After more than a year without an arcade-machine unboxing, a successful sale created an opportunity to bring home Griffin Aerotech’s second game: Enter the Gungeon – House of the Gundead. The purchase followed the sale of a Dance Dance Revolution Extreme machine, with the proceeds clearing shortly before pre-orders opened.
Griffin Aerotech’s first release, the shoot ’em up Skycurser, was also considered, but shoot ’em ups have not performed strongly at this venue. Dariusburst Another Chronicle remains the notable exception, helped in part by its dedicated cabinet.
Light-gun games have generally been a safer choice. Racers still perform slightly better on a one-for-one basis, but most of the venue’s gun games are licensed properties. LAI Games’ Outnumbered is the main exception and has competed successfully with Raw Thrills’ Aliens Armageddon.
Enter the Gungeon – House of the Gundead benefits from the recognition of the wider Enter the Gungeon series, while its arcade previews suggested a good fit for the venue. Its price was another attraction: it was half the roughly $12,000 level where many contemporary arcade games sit. The cabinet became the venue’s ninth light-gun title, so its earning potential would need to be judged alongside considerable internal competition.
Unboxing and first setup
The delivery arrived without tracking, and the operator only discovered it was coming when the freight driver called for parking instructions. The arcade was busy and operating with one person present, so the cabinet had to remain outside briefly until help arrived. The timing fortunately coincided with the operator’s brother coming to work.
Here is the unboxing video, following a little over a year since I did an “unboxing”.
Because the delivery came just before closing and another errand was already scheduled, the initial installation was rushed. The start-button wiring was not connected during the video, although the buttons were dealt with afterwards. The under-cabinet LEDs were connected but were still not working at the time of the review.
The marquee light was also switched off from the factory. Removing the marquee and turning it on improved the cabinet’s appearance considerably.
Gameplay and presentation
This is a wholly unique arcade game set in the Enter the Gungeon universe and, at least at the time of the review, was exclusive to arcades. Its visual style also has a connection to Skycurser; Christopher Cruz served as art director on both games.
The presentation combines a 1990s-inspired look with newer lighting effects and physics-driven destruction. It has a convincing “new wave retro” feel, although minor stutters were noticeable during some dodges. Software updates could potentially address that issue.
The audio is a highlight. Music and effects come through a 2.1-channel sound system with an amplifier and are suitably energetic. The initial setup was excessively bass-heavy, but a few adjustments produced a much better balance.
Sinden light-guns and controls
The cabinet uses Sinden light-guns, a platform also popular in home MAME setups. Griffin Aerotech and another owner advised that the arcade guns include modifications intended to improve durability. It was not clear whether a standard retail Sinden gun could be used as a direct replacement.
Force feedback is present but not especially strong. More interestingly, the feedback changes between the two guns, giving each side a slightly different character.
The trigger fires, while the lower pump handle reloads or shoots off-screen. Pressing the D-pad changes weapons, and either of the two black buttons beside it activates the screen-clearing “Blank”. The D-pad feels responsive and makes weapon switching easy, though its long-term resistance to arcade wear remains an open question.
Rooms, dodges and replay value
A tutorial introduces the controls before the player enters the gungeon. The game offers multiple routes and may use procedurally generated stages, although that was not confirmed during the early sessions. The branching structure gives players reasons to return.
No difficulty settings were visible inside the cabinet. The opening stages are comparatively approachable, with the challenge increasing during stage two. More play time would be needed to determine whether a one-credit clear is realistic. The game does not appear to rely on a hidden timer that abruptly ends a run, which should make it more welcoming to players learning the systems.
Comparisons with Time Crisis are understandable because each room has a countdown and the game includes a dodge mechanic. Instead of using a foot pedal for cover, players shoot targets appearing around the edge of the screen while enemies attack. The dodge targets can move, require a sequence, or limit the player to one correct target among four. Successful dodges are rewarded with a striking sweep of light.
Every room also contains destructible objects, not just enemies. Players can race through encounters, concentrate on targets, or take time to smash the scenery before the clock expires. The objects react entertainingly to gunfire, and hidden secrets add another reason to explore each route.
The attract mode displays the leaderboard, an increasingly uncommon feature in modern arcade software. In addition to scores, the game awards letter grades. Achieving both a high score and an S rank requires speed, accuracy and thorough destruction of the environment.
Multiple routes, weapons to discover, secrets and visible rankings give House of the Gundead strong replay value. Its dry humour is another welcome part of the package.
Early verdict
More time on the cabinet was needed for a proper operator assessment, particularly outside busy trading hours. Even so, the early response was positive from both a player and operator perspective, and the machine was already attracting play while the review was being written.
For operators comparing dedicated cabinets, the game combines a recognised property with arcade-exclusive content, approachable early stages, competitive scoring and a familiar light-gun format. Its performance would ultimately depend on earnings, local audience preferences and how it fares against the venue’s other eight gun games.
For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog. Anyone planning a home installation can also consult the Arcade Machine Buying Guide and browse upright arcades.
Leave a Reply