Our latest arcade news roundup brings together a Demon Slayer location test in the United States, a newly documented CED arcade project, Golden Tee PGA Tour 2027, a major Namco venue refurbishment and plenty of smaller industry updates.
Demon Slayer: Nichirin Battle Slash reaches the US
Konami’s Demon Slayer arcade title, recently launched in Japan, has appeared at US test locations. The first reported test was at Round1USA in Puente Hills Mall, an unexpected development given anecdotal reports that the game had struggled in Japan. Its simplified, video-redemption-style format may find a stronger audience in the US, particularly after the strong cinema performance of the latest Demon Slayer film.
A second test at the Kiddleton outlet at Japantown Center in San Fancisco offered a closer look at the game. It includes three modes, with the “Ult” mode reportedly ending quickly while Team Battle provided a more satisfying experience.
In Team Battle, players build a team using dispensed character cards. A katana-style joystick is used to stop a slot-machine wheel, with the result determining attack damage. When the opponent attacks, the player swings the joystick to parry attack symbols that enter the crosshair.
The cabinet’s modular footprint was also considered a strength. It fitted into space previously occupied by a smaller four-player chibi crane, making it potentially suitable for Round1 venues and other locations aimed at Japanese games and otaku culture. Its straightforward play loop and gacha-style card elements may also help it find an audience.
Whether the title receives a wider US rollout may become clearer around IAAPA and Konami’s plans for 2027.
Unreleased CED project LAZON comes to light
An obscure unreleased arcade game called LAZON has resurfaced through footage uploaded to YouTube. Beyond that material, there is little known about it. The developer, South Gate, is not associated with any other known arcade releases.
The project appears to have required extensive helicopter filming, followed by the development of dedicated hardware, a cabinet and a distribution plan. Bringing all of that to market during the collapse of the arcade industry would have been a formidable challenge.
LAZON’s premise, in which Earth faces an attack, recalls Mylstar’s Us Vs. Them. The raw footage does not include the computer-generated overlays that would have been added during gameplay. The title is particularly unusual because it used CED media: a needle-read format related to LaserDisc, with each disc reportedly lasting only around 2,000 plays.
Another unfinished project has also become accessible. The never finished Ms. Gorf is now playable in a browser, after MikeDX reconstructed it from surviving footage and digital fragments. The result is broadly comparable to Robotron 2084, but uses Gorf-inspired characters and explosions, along with clearer voice samples and additional ideas. A conversion for an original Gorf cabinet would be a fitting next step.
Golden Tee PGA Tour 2027 launches
Golden Tee PGA Tour 2027 is now available to operators. The familiar cabinet design remains, with Deluxe and Showcase Pro versions offered alongside a paid upgrade path for existing machines.
The new edition promises the best-looking graphics in the series, alongside ten courses: five entirely new layouts, two remastered courses and three that have been “re-teed”. The Money $hot prize system has been revised, while the new Vegas Golf mode adds poker cards and selected poker rules to Casual and Online play.
No pricing is specified for the dedicated cabinets or upgrade kits. Golden Tee has traditionally remained one of the more affordable location games, with the Deluxe model previously sitting well below $10,000.
Namco Trafford Centre receives a major refresh
The UK’s Trafford Centre venue has returned to the Namco name and branding after a substantial refurbishment. The newly presented Namco Trafford Centre features current games, including Bandai Namco’s European distribution range from Raw Thrills: Fast & Furious Arcade, Top Gun: Maverick and Halo: Fireteam Raven. Superwin’s The Future is also installed, despite having received little promotion since its appearance at IAAPA 2025.
The renovation removes the elaborate ancient-ruins frontage that had defined the venue since its 1998 opening. It has been replaced by cleaner honeycomb archways and LED screens, while the Gashapon area has also been redesigned. The showcase soft opening attracted a strong attendance, and the Namco branding may eventually reach other Funscape venues. A few more photos from the event have additionally been shared on LinkedIn.
Xevious commercial found after decades
A long-lost 1983 Xevious television commercial has been recovered from a recording of a Phillies versus Mets baseball game. Time Extension has a story on the Xevious commercial, which promoted the Atari release with the line “the Atari game you can’t play at home”.
The message highlighted the arcade’s advantages at a time when operators were increasingly concerned about home-console conversions and market saturation. Xevious was a Namco creation, and the game has also inspired a recently shared vector-style redesign.
Eugene Jarvis interview
Raw Thrills chief executive Eugene Jarvis has spoken with Japanese arcade historian and Onion Software creator about arcade history and modern development. The interview is presented in two parts; viewers may wish to disable YouTube’s automatic dubbing, which also replaces Jarvis’s voice.
IAAPA Expo Europe preview
A full IAAPA Expo Europe 2026 report is in preparation. In the meantime, a Main Hall tour offers more than an hour of footage, including the Bandai Namco Amusement Europe stand.
GlobalVR refreshes its parts website
GlobalVR continues to support its older arcade catalogue through their revamped GlobalVR parts site. The company is associated with games such as NASCAR, Aliens: Extermination, older Need for Speed releases and Frightfearland, as well as the 2014 Redline Rampage: Gas Guzzlers. GlobalVR also worked on arcade VR technology through systems such as Vortek V3 during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The updated site lists cabinets for Blazing Angels and Redline Rampage. Conversion kits are also listed for Redline, Shh…Welcome To Frightfearland and The Swarm. Quantities and prices are not stated.
There is no indication of a new-game comeback, but continued parts support is useful for operators maintaining these machines. A modernised Blazing Angels could be an appealing candidate for a future revival.
More arcade and gaming headlines
- Sid Seattle Launches Season Zero Of The AACES 10-Week Scoring Tournament on Antstream Arcade. The top three players receive a Walter Day and A.C.E.S. “CHASE” trading card.
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A commentary video argues that major games should stop treating every release like a child-friendly superhero film.
- Mobile Arcade JSK RVcade Is Developing Their Own Line-up Of Arcade Games.
- New Maimai DX Version ‘Maimai DX Magical’ Releases In Japan.
- Konami’s Beatmania IIDX Has Received Its 34th Edition, Zinrai.
- New Rival Bingo Event For Maximum Tune 5DX+ Running Until October 31st.
Arcooda Introduces New Metal Holsters For 1990s Gun Arcade Games.
Production Update For Tales Of The Arabian Nights.
An Enhanced Version Of Atari’s Tetris, Which Makes The Scoring More Competitive.
Home and retro-gaming headlines
- The NeoGeo AES+ Has Been Delayed; Yuzo Koshiro Is Interested In Bringing Earthion To The System.
- More Cuts Come To Xbox & Its Studios.
The Long-Standing Relationship Between Sega & nVidia.
Roguecraft DX Now Available On Steam. The game began life on the Commodore Amiga, which explains its deliberately 1990s visual style.
New, Original, Non-AI Jaguar Game, Shape Shooter 2000 Will Be Released At PRGE Next Month.
The Sega Master System Gets A New Shoot ‘Em Up.
The Nintendo64 Is Now 30 Years Old.
For more arcade coverage, explore the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, browse arcade videos, or use our Arcade Machine Buying Guide when comparing machines for an Australian games room.
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