Bandai Namco Amusement is testing Dead Heat Unleashed at Dave & Buster’s in Addison, Illinois. Reader Paul Kim visited the venue and supplied both video and photographs from the location test.
The footage offers an early look at the driving game, including a cabinet that appears to share several design elements with Maximum Tune 5. As this is still a test version, the final cabinet may receive further changes.
For readers following the wider arcade news, the test unit does not appear to include a PIN system or a gear shifter. From an operator’s perspective, the absence of a shifter may also avoid the repair problems caused when players forcefully abuse the controls. Replacing damaged racing hardware can cost hundreds of dollars, without necessarily producing enough extra revenue to justify the risk.
Eight tracks in the location-test version
The video indicates that Dead Heat Unleashed includes eight tracks, doubling the four-track selection of the original game. That would give it a larger course lineup than Fast & Furious Arcade, Drone Racing Genesis and, apparently, Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade.
More gameplay information may emerge at IAAPA in the following couple of weeks, where additional details could become available.
Cabinet design and buy-in bonus
The supplied images make the relationship with Maximum Tune 5 clearer, particularly in the cabinet components. The machine’s design remains subject to change before a final release.
One unusual feature is the “Buy 2 Get 1 free” buy-in offer. It is not a bonus arrangement commonly associated with recent Namco arcade releases, making it an interesting inclusion in this test build.
More to come on Dead Heat Unleashed
This location test provides an early snapshot of Bandai Namco’s new racing cabinet, with eight tracks and a cabinet design that draws comparisons with Maximum Tune 5. For anyone considering a racing arcade for a venue or home, the control layout and maintenance demands will be worth watching as development continues.
Further information will be shared as it becomes available. In the meantime, the broader arcade machine range and arcade machine buying guide provide useful context for comparing dedicated cabinets.
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