Here is a round-up of notable arcade, pinball, virtual reality and retro-gaming developments, including Taito’s 70th anniversary, a new NBA VR attraction, monitor concerns and several upcoming releases.
Taito celebrates 70 years
24 August marked Taito’s 70th anniversary. The Japanese company remains one of arcade gaming’s most recognisable names, even though its presence in the United States is now limited. Its catalogue includes Space Invaders, Bubble Bobble, Darius, Operation Wolf, Qix, Arkanoid and Rastan Saga.
Taito’s anniversary is a useful reminder of how many different arcade genres the company helped establish. For Australian collectors exploring classic cabinets, the RETROCADE arcade blog is a good place to follow related industry and preservation stories.
Which Taito game is your favourite? The company’s lesser-known releases deserve attention as well as its headline franchises.
VAR BOX unveils NBA BOX
Sports games have not always been a major focus for mainstream home consoles, with Golden Tee standing out as a notable exception. Arcade VR, however, has continued to explore sports attractions. VAR BOX is now entering the basketball category with NBA BOX.
VAR BOX has previously appeared at amusement trade shows with a tethered shooting experience, sometimes represented by a distributor like Shaffer. NBA BOX debuted at an event in Hong Kong and expands the company’s offering into licensed sports entertainment.
The attraction is currently licensed only for China, although licensing in other territories remains possible if there is sufficient interest. It follows the familiar NBA three-point shooting format and connects to an NBA BOX app, where players can customise their character and team. Linked play, online matches and an immediate leaderboard system are also supported, allowing venues to run tournaments and other events. Further event photographs are available in this LinkedIn post.
Golden Tee PGA Tour 2023/2024 previews Scablands
Incredible Technologies has released a 40-minute preview of the upcoming “Scablands” course for Golden Tee PGA Tour 2024. The stream begins at approximately the 4:45 mark.
Zooom Studios prepares for IAAPA
A new manufacturer, Zooom Studios, is preparing to enter the arcade market. Its teaser website currently lists three games: Space Race, Big Choice and Monster Prize. The titles appear to be redemption products, although it is not yet clear whether any will combine video gameplay with redemption mechanics.
The company is scheduled to exhibit at IAAPA in booth 443. Its exhibitor description presents Zooom Studios as a manufacturer and designer of redemption and self-merchandising arcade games, supported by a team of experienced industry designers. The wording promises colourful visuals and repeat-play entertainment, but detailed information about the games is still to come.
One other manufacturer has reportedly cancelled its IAAPA booth after an apparent double-booking would have placed the company in an unwanted outdoor tent space. That manufacturer has not been identified, and it is not known whether the situation will be resolved.
Unico Phoenix monitor attracts criticism
The Unico ULM 26 Phoenix is a 4:3 LCD monitor designed for arcade use. Installation proved awkward and required testing several mounting methods, but initial operation was generally acceptable. The most noticeable issue was excessive contrast: reducing brightness to zero still left games such as Metal Slug 2 looking overly bright.
Results vary between games. Ultimate 11 looked fine, while The King of Fighters ’98 showed overly bright graphical elements. More serious concerns raised by collectors involve the advertised 1600×1200 resolution compared with an actual 1024×768 display, a 5:4 rather than 4:3 aspect ratio, response time that appears worse than advertised and problems using the monitor with Windows.
These issues are particularly important for collectors running MAME systems. The writer of this blog post detailing the various issues has also said that he’s working with Unico on possible fixes.
A firmware update that addresses compatibility, corrects the advertised specifications and provides finer brightness and contrast control would improve the product considerably. At this stage, it is difficult to recommend the Phoenix for home collectors or MAME users. For operators replacing failed CRTs or older LCDs, however, further units remain under consideration. Arcade owners comparing display options can also review arcade parts and repair options before committing to a replacement.
One practical comparison found no visible difference between a 144Hz gaming monitor and a 60Hz monitor in an Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 cabinet. The Phoenix may still prove useful in commercial settings, but the advertised specifications should have been accurate from launch rather than requiring extensive investigation by customers.
Big Buck Hunter Pro Deluxe heads to home arcades
Demand for Big Buck Hunter cabinets has historically been strong among home buyers, alongside popular names such as Pac-Man and Golden Tee. Raw Thrills previously responded to that interest with a home, offline version of Big Buck HD, although its price was not far removed from the commercial coin-operated model.
Arcade1Up and Raw Thrills are now offering a Deluxe version of Big Buck Hunter Pro for pre-order. The precise reason for the Deluxe designation has not been confirmed, though additional games such as Big Buck Hunter Safari may be included. The Sinden gun technology is viewed cautiously for heavy arcade operation, but it may be adequate for home use.
For anyone comparing full-size cabinets with compact home products, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide covers the key considerations before purchasing.
Insert Coin reaches its Kickstarter goal
Insert Coin: A Visual Guide to the Golden Age of Video Games, by Robert D. Swan, has reached its Kickstarter funding goal. With four days remaining at the time of the update, backers could still support the 211-page book.
The project focuses on the visual and physical design of arcade machines, including cabinet construction, control panels, side art and the engineering details that helped make classic games distinctive. As a backer bonus, Swan said every supporter’s name would be included in the book.
Another relevant release is The Art Of The Box, which is not dedicated exclusively to arcades but examines closely related video-game packaging and design.
Sega ALLS arcade PC receives a technical tour
A new video examines Sega’s ALLS arcade PC platform. The online and revenue-sharing features discussed in the presentation do not apply to North American models and are also presumed not to apply to European versions.
House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn is one example of an ALLS-powered arcade game. There is genuine interest in the preservation and technical side of examining these systems, but modifying relatively new hardware that is still earning revenue for arcades remains a sensitive issue.
More arcade and pinball headlines
- Betson has posted a features trailer for Pulp Fiction Pinball; an update from Chicago Gaming had not yet been received.
- Air hockey’s 50th anniversary was marked by world championships in Houston. Brunswick created the air hockey machine, which arrived around the same period as Pong.
- Andamiro USA has announced a Spider-Man coin pusher.
- Wahlap has launched Alley Oop Blitz, a new video basketball game.
- Konami is launching Polaris Code, a rhythm arcade game in Japan that may compete with Idolm@ster Tours.
- Zero Latency VR has launched a competition with a $15,000 prize.
- A 12-minute tour offers a look around UK Pinfest 2023.
- Sega and fans have located and restored the Sonic statue associated with 1990s SEGAWORLD London.
- Rare footage shows Atari’s 1975 driving game Hi-Way.
- New code is rolling out for Stern Pinball’s Jurassic Park machines.
- Seattle has removed licensing fees for arcade and pinball games.
- Chuck E. Cheese is selling Buddy V’s cake by the slice.
- Gun4IR is being discussed as an alternative to Sinden light guns.
Console and home-gaming notes
- Charles Martinet will no longer voice Mario.
- Atari has announced the Atari 2600+, an emulation console that supports original Atari 2600 cartridges and Atari 7800 games.
- Cosmotrons is planned for home release in 2024.
- Excitebike 64 is coming to Nintendo Switch through the N64 Online Service.
- The PlayStation Portal has drawn comparisons with the Wii U.
That concludes this arcade news update. Supporting a good local arcade helps keep commercial machines, pinball and competitive play visible in Australian communities.
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