcadia release to watch. P-47 Aces Mk. II is based on P-47 Aces, the arcade game released in 1995.
Japanese testing was scheduled to begin on Thursday for one week at two venues: Round1 and Leisure Land. These were the same locations used for the recent Samurai Shodown V Perfect tests.
Three ways to play
The original game is included in remastered form for modern displays, retaining a 4:3 presentation. Two additional modes are designed for widescreen 16:9 monitors and support up to four players simultaneously.
- WIDE: expands the playfield for four-player action and rebalances the experience. Faster enemy bullets and large bosses are adjusted to make the original’s high difficulty more manageable across the wider screen.
- KAI: rearranges WIDE mode with expanded stages, new enemies, stronger visual effects and further balance changes. It also restores a revised version of the original hyper system, whose specifications have been reduced from the earlier game.
The remake also replaces the artwork, introduces new characters and aircraft, and includes an arranged soundtrack. Four additional planes with different performance characteristics are paired with four new pilots, broadening the strategic options for solo and cooperative play.
The character designs have been refreshed, allowing players to choose a fighter based on performance or pilot appearance. Composer Manabu Namiki, who was involved with the original project, arranged the soundtrack. The release also adds music that could not previously be heard through to its conclusion, along with a special guest-composer contribution intended for the final stage.
Sound effects have been updated as well, with the option to select between the old and new sound styles. The translated translated press release outlines these additions in further detail.
Release outlook
The English games page listed P-47 Aces Mk. II for a September launch. At the time, information indicated that Western markets might receive the game before Japan. Availability for Australian operators and private collectors was not confirmed in the announcement.
For readers comparing dedicated hardware options, RETROCADE’s arcade machines, upright arcades and arcade machine buying guide provide useful starting points. Existing cabinets can also benefit from compatible arcade parts and professional arcade repairs.
These two releases take very different approaches: Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica focuses on a voiced, refined remake, while P-47 Aces Mk. II adds widescreen multiplayer, new aircraft and substantial audiovisual changes to a 1995 shooter.
Leave a Reply