Coastal Amusements brought a varied selection to IAAPA 2023, spanning video games, cranes and redemption attractions. The New Jersey company has traditionally carried a broad mix, while its growing videmption range can also be operated without tickets when a venue prefers a straightforward video-game format.
The booth also highlighted Coastal’s strong sales relationship with Ace Amusement. As with many Chinese manufacturers, Ace products are distributed through several companies in different markets, including LAI and ASI.
For Australian operators and collectors comparing different cabinet styles, the wider arcade news archive offers useful industry context, while the arcade machine buying guide covers the practical questions involved in choosing a machine.
Coastal Amusements at IAAPA 2023
The Coastal booth was not unusually large, but its line-up included several imported games that may otherwise have escaped attention. A walk-through also showed the company’s crane and redemption catalogue.
Bullseye Crackshot
Skill-based shooting galleries are attracting plenty of attention, and Coastal presented Bullseye Crackshot as its answer through Ace Amusement. The game uses plastic guns rather than metal ones. Coastal explained that the choice was influenced by both cost and appearance, noting that metal guns can develop visible scratches after spending time on location.
Plastic does not mean the shooting experience lacks feedback: the guns still provide recoil. Bullseye Crackshot is offered in single-gun and double-gun configurations, with shipping scheduled to begin by the end of December 2023.
Surf League
Surf League was designed by Ace Amusement and proved to be one of the booth’s more unexpected attractions. An angled view had appeared at IAAPA Europe, but the complete game stood out for graphics that were noticeably stronger than Ace’s previous work shown to the market.
It is the second recent arcade surfing title to appear, following Team Play’s Surfin’ Surfari. Unlike a large-format surf attraction, Surf League uses a considerably more compact cabinet, although it is sold as a twin unit.
Shipping had not been confirmed at the show. Coastal and Ace were still making changes in response to operator feedback received at IAAPA.
Wild Things and Dinosaur Era
Ace and Coastal also presented Wild Things, a video water-shooting game in the same general vein as Ice Man, Ice Walker and Dinosaur Era. The team said the gameplay had been improved over Ice Man, while the visuals made a strong impression.
Wild Things and Dinosaur Era were scheduled to ship in January 2024.
Redemption and Crane Games
Coastal’s redemption and prize line-up at the show included:
- Boardwalk Big Spin
- Break The Plate
- Plinko
- Ring Toss
- Road Trip
- Snow Day
- Showtime cranes
- Toy Castle
Operators planning a venue mix can compare these attractions with full-size arcade machines, racing arcade formats and other location-friendly equipment before deciding how much floor space to allocate.
Strongest Games on the Stand
The two most compelling games in Coastal’s IAAPA 2023 presentation were Bullseye Crackshot and Surf League. Surf League was the bigger surprise, particularly because of its improved presentation and compact twin cabinet.
Arcades aimed at younger players still need engaging, well-made attractions, and the right game can perform strongly in a location environment. With further changes planned for Surf League, its final production version will be worth watching.
For venues considering ongoing servicing and replacement components, RETROCADE also provides resources for arcade parts and controls.
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