Arcade News: GoldStorm Pirates, ACOS and IAAPA

October closes with a busy round-up of arcade, amusement and pinball news. The major topics include fresh details on GoldStorm Pirates, UK trade show ACOS 2024, an Australian developer’s first arcade project, IAAPA announcements and several industry stories worth following.

Several of these developments are still unfolding, so further coverage may follow as manufacturers, operators and distributors share more information.

GoldStorm Pirates gains momentum in Japan

Bandai Namco Amusements has confirmed that GoldStorm Pirates will launch fully in Japan during December. A listing on the company’s UK Funscape locations website has also appeared, although details about a Western release remain unannounced.

Before its Japanese launch, the pirate-themed shooter is scheduled to appear on Bandai Namco’s booth at the next Japan Amusement Expo in November, alongside Bike Dash Delivery. The game has also begun reaching a small number of Japanese Namco venues, including Kabukicho in Tokyo and Lazona Kawasaki.

Early players have been sharing impressions and footage. Initial reactions have been largely positive, while a clip from the first stage offers a closer look at how the game plays.

Footage of the ending and full credits has also appeared online, although it contains substantial spoilers. The credits reveal that much of the software development involved Xeen Inc, a Japanese company that has contributed to many games since the 2000s.

GoldStorm Pirates appears to be Xeen’s first dedicated shooter. The company previously worked on Luigi’s Mansion Arcade and Sega’s Primeval Hunt, while its other arcade contributions have mainly involved racing titles such as Nirin, Hummer, Dead Heat Unleashed and Initial D.

ACOS 2024 brings new products to the UK

The UK’s Autumn Coin-Op Show, or ACOS, has taken place as a smaller trade event comparable in purpose to the AAMA Gala. The show generally focuses less on major video game launches, but UK distributors can use it to present products that have not yet appeared at American events.

UDC displayed Air Combat, a new aircraft-themed arcade game from Ace Amusement. This appears to have been its first overseas presentation. Italy’s ELMAC II is currently the only other confirmed operator carrying the game, and UDC has shared video of the cabinet on Facebook.

Sega Amusements brought a redemption-focused line-up, while Electrocoin showed its usual selection of redemption products, including Konami’s DDR A20+.

Australian developer Monkey Splash Studios enters the arcade market

A new Australian company has begun attracting attention with Chef It Up, an arcade-exclusive cooking game. The project was noticed after a location test post from a Dave & Buster’s venue in Orlando, with Monkey Splash Studios and Chef It Up’s official websites currently providing limited information.

The studio has said it wants to create engaging, deep arcade games for high-score players. Monkey Splash Studios is also listed among the exhibitors for IAAPA 2024, suggesting ambitions beyond the Australian market. Units of Chef It Up are expected to be limited, but more information should emerge soon.

Sega previews part of its IAAPA 2024 line-up

Sega Amusements has revealed some of the products planned for its IAAPA booth. Existing attractions include Apex Rebels and Zombies! Ready, Deady, Go!, along with several multiplayer versions of Win Fall Revolution.

The main confirmed new video game is Big Sea Fishing, a two-screen, four-player competitive fishing videmption game from SEA Animation. The developer previously produced the successful kiddie racer Hot Racers, which was sold by SAI.

Sega’s announcement leaves room for further reveals. The company’s collaboration with 3MindWave, Alpha Ops VR Strike, appears likely to be included, while Leon Amusement’s electromechanical shooting range On Target was previously seen at IAAPA Europe 2024. Trade-show line-ups can change because of development or shipping issues, so unconfirmed products may not always appear.

Fire destroys The Amusement Guy facility

A fire has destroyed the Indiana warehouse and facility operated by The Amusement Guy. The building and its games were reported as a total loss.

Owner Scott Wright shared photographs of the damage. The cause had not been explained at the time of writing, but plans were already being considered to rebuild. Recovering from the loss is expected to be a lengthy process.

Insert Coin receives a museum exhibition

The history of Midway arcade game development is the subject of the Insert Coin documentary. Its title is now also being used for a temporary exhibition at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art at the College of DuPage in Illinois. The display is scheduled to run until February of the following year.

To mark 10,000 subscribers, the documentary has also been uploaded in full to YouTube, although that online release is described as temporary.

More Pinball Expo 2024 footage

Additional videos from Pinball Expo 2024 include Multimorphic’s The Princess Bride pinball machine.

Turner’s playful Ninja Eclipse is also featured.

More arcade and amusement headlines

Home-gaming headlines

With IAAPA approaching and the wider arcade news cycle accelerating, more announcements are likely soon. For Australian enthusiasts, the latest developments are a useful reminder that the modern arcade scene spans new machines, location testing, trade shows, pinball and home collecting alike. Explore the RETROCADE arcade blog, browse arcade machines, or use the arcade machine buying guide when planning a home setup.