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IAAPA 2022: Arcade Games and Attractions Previewed for 2023

IAAPA 2022: Arcade Games and Attractions Previewed for 2023

IAAPA 2022 brought a noticeably broader selection of arcade games, redemption machines, pinball tables and immersive attractions to Orlando. The show was busier than 2021, helped by the return of European visitors, although attendance remained below 2019 levels.

The amusement industry was still dealing with inflation and component shortages. Manufacturers explained that production can be delayed when even one required part is unavailable, because a complete run generally needs to be funded and assembled together.

IAAPA is an annual trade event for the amusement, arcade and theme-park industries. For Australian operators and collectors, it remains a useful indicator of the machines and experiences that may shape the international market in the following year.

New arcade game announcements

The following games were either new to the event, absent from the previous major shows, or presented in substantially different cabinets. Some were early builds, so final software, artwork and hardware could still change.

Redemption and sports machines

Redemption remains a major part of the location-based entertainment business. Screen-based redemption machines are often described as “videmption”, combining a physical challenge with video-game presentation.

  • Allstars Basketball (Sega Amusements); Avengers Infinity Stone Challenge (Andamiro USA); Bop It! (Sega Amusements); Big Ticket Drop (BayTek)
  • Carnival Wheel (Team Play); Cosmic Digger and Emoji Roller and Emoji Party (UNIS); Dodgeball Arena (ICE); Dragon Treasure (Coastal)
  • FGTeeV: Out of Time (LAI Games); Jet-Hoops (Valley-Dynamo); MVP Basketball (Smart); Over The Edge (UNIS); Pac-Man Baller (Bandai Namco)
  • Pixel air hockey and Roll ‘N Jump (WIK); Power Puck Fever and The Hand and Work Zone (UNIS); Rick & Morty: Blipz ‘N Chitz (LAI Games)
  • Road Trip, Slide Up and Wheel of Fun (Coastal); Shooting Madness (JET); Sync Pong (Komuse/Sega); World Football Tour (ICE)

Large-scale VR and mixed-reality attractions

Many of these attractions are designed for family entertainment centres and theme parks rather than conventional arcades. The category included Augmented Reality Darts (501 Fun/Sega), F1 Racer, FlashPads (Battle Company), Game of 1000 Boxes, Ghostbusters VR Academy (Hologate), Limitless VR (Creative Works), Sisyfox ball game, Spree Interactive, Springboard VR, QBIX (INOWIZE), ValoArena, VARLive, VR360 and a zombie attraction on Hyperdeck.

Selected hands-on impressions

Early show builds should not receive a final verdict. Several games still needed tutorials, balancing, cabinet changes or additional polish, and some could not be tested because of queues, settings or health precautions.

American Pinball IAAPA 2022

Games and pinball

Allstars Basketball was sleek and enjoyable, with six modes supporting repeat play. Arcana Heart 3 had an interesting alchemy system tied to character-enhancing art choices, but its early build lacked one-player support and clear instructions.

American Pinball did not show a new table, but its use of Scorbit offered a competitive online feature alongside Stern’s Insider Connected. Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade VR looked excellent and its new chase mode was promising, although the second screen is difficult to justify when the player is wearing a headset.

Astro Ninja Man EXA grew on the player after hands-on time: its deliberately simple 1980s-style shoot ’em up presentation, music and gameplay made a compelling combination. BirdlyVR remained a show favourite with queues and dramatic canyon-diving reactions, but its attendant requirements make it more suitable for a major FEC than a small arcade.

Bond 007 had a smooth-feeling flow and an enjoyable third-flipper shot, but the Pro model felt underwhelming for its stated US$7,000 price. The Premium was considered the stronger option, while the planned 60th-anniversary version was described as a separate game covering every Bond actor.

Bop It! translated the toy’s physical actions naturally to redemption play. BoxBlitX1 appears aimed partly at gyms, with touchscreen challenges including freestyle, timed and high-intensity modes, while the other Hit The Green formats are more directly suited to arcades. Players punch or kick green targets and avoid red ones.

Bridge Man is a simple skill game about stopping a growing line at the correct height so it falls onto the next ledge. Bumper is effectively head-to-head Arkanoid in a metallic cocktail cabinet, with responsive spinners and potential for smaller venues if priced appropriately.

Carnival Cups Crane adds a video challenge to the claw format: a failed grab can lead to tickets or another attempt. Touch Magix also showed a smaller street version of Carnival Cups. Carnival Wheel refreshes the familiar wheel concept with more technology and visual impact, particularly when several units are installed together.

Crazy Rafting appeared to follow the cooperative river-ride formula of Rapid River, with a waterfall feature built into the seat. Crimson Katana EXA and DoDonPachi True Death EXA Label offered definitive versions with easier modes for newcomers as well as demanding settings for fans.

Dead Heat Unleashed retained local ghost-car ideas and rubber-band racing while adding close-quarters driving that builds an Ultimate Heat nitro gauge. Its lighting looked stronger than Maximum Tune 5DX+, although race endings were abrupt and the cabinet was not final.

Dinosaur Era was a popular four-player dinosaur shooter with a solid frame rate. Dodgeball Arena emphasised red-versus-blue competition in an exceptionally large cabinet. Donut Dodo Do! captured the feel of an early-1980s platform game, combining influences from Popeye, BurgerTime, Mappy, Mario Bros. and Donkey Kong. The early build was planned to gain new artwork, a girl chef and two-player support.

Drone Racing Genesis presented a fresh concept with impressive LED cabinet animations, though the controls felt too abrupt between vertical movements and needed calibration. EXA Arc-01 stood out as a serious arcade cabinet rather than a miniature home machine, with a horizontal-to-vertical monitor adjustment, authentic controls and sharp displays. Its reported US$5,000–6,000 range was notably below many large commercial machines.

Fast & Furious Arcade shifted the licensed series towards mission-based play and delivered smooth 60fps graphics across two 4K displays. The four-cabinet installation looked impressive, while the motion system remained controlled rather than excessive.

Football Frenzy brought American football back to arcades through VR quarterback play, though the exposed headset remains a maintenance concern. FlashPads used a stompable LED grid for snake, maze and light-based games for up to four players. Game of 1000 Boxes was an enormous LED-wall attraction intended for theme parks and game-show-style experiences.

Galaxy Rangers offered a lower-budget alternative to Halo: Fireteam Raven, with weapon switching inspired by Time Crisis 3, solid graphics and appealing hardware. Ghostbusters VR Academy had two formats: Ecto-1 motion-seat training and a Hologate arena where teams fight ghosts. Guns N’ Roses Pinball looked striking, especially its LED lighting, but its US$11,000 price positioned it primarily towards collectors and premium locations.

Halo: Fireteam Raven’s Assault Model replaced the discontinued Super Deluxe cabinet with a simpler production design, retaining the game’s distinctive assault-rifle controllers and an 85-inch 4K screen. The reported price remained above US$20,000, with a two-player model planned and shipping expected to begin in April.

Hawt Pink Club used the Arc-01 form factor for the adult-oriented Bad Ass Babes Kiss and Rumble Storm X. Its digitised-sprite beat ’em up was compared with the tone of NARC and the unreleased Judge Dredd. It was displayed away from children and is intended for adult venues, not FECs.

Ice Cold Beer was delayed by parts shortages but appeared ready for release. The same manufacturer also showed a new FPGA remake of Atari’s 1980 Warlords, supporting either a 25-inch CRT or an LCD.

Jet-Hoops gave the beer-pong format a basketball variation, asking players to bounce balls into hoops rather than cups. Jitsu Squad was a promising beat ’em up with fighter-like combos and more depth than simple button mashing, although it still needed a tutorial, enemy balancing and final polish.

What the show suggests for operators

IAAPA 2022 demonstrated that the arcade market was expanding across several directions: accessible skill games, premium racing, licensed video attractions, modern pinball, specialist fighting games and large-format VR. Operators should assess footprint, staffing, component support and expected maintenance as carefully as the games themselves.

For home enthusiasts, the show also highlighted the continuing gap between commercial attractions and practical domestic hardware. A careful arcade-machine buying guide can help compare space, controls and servicing needs, while racing arcades and upright cabinets offer more realistic starting points than the largest FEC attractions.

For a compact games room, bartop arcades can be easier to accommodate, and ongoing maintenance may require dependable arcade parts. These practical considerations matter just as much as the headline announcements.

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