Japan is hosting fresh location tests for two of the arcade industry’s most closely watched upcoming releases: Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune Ignition and Resident Evil 2: Arcade. Both have already appeared in earlier trials, but the latest builds introduce notable changes and give players a clearer idea of Bandai Namco’s plans.
Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune Ignition returns to testing
Bandai Namco began the latest Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune Ignition test on Thursday. The game has not yet been tested outside Japan, making this the first opportunity for many players to assess its latest direction. It was originally announced and trialled in early 2025 as Speed Ignition, before returning to the Maximum Tune name following player feedback that the redesign had moved too far from the established series.
After further development, including an early preview at Japan’s Amusement Expo in November, players can now get a more complete impression of the revised game. This is the first chance for many to get hands-on with the updated version.
The cabinet retains the previous overall shape but now features stronger red accents, bringing it visually closer to the Maximum Tune range. The marquee artwork has also been darkened and adjusted to better match the series’ established presentation.
Reports from players suggest that the handling has been brought closer to earlier Maximum Tune games, with numerous posts praising it now. The substantial improvements to the graphics and audiovisual presentation remain in place, as shown in the latest footage.
The response so far points to growing interest, although an international launch remains uncertain. Bandai Namco has previously announced that Maximum Tune Ignition is coming to China, without confirming when. The company has also repeatedly expressed an intention to bring the next entry to as many territories as possible.
For Australian players waiting for a new driving experience, the immediate official alternatives remain Maximum Tune 5DX+ cabinets in selected locations and Dead Heat Unleashed. The latest developments also make racing arcades an especially relevant area to watch.
Resident Evil 2: Arcade gets another Japanese test
Resident Evil 2: Arcade, known in Japan as Biohazard RE:2: Arcade, is also receiving another location test. The game first appeared unexpectedly in the United Kingdom during summer 2025 before reaching the United States. Japan held its first trial in March, and this new test gives local players another opportunity to try the updated software.
The earlier Western tests offered two of the game’s five stages. Japan’s later builds contain more material, so the full playthroughs we got last year from the earlier tests represent only part of the finished game’s apparent content.
Photography and video have been more restricted at the Japanese tests than they were in the West. Signs banning recording were also used during the earlier Western trials, although they appeared only after information about the tests had already circulated online.
Even so, a few photos that have surfaced from the two test locations reveal additional details. One test is at a Taito Station, while the other is at a Round1.
The Japanese build includes five stages and appears to offer two modes: Story, which provides unlimited ammunition, and Survival, where ammunition is limited. It is not yet known whether this choice will be available in every territory, and it was seemingly absent from the earlier Western tests.
The mode structure is reminiscent of Dariusburst Another Chronicle, which offered an unlimited-lives option at an additional cost without recording a score. Bandai Namco has indicated that Resident Evil 2: Arcade is planned for Japan, Europe and North America in late 2026, or early 2027 if that schedule slips.
Compared with Maximum Tune Ignition, an overseas launch appears more certain. That makes appearances at IAAPA 2026 and Japan’s Amusement Expo in November plausible, although neither has been confirmed. Further coverage will be worthwhile if the game reaches those events.
Konami prepares a new Jubeat cabinet
Another Japanese location test involves Konami’s Jubeat, the cuboid Bemani rhythm game. Following recent refreshes for Gitadora and Pop’n Music, Konami is developing a new Japanese Jubeat cabinet. The game has also received a Chinese cabinet from Wahlap, based on a design first shown at JAEPO 2020, but the Japanese machine is a separate new design.
The new cabinet appears to address the problem of the vertical screen used by older machines, which is no longer readily available. A landscape display allows the game to retain its control layout, but the unused areas around the screen make the current prototype look unfinished. Those sections could potentially become decorative lighting rather than remaining visually empty.
The design also includes a large LED cube and a second smaller screen, giving the machine three displays in total. That is likely to increase both manufacturing cost and power consumption. Similar cost pressures affect other modern arcade releases, although Bandai Namco has at least said it is exploring more cost-efficient options for Maximum Tune Ignition.
Inflation makes expensive arcade hardware more difficult to place profitably, particularly if these machines are exported. Any Australian release would therefore face the same balance between striking presentation, operating costs and venue affordability seen across the wider arcade news landscape.
AVATAR LEGENDS also appears in Japan
exA-Arcadia’s AVATAR LEGENDS: The Fighting Game has also been tested in Japan during the same week. Feedback has been limited, but the reports available so far have been positive. The game is said to have attracted strong pre-orders in Western markets, so it could become a significant release during the coming summer if that momentum continues.
These tests highlight the challenges facing modern arcade operators: players want distinctive hardware and deeper content, while venues must manage installation, power and ongoing operating costs. For home collectors comparing formats, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide and range of arcade machines provide useful starting points.
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