The final day of Asia Amusement & Attractions Expo 2024 brought a broad look at China’s arcade industry beyond the major Wahlap and UNIS booths. The show included driving games, shooters, rhythm machines, kiddie rides, coin pushers, cranes and several unusual location-based attractions.
This report brings together the remaining notable products seen at the event, including coverage supplied from the show floor by Shinichi Ogasawara of Sega Amusements. For more arcade news and trade-show coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Wahlap recap
Wahlap later published video footage showing products that were not captured in the earlier coverage. These included Monster Eye 3, the Chinese version of the Chinese version of NFS Heat Takedown, and a brief look at the Taiko No Tatsujin kiddie ride. The footage also highlighted the theatrical presentation used by some manufacturers to make their exhibition spaces stand out.
Ace Amusement
Ace Amusement continues to build an international profile. The Chinese manufacturer had its own IAAPA booth in 2023 alongside Wahlap and UNIS, although overseas distribution still largely depends on regional partners such as UDC in Europe and Coastal Amusements in the United States.
The company is best known for water-gun shooters in the style of Ice Man, while many of its other products update familiar arcade ideas with colourful, child-friendly presentation and redemption features.
Fierce Chase revives the two-player driving-and-shooting formula associated with Namco’s Lucky & Wild. Ace also displayed two games that could not be photographed: Air Combat and Skull of Shadow.
Air Combat combines elements reminiscent of Sega’s Sky Target with Ace’s Air Strike, using a larger twin pendulum cabinet. Skull of Shadow is a pirate-themed shooter available with tethered or fixed guns. The tethered version supports four players, while the fixed-gun model supports three.
Both titles used English artwork, suggesting that international distribution is possible, although no release arrangements were confirmed. Ace also lists an Asian version of Air Strike on its website, despite earlier information connecting the game with Game Art.
Playmore’s coin pushers and cranes
Playmore has become increasingly visible in Western distribution, particularly with coin pushers. Shinichi Ogasawara described the company as a “lion” of China’s amusement sector, alongside Wahlap as the dragon and UNIS as the tiger, and noted its strong reputation for quality.
Playmore presented two new machines: Dragon Knight and an unnamed cabinet centred on a large lion and bingo-ball cage. Its products have previously been rethemed for overseas markets. Solar System, for example, became LAI Games’ Rick and Morty: Blips and Chitz, while Sega Amusements released the original version and LAI later released Cosmic Tower as its own product.
The company also showed “High Five”, an unusual crane equipped with five claws. Its name describes the machine’s most obvious feature.
Firestone Amusement, Huoshi Chuan Yu and Gym & Fun
This manufacturer appeared under several names. It uses Firestone Amusement in English on LinkedIn, while its exhibition artwork identifies Huoshi Chuan Yu Technology or Gym & Fun. Huoshi Chuan Yu is understood to be a rough Chinese translation of Firestone, although the branding remains inconsistent.
The company produces Thunder Attack, which Amusement Source International is selling in the United States and Electrocoin has been testing in the United Kingdom.
Several machines followed the format later associated with JET Games’ Mega Shot. The same underlying product began as Top Gun, then appeared under the names Quick Shot and Skill Shooter. One cabinet used the English marquee Master Sniper.
The booth also included electromechanical shooting galleries.
Arccer Amusement and rhythm games
Arccer Amusement had few new products on display, but remains relevant to rhythm-game players. Its Tata Island pusher was previously brought to Western markets by Bandai Namco as Tower Island; an updated three-player version was shown at the expo.
Arccer’s rhythm catalogue began with familiar Japanese-inspired concepts but has gradually developed more individual mechanics and presentation. Its Dance Cube/Show series, which started as a Maimai imitation, now includes a newly upgraded white cabinet running at 120Hz. Taiko and Chunithm machines have supported high refresh rates for some time, while Maimai had not yet made that change at the time of the show.
Ogasawara also shared a discussion about Maimai’s influence on China’s amusement industry.
Yuto Games
Yuto Games travelled to AAA 2024 after appearing at the SEA Expo in Riyadh. The company displayed several video games, although it was unclear whether all represented new work or refreshed versions of older material.
Yuto controls the former InJoy Motion intellectual property and continues to place it in new cabinets. Volt may be another version of InJoy’s Power Boat, while Showtime may relate to the earlier street-racing game influenced by Need for Speed. Yuto was also among the few exhibitors still showing virtual-reality products.
Other products from AAA 2024
The smaller booths revealed the challenges of identifying manufacturers and distributors in this market. Companies often distribute one another’s products, reuse similar designs or present the same game under different names, so some details remained uncertain.
Mecpower/Tecway displayed a kiddie ride based on Bandai Namco’s Gator Panic whacker series. It combines a scaled-down video game with motion from the ride-on alligator. A more elaborate digital version had previously appeared as Whack ‘Em Funky Gators.
One multi-game cabinet claimed official SNK licensing, although it was unclear whether that covered every title installed. Other photographs showed Pandora’s Box software running with incorrect aspect ratios, and the licensing claims were disputed.
A second cabinet, branded “Pandora Star”, appeared to be unlicensed and has been available through online wholesale channels. Its styling evoked Konami’s Sound Voltex and Bombergirl cabinets, particularly around the speaker grilles.
The racer labelled both Furious Speed and Pro Street 2 demonstrated the naming confusion common among some Chinese manufacturers. It appeared in two cabinet styles: one resembling Initial D, and another closer to Cruis’n Blast or Fast & Furious Arcade. The screens credited the software to Shengshi Network Information Co., Ltd., but little additional information was available.
Iplay showed Jump For Treasure, a Frogger-like videmption game. The grouped cabinets apparently did not provide linked multiplayer, while the smaller centre screen gave the arrangement an unusual footprint suited to locations where space is limited.
Huangyue Technology, maker of Demolition King, presented toy-prize whack-a-mole machines with a block-building theme. The company also appeared to be distributing Apex Rebels for 3MindWave and Sega Amusements in China.
Goldfish vending machines and cranes were another striking feature of the show. Such attractions appear to be prohibited in the United Kingdom and may also be restricted in the United States, whereas they were permitted at AAA 2024. Two examples were photographed.
Mechanical shooting ranges using real BB pellets have been a recent Chinese amusement trend, but archery appeared to be gaining ground at this expo. Similar soft-tip arrow attractions have appeared at other trade shows, often firing towards a projected screen.
A horse-riding and archery attraction combined a saddle with a motion base. Its presentation appeared to have a Mongolian influence, although the precise theme was not confirmed.
Another distinctive attraction was a futuristic photo booth with curtains that automatically opened and closed during photography. Its shape made it resemble a rhythm-game cabinet more than a conventional photo booth.
The most unusual product may have been a small prize-ball shooter themed around pool. The exact gameplay and prize-release system were unclear, but its designer suggested that a stronger 1970s visual style could suit the concept.
What AAA 2024 tells us about the market
Although attendance and sales figures were not available, the expo appeared active, with Wahlap’s emphasis on major intellectual property attracting particular attention. Monster Eye 3 looks like one of the strongest candidates for eventual Western distribution, although the eventual distributor remains unknown.
The continued appearance of established arcade properties as kiddie rides is notable. Child-focused attractions remain important for family entertainment centres, and converting recognisable games into interactive rides is a logical extension of that market.
Virtual reality, however, had a much smaller presence than it did several years ago. Yuto still showed some VR products, but the overall reduction was clear compared with earlier Chinese trade shows, when exhibitors such as UNIS commonly displayed multiple VR attractions.
The evidence suggests that large VR arenas have passed their peak. Some operators have removed arena systems in favour of conventional games, including Godzilla Kaiju Wars and Fast & Furious Arcade. High purchase costs are difficult to justify when a VR attraction priced around $80,000–$100,000 receives no more play than individual games costing approximately $15,000 each.
Licensed products can still revive interest in smaller VR attractions, but the effect may depend heavily on the property. Beat Saber inspired several arcade imitations, yet those alternatives did not establish themselves, and arcade interest in VR rhythm games declined after Meta withdrew the licence. A genuinely new concept, or a major VR rhythm release such as a Konami Bemani or DDR project, could change that position.
Family entertainment centres will probably keep smaller-scale VR alive, while lower-cost games from some Chinese developers have often struggled to deliver comparable quality. For operators planning a purchase or upgrade, the Arcade Machine Buying Guide and information about arcade repairs and maintenance provide useful context.
AAA 2024 ultimately showed a busy and varied market: established manufacturers are pursuing licensed brands, rhythm games continue to evolve, kiddie rides are absorbing more arcade IP, and unusual attractions remain central to the Chinese amusement scene. The next question is which of these products will reach Australian and other international venues.
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