The arcade and pinball calendar is quieter after Amusement Expo 2025, but several significant stories have emerged. Stern and Jersey Jack Pinball are preparing major licensed tables, a rare Galaxian 3 theatre has returned to operation, and new footage continues to surface from the trade show.
Here is the latest industry roundup for Australian arcade fans, operators and collectors.
King Kong and Harry Potter pinball tables teased
Two major licensed pinball projects are competing for attention. Stern has teased a King Kong machine, while Jersey Jack Pinball has begun taking interest in a Harry Potter title before showing the cabinet publicly. Early interest in the two games appears almost evenly divided, with Harry Potter holding a slight lead in an informal poll.
Stern’s King Kong project had circulated as a rumour before the company released its first teaser. The game is being designed by Keith Elwin, whose previous Stern work includes Godzilla, a title that several operators regard as a particularly reliable earner.
King Kong could be a natural addition for venues that already operate Raw Thrills or UNIS Kong-themed arcade games. A full reveal was expected on the following day, with some versions potentially becoming available before the end of April. Stern has also released a Vault Edition of RUSH pinball.
Jersey Jack’s Harry Potter strategy has been notably different. Distributors were briefed ahead of the public reveal, allowing orders to be collected and pricing to be announced despite the absence of cabinet artwork or a trailer. The project includes a third model tier, after the company had recently focused on two versions beginning at roughly $12,000. The source discussion notes that this price point can be difficult for smaller operators, especially when lower-priced pinball machines may take years to recover their cost.
Steve Ritchie appears to be closely associated with the Harry Potter launch and has been shown discussing the project with Jersey Jack’s Jack. His design involvement had not been formally confirmed at the time. Final judgement on either title will depend on seeing the games and hearing operator feedback about their earnings.
For readers comparing dedicated cabinets and pinball-style home entertainment, RETROCADE’s virtual pinball machines provide another format to consider.
Galaxian 3 returns to working order
Namco’s Galaxian 3 remains one of arcade history’s most ambitious simulator attractions. The six-player theatre version had become extremely difficult to experience: one working example remained at a Japanese museum, while another was reportedly held privately in Europe. Many other units were removed, scrapped or converted into unrelated games.
A GT-6 installation at Fun World in Nashua, New Hampshire, had survived since the 2010s but was not operating. Preservation work began last year, including efforts to save its undumped Attack of the Zolgear update and investigate the hardware. A team of arcade repair enthusiasts, including Phil Bennett, has now completed a full restoration using practical engineering solutions.
The machine is available to experience at Fun World, although it still has a technical issue affecting the left side after several hours of operation. Visitors are advised to arrive early while the restoration team works on a permanent fix. The project’s detailed history is available through the restoration team’s published account.
Medieval Madness receives a Merlin Edition
Chicago Gaming has announced the Merlin Edition of its Medieval Madness remake. This is the second time the Williams classic has returned to production following the earlier 2013 release.
The new model adds a 3D King of Payne topper, interactive RGB general illumination and Chicago Gaming’s XL LED display. The display also brings a high-definition colour upgrade to the game’s graphics. Further product information is available from Chicago Gaming.
Robocop VR project appears to be cancelled
A proposed VR arcade game called Robocop: Streets of Anarchy has run into licensing problems. Coffee Moth Games, a developer that has collaborated with OVRDRV and presented projects at IAAPA, was expected to develop the title.
UploadVR reported that Amazon MGM had advised that the Robocop licence had not been completed. The game’s page subsequently disappeared from Coffee Moth’s website, making a public release increasingly unlikely.
The situation highlights a fundamental arcade-development lesson: a licensed project should not be announced until contracts are complete and the rights holder has approved the reveal. The setback is disappointing, although it appears to concern licensing rather than VR technology itself. Raw Thrills, LAI Games, Sega Amusements and 3MindWave continue to support arcade VR, with Godzilla and VR Agent cited as successful examples. News from DEAL Expo in Dubai has also indicated that Terminator is being developed as an arcade VR experience.
Top Gun Maverick expands at Dave & Buster’s
Raw Thrills’ Top Gun Maverick has begun appearing at more Dave & Buster’s venues after its initial location tests. The game is a timed exclusive rather than a permanent venue lock-in, and footage is now emerging from locations including Mesa.
RePlay’s coverage of Top Gun Maverick and Wizard of Oz noted that Raw Thrills secured the Top Gun licence in 2018, before Maverick reached cinemas. It also reported that Play Mechanix’s Invasion: The Abductors began life as a pitch for a jet-fighter game.
Initial D adds a playable mini-truck joke
Sega used its April Fools campaign in Japan to promote playful concepts including a giant Maimai DX safari park and Chunithm Cat Edition. Initial D The Arcade received a set of food-truck-themed material, including a mini-truck concept.
The joke became more substantial when Sega confirmed that one of the trucks would be fully playable in the game’s Season 5 and Version 3.0 update. That update also adds a new Snow course and other content and fixes.
More Amusement Expo 2025 footage
Additional videos from Amusement Expo 2025 include Ace and Coastal Amusement’s Wild West Shootout 2, more gameplay from Sega’s Maimai DX, and the first footage of Alan-1’s upright Missile Command Recharged cabinet running a non-final version of the game.
Blue Motion Games also presented two new attractions: the Triotech Super Blaster-style Desert Chase and the redemption video game Cannonball Jam.
Further footage shows Wahlap’s Asphalt Moto Blitz DX at the LAI Games booth.
Trade-show tours also cover the redemption-focused stands of ICE, ELAUT and Bay Tek Entertainment.
Other arcade and pinball headlines
- Raw Thrills’ Godzilla: Final Chapters has appeared on the company’s Hall of Fame leaderboards, ahead of its expected release in April. More Amusement Expo footage is also available.
- Wangan Midnight Speed Ignition has entered another Japanese test, with a team battle feature added.
- Bandai Namco’s Penda Beats has held a third location test at Silk Hat Kawasaki, while Magi Blast has made a second test appearance.
- Sega has continued testing StarHorse Party at GiGO and Silk Hat venues.
- Under Night In-Birth II Sys:Celes and Success’s Otenami Haiken sequel are coming to Sega’s APM3 platform.
- Wahlap exhibited at DEAL Expo 2025 in Dubai, and 3MindWave published new Alpha Ops VR Strike screens.
- Stern updated Venom to version 1.05 with bug fixes and further polish.
- New features and archival stories include a history of Bouncer Arcade, an original Mortal Kombat distributor video, George Petro’s induction into the AAMA Hall of Fame, and a book about Sega’s taikan games by a former AM2 marketer.
- Namco’s Alpine Surfer is returning in Epark’s Storm Ski, while Yuto Games has announced Toon Quest.
- Former Donkey Kong champion Billy Mitchell won a $220,000 defamation case against YouTuber Karl Jobst.
Home gaming and retro releases
- Nintendo has fully revealed Switch 2 and its games, with some players expressing concern about the pricing.
- Ridge Racer will be the first Arcade Archives 2 release on Switch 2.
- Taito’s Time Gal HD Remaster and Ninja Hayate HD Remaster are coming to PC.
- The UGSF website now includes information about the Pac-Man metroidvania Shadow Labyrinth.
- Former Sega AM1 arcade developers are working on the indie game Irisy Aqua.
- The creator of Space Invaders has played Quarter Arcades’ one-quarter-scale replica.
- An English translation patch has been released for Capcom VS. SNK 2 on Dreamcast.
- Tetris The Grand Master 4: Absolute Eye is now available, although no arcade edition has been announced.
For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE arcade blog. If these developments have you considering a home cabinet, our arcade machine buying guide covers the main formats, while racing arcades are a natural fit for driving-focused players.
Leave a Reply