The third and final report from GTI Asia China Expo 2024 in Guangzhou looks beyond the largest exhibitors, covering new arcade games, redemption machines, racing cabinets, VR attractions and unusual amusement equipment from a broad selection of Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers.
This instalment follows earlier coverage of Wahlap, UNIS and other major exhibitors. The show-floor photographs and information were supplied by Oga-Shi of Sega Amusements, with additional organisation by Ted. International release plans remain uncertain: whether a machine reaches Australia or other overseas markets will depend on the manufacturer, product quality and distribution agreements.
For Australian operators comparing new attractions with conventional arcade machines, the exhibition offered a useful snapshot of current Chinese development priorities.
Wahlap’s show-floor recap
Wahlap has published footage from the expo’s opening day. Its presentation included costumed characters promoting Marvel Contest Of Champions and Kingdoms Fantasy, displays from the company’s prize business, official Maimai and Taiko merchandise, and Taito’s Getter Spin G. The latter also highlights Wahlap’s growing relationship with Japanese developers and manufacturers. Monster Eye 3 was another notable title visible in the footage.
Ace Amusement broadens its arcade range
Ace Amusement has become increasingly visible internationally through products distributed by Coastal Amusements, LAI Games and UDC. Its catalogue has traditionally leaned towards children’s redemption attractions, but the GTI display included several more ambitious video games aimed at a wider audience.
Skull Of Shadow and Wild West Shootout 2
Skull Of Shadow is Ace’s answer to the theatrical pirate-shooter format associated with Deadstorm Pirates and Goldstorm Pirates. Unlike those games, it does not use steering-wheel controls. Ace showed three cabinet formats: a stand-up four-player tethered cabinet, a sit-down three-player mounted-gun machine, and the two-player theatre cabinet pictured here.
Wild West Shootout 2 appeared beside the four-player Skull Of Shadow. The first game found overseas distribution through Coastal Amusements and UDC in Europe. The sequel uses different guns, although that detail could change for international versions. The original’s standout feature was its realistic six-shooter with a distinctive snap-feedback effect.
Air Combat and Bikers Madness
Air Combat was shown despite mixed signals about photography and distribution. One cabinet carried a no-photos notice, while other examples did not; ELMAC had also included the title in an Intergame advertisement. Its moving cabinet and presentation may recall After Burner, but its play style is reported to be closer to Sky Target.
Ace also presented Bikers Madness, a two-screen motorbike racer with a more traditional arcade-racing look than UNIS’s futuristic Neon Rush. Its format sits closer to Raw Thrills’ Super Bikes. GTI was its first reported appearance, so details remain limited, although a showing at IAAPA or through an overseas distributor would be unsurprising. Ace has already posted several Skull Of Shadow videos on its YouTube channel.
The booth also included a three-player shooter using the Chinese tokusatsu property Armor Hero, a new cabinet for the Lucky & Wild-inspired Fierce Chase, and evidence of international interest in Wave Riders X-Treme and Skull Of Shadow. Fierce Chase was subject to a photography restriction.
Playmore and the expansion of coin-operated attractions
Playmore remains one of China’s most prominent coin-pusher manufacturers, with strong Western distribution largely associated with LAI Games. Its new Dragon Blade was shown in a broad booth view.
The company’s High Five has helped popularise multi-claw crane machines. Sega Amusements is releasing it in Western markets, while the attraction has also reportedly performed well in Japan, where it is being distributed under a slightly different name.
Firestone’s changing identity
Firestone Amusement has appeared under several names, including HuoShi Chuan Yu, Firestone and Gym & Fun. Its current English-facing identity appears to be Leon Amusement.
The company specialises in digital and electromechanical shooting-gallery attractions. Its earlier Top Gun was sold in different territories as Quick Shot by JET Games, Skill Shooter by Electrocoin and Top Shooting in Japan by Bandai Namco Technica. The large four-player Flamestone Gun appears to be an updated version of the company’s Thunder Attack concept.
Rhythm, redemption and video games from Arccer
Arccer Amusement has built recognition in rhythm gaming with products that occupy similar territory to official Japanese-style machines. Its best-known current displays include the Maimai-influenced Dance Cube/Show and the DanceRush-inspired Dance Battle.
The company also showed Family Tumbler, a video redemption coin pusher. Arccer previously produced Tower Island, originally called Tata Island, which Bandai Namco sold in North America and Europe. The new machine’s colourful circus presentation recalls Sega’s Jackpot Circus, potentially known as Balloon Circus outside Asia.
Superwing moves beyond children’s redemption
Superwing is associated with LAI Games’ SMASH DX, released in China as Extreme Off-Road. The company promoted that title with a tournament whose prize was a real car. Its other work includes Sega Amusements’ Allstars Basketball and the water-shooter attraction Ice Man.
More recent projects suggest an interest in broader video-arcade concepts. Interstellar Team was tested in the United Kingdom several times last year but ultimately did not receive a release outside Asia. The new The Future could have better international prospects.
HY Technology combines redemption with screens
Huangyue, or HY Technology, previously attracted attention with the Lego-style whack-a-mole merchandiser Block Party. Its overseas future is unknown, although the GTI booth showed Apex Rebels and what appeared to be an official Chinese version of Bop It! Arcade among several unofficial-looking alternatives.
HY’s new Jumper Star 2 continues the active-redemption format, adding a video display to the physical game. The booth also included a video-redemption take on Skee-Ball.
Joint Fun’s shooters, rhythm games and ostrich racing
Joint Fun is a newer name in international show coverage, with most of its products still aimed at the Chinese market. Its theatre shooter Fantasy Adventure DX was presented alongside a continued interest in VR.
English-language material suggests Joint Fun may be considering an overseas release for Fantasy Adventure DX. That will depend on distributor interest and the machine’s final quality, especially with several other Chinese theatre shooters competing for attention.
Percussion Master, originally associated with IGS, also appeared in Joint Fun’s catalogue. Its music selection was described as extensive, although the licensing position was unclear.
Joint Fun has even applied the two-screen format to ostrich racing with Running Ostrich DX. Its website indicates that a standard version may also exist, and apparently lists a sequel.
Smaller exhibitors and unusual machines
The remaining displays covered a wide range of redemption, racing, horse-riding, card, merchandiser and simulation products. They also demonstrate why buyers should assess cabinet construction, software support, spare parts and distribution before choosing a machine. RETROCADE’s arcade-machine buying guide provides a useful starting point for that process.
TecWay and Saint Fun
TecWay, a Taiwanese developer and manufacturer, has appeared at IAAPA several times but not consistently. Its catalogue is mainly redemption-focused, with occasional video products such as Dino Survivor and the futuristic motorbike game shown at GTI.
Saint Fun has also concentrated increasingly on redemption. Together with Safari Games, it produced the street racer Fast Beat Loop Racer GT and motorbike game Battle Rider. The latter was still on display in its existing form. Both games have Steam versions: Loop Racer and, six years later, Battler Rider.
Baohui, Sipuls and Tong Li
Baohui has operated since 1992, according to its website, and is best known here for the cabinet work associated with Hyper Cross. IGS handled the software while Sega Amusements distributed the game in other markets. Baohui’s GTI booth also contained several redemption attractions.
Sipuls was a new name in this coverage and appeared to specialise almost entirely in horse-riding games. Its banners also mentioned darts, but the company’s concentration on multiple horse attractions was the clearest feature of its booth.
Tong Li displayed more pushers and redemption equipment, including the anime-styled Fever Battle. The booth also featured licensed products connected with Andamiro, including Avengers machines. No Star Wars pusher was visible, despite expectations that Andamiro would soon reveal a Star Wars-related attraction.
More shooters, racing machines and redemption cabinets
Several machines could not be confidently attributed to a manufacturer. One large shooter used individual motion seats, while another multiplayer attraction, The King Of Guns, featured unusually oversized weapons. A Yuto Games banner was present, but the developer could not be confirmed.
Another unnamed company showed a horse-racing machine and a skiing simulator that closely resembled a product seen at IAAPA Asia in May. A multiplayer pirate-themed video redemption game used an unusually shaped cabinet, although its gameplay was not clear from the available view.
JOKER was a multi-station card-based video redemption game with an Asian visual style, joystick-and-button controls and several player positions. Its presentation appears particularly tailored to the domestic market.
Children’s prize machines were everywhere, including small LED-covered cabinets containing what looked like a basic rhythm game and another stick-controlled attraction. A second group included a lasso game, a Christmas-themed title, digital whack-a-mole and a Minecraft Dungeons-style action game.
A further cabinet adopted the exercise-game trend with a miniature bicycle. Its compact format would be more accessible to young children than the much larger Bike Dash Delivery.
Fortune machines, phone cases and mini pinball
Traditional fortune-telling machines remain in production. The example shown required the player to place a hand into an opening before printing a fortune in Chinese.
A personalised phone-case vending machine offered another unusual business model. The available view did not explain how phone types were selected or how customers transferred their own images to the case.
Several compact pinball machines were also photographed. They differed from the mini pinball products shown at some earlier overseas trade events.
VR remains present, but less dominant
VR occupied less exhibition space than it did around five years earlier, although specialist companies continue to develop motion-based attractions. Movie Power promotes partnerships with several high-profile organisations, while VR Star Space offers familiar formats including racing, spacecraft and multi-seat pod simulators.
VR Star Space also highlights health and safety certifications. That is an important consideration for operators assessing motion equipment, particularly large commercial installations. A range of arcade repair and maintenance support should be planned before installing any complex attraction.
KWP also reported a VR bungee-jumping game from Hero VR at the expo.
What GTI Asia China Expo 2024 revealed
The Guangzhou show presented a busy Chinese arcade market, from premium motion theatres to compact prize machines. Several themes stood out across the exhibition.
- Theatre shooters are returning: Wahlap and IGS’s Monster Eye 3, together with several other new domestic productions, indicate renewed interest in environmental rail shooters.
- Two-screen attractions remain popular: motorbike racers, ostrich racing and other formats continue to use dual displays, following the model popularised by Raw Thrills.
- Redemption is expanding: cranes, gacha vending and prize supply are central to many manufacturers, while LED-heavy styling is spreading into other genres.
- Fantasy action continues: Kingdoms Fantasy, UNIS’s updated Picture Book Land and Amazing Universe show ongoing interest in colourful, Minecraft Dungeons-like arcade adventures, often with Japanese cultural influences.
- VR is more specialised: rather than dominating every booth, virtual reality is increasingly concentrated among dedicated suppliers and selected motion attractions.
For Australian venues, the most practical takeaway is that the strongest-looking title is not automatically the best purchase. Cabinet footprint, player capacity, localisation, service access, consumables, safety compliance and a confirmed distributor all matter. Operators considering a compact alternative can also compare racing arcade options and other machines suited to their available floor space.
GTI Asia China Expo 2024 closed with a broad view of a market that continues to mix traditional arcade formats with redemption, physical interaction, motion simulation and large-screen presentation. International availability for the machines discussed here remains title-by-title and distributor-dependent.
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