EVO Japan 2024 has delivered an unusually strong selection of arcade announcements, led by exA-Arcadia. The company used the event to showcase new games, upgrades and hardware, giving location-based arcade fans plenty to watch across the first day.
The exA-Arcadia booth was positioned near Taito and hosted tournaments throughout the day. Its official competitions included Arcana Heart 3, Omen of Sorrow, Axel City 2 and Dynamite Bomb.
An exALive stream also covered the tournament programme from the show floor.
The ARC-32 Japanese sit-down cabinet
exA-Arcadia has previously produced large upright cabinets for the United States, but the ARC-32 marks its first Japanese sit-down cabinet. It follows the ARC-1 upright range and uses a black, red and white design with a layout broadly comparable to a Viewlix cabinet.
The company has outlined the following features:
- Sanwa or Seimitsu controls
- 0.3 frames of input lag
- JVS wiring and fast I/O
- 32-inch 1080p display with 1ms lag
- Screen rotation between horizontal and vertical orientations
- Four speakers, line out and two headphone outputs
- Single-player configuration with a two-player control panel, or versus configuration linking to another cabinet
- Stand allowing upright operation
- Lighting beneath the control panel
- Planned launch later in 2024
Two ARC-32 units were installed at EVO in versus configuration and were running the new Breakers Revenge Chicago.
For Australian operators and home collectors considering dedicated hardware, cabinet layout, screen rotation and control quality are important practical details. RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide covers the broader questions to consider before choosing a cabinet.
Asuka 120% EXALLENT
Asuka 120% EXALLENT brings the all-female, one-on-one fighting series to arcades. The franchise began in 1994 on the Sharp X68000 and FM Towns, while its Sega Saturn release is particularly familiar to many players. It also appeared on PlayStation, although those versions were developed without the original team and are generally less popular among fans.
An arcade edition was planned during the series’ original lifespan but was cancelled at an early stage. exA-Arcadia is now reviving that concept with an arcade version based on the popular “Limit Over” edition.
Development is being handled internally by exA-Arcadia, with original series designer Masatoshi Imaizumi supervising the arcade build. Composer Keishi Yonao is also returning to create the music.
For players interested in the series’ history, this overview of its 1994 X68000 and FM Towns release provides useful context, while another video covers the Sega Saturn version.
Axel City 2: The Final Storm
Axel City 2 is receiving a paid upgrade titled The Final Storm. It adds 10 characters, taking the roster to 50, along with eight new songs.
Existing owners will send their game cartridge to exA-Arcadia, pay for the upgrade and receive the updated cartridge in return. The game has received positive reports for its on-site performance, although there was no confirmed installation in the United States at the time of the announcement.
Breakers Revenge Chicago
Visco Games’ uncommon Neo Geo MVS fighter Breakers Revenge is returning in an expanded arcade release. The “Chicago” name comes from one of the original prototype titles, making it a small but meaningful reference for long-time fans. The game’s Neo Geo MVS history provides additional hardware context.
A photo from the event shows the build running at EVO Japan.
The original Breakers formula will feel familiar to Street Fighter II players, but it adds systems including dash cancels, chains, juggles and a breaker mechanic that allows players to escape combos early.
The announced details for the new version are:
- Key art by Motoki Yoshihara
- Revenge, Chicago and Extra play styles
- 0.3 frames of input lag
- Newly arranged music by original composer Kenichi Kamio
Revenge mode is intended to reproduce the original Breakers Revenge experience. Chicago and Extra offer different gameplay flows, in the same broad way that alternate versions of Street Fighter II can vary in mechanics and feel.
Daybreak Slam
exA-Arcadia also revealed a new 3D fighting game from AOne Games, the developer behind Omen of Sorrow. Daybreak Slam places toys in one-on-one battles, with a fighting system designed to be approachable for casual players and colourful visuals intended to stand out.
Like Omen of Sorrow, the game uses Unreal Engine. Images from the show-floor build provide a look at its current presentation.
The title is planned around seasonal content updates. Its initial cost will be below $1,000. When a new season arrives, customers will send their cartridges to exA-Arcadia, pay the upgrade fee and receive them back with the new content. Each season is expected to add approximately 10 characters, although that figure may change.
More announcements expected
Several announcements intended for the first day were postponed, so exA-Arcadia still had more to reveal on day two. Although there were initially no announcements planned for day three, that schedule could change.
For readers building or maintaining an arcade setup, RETROCADE offers arcade machines, arcade parts and arcade repair services alongside its continuing arcade news coverage.
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