exA-Arcadia used the second day of EVO Japan 2025 to reveal four arcade fighters, combining revived rarities with modern titles receiving dedicated arcade editions. The announcements included The Fallen Angels Revenge, Rabbit, Blazing Strike AC and Yotamono Battlers.
exA-Arcadia at EVO Japan 2025: Day 2
The company presented its news through another exALive broadcast from Tokyo Big Sight while also running competitive side events for existing games including Axel City 2 and Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment. Asuka 120% Burning Fest. Exallent, which had been shown at a location test the previous week, also featured alongside an event for the original console release.
The trailers for the four newly announced games appeared during the presentation. The complete broadcast is available on YouTube.
The Fallen Angels Revenge
The Fallen Angels Revenge is the long-awaited exA-Arcadia update of a particularly scarce 1998 fighter. The original was produced by Psikyo developers who had previously worked at SNK, but it never received a full commercial release and was manufactured in quantities of fewer than 100 units.
Although exA announced this project several years ago, progress has been uneven. A major reason is the scale of its animation work: some characters contain more than 900 hand-drawn frames, all of which need to be recreated in high definition for the new edition.
A reminder at EVO Japan 2024 confirmed that development was continuing. The latest footage suggests the game is now closer to completion, although no firm launch date has been announced beyond a likely release sometime in 2025.
For readers comparing dedicated arcade hardware options, our arcade machine buying guide explains the main cabinet considerations before choosing a setup.
Rabbit
Rabbit was the more unexpected revival. Aorn originally developed it as an original arcade fighting game, but unsuccessful testing limited its arcade production. It later appeared on home consoles, with Electronic Arts involved in publishing that version.
Electronic Arts is not attached to this new arcade edition. exA-Arcadia says it will develop and publish the release itself, and the title is currently being presented simply as Rabbit, without a new subtitle. The precise rights arrangement has not been explained.
Blazing Strike AC
Blazing Strike originally launched on consoles and Steam several years ago. The 2D fighter attracted attention as a new project from designers with backgrounds at Capcom and SNK, though its reception was affected by mixed reviews.
The exA-Arcadia version is intended to address the major criticisms of the earlier release. Announced changes include revised systems and balance, improved graphics rendering, remastered sound and input latency reduced by three times.
From an operator’s perspective, Blazing Strike AC is also expected to sit toward the more affordable end of exA-Arcadia’s range. It is not being positioned in the sub-$1,000 budget category, but the price is expected to be only somewhat higher.
Arcade owners planning upgrades can also browse arcade parts for controls, monitors and other cabinet components.
Yotamono Battlers
The final announcement connects a contemporary release with an unusual piece of computer-game history. Known by the Japanese-market name Yotamono Battlers, the game is based on Fight’N’Jokes, a 1997 MS-DOS fighter made by a small group of Italian friends. It is regarded as one of the earliest Western independent fighting games, although it never became widely known.
Mental Drink, a studio founded in Italy and now based in New Zealand, brought the game back to attention with a Steam revival last year. That recent version appears to provide the foundation for exA-Arcadia’s arcade release.
exA plans to use a different name for Western markets, but it has not confirmed whether that will be Fight’N’Jokes or another title. The game will also join the company’s budget range, alongside releases such as Donut Dodo Do!.
More exA-Arcadia news may follow
That concludes the second day of exA-Arcadia announcements at EVO Japan 2025, although the company may not be finished with the event. At least one additional reveal appears possible, with further show coverage expected to include the remaining arcade-related activity and AAA Expo developments.
For ongoing developments, visit the RETROCADE arcade blog and explore the latest arcade machines for home and commercial spaces.
Which of the four Day 2 announcements interests you most: a revived rarity, a refined modern fighter or an arcade adaptation of an independent classic?
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