IAAPA 2025 delivered an unusually large selection of arcade and amusement products. This first instalment reviews five companies: Raw Thrills, TouchMagix, Wahlap, Alan-1 and Blue Motion Games.
The show was one of the busiest seen since 2009, with more games and attractions to investigate than could reasonably be played in a single visit. It was also an opportunity to meet readers and industry contacts in person.
Here is the first group of exhibitors, including new video games, redemption machines, merchandisers and updates to established titles. For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.
Raw Thrills
Raw Thrills presented a broad selection at IAAPA, even though several of its major recent releases, including NBA Superstars and Top Gun Maverick, had been introduced at other events. The company concentrated on new cabinet formats, fresh content and products already entering distribution. Betson’s booth also included several non-Raw Thrills attractions.
The Raw Thrills line-up included the following. Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe was scheduled to ship in December, while Jackpot Racer was shipping at the time of the show. The asterisked titles had received content updates.
- Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe — shipping December
- Jackpot Racer — shipping now
- Angry Birds Boom!*
- The Wizard of Oz*
- Top Gun Maverick
- NBA Superstars
- King Kong II
- Fast & Furious Arcade, Deluxe and Standard
- Jurassic Park Arcade
- Super Bikes 3
- Marvel: Contest of Champions Series 2
- Halo: Fireteam Raven
- Minecraft Dungeons Arcade
- Big Buck Hunter Reloaded
The headline attraction was Godzilla Kaiju Wars Deluxe, a non-VR kaiju shooter that expands on the earlier game with additional content and a substantially longer play session—approximately twice the duration of the VR version. It had previously appeared in China through UNIS at GTI Asia China Expo, but IAAPA 2025 marked its first Western trade-show appearance apart from location tests. The VR edition was not shown.
Jackpot Racer adapts the feel of a Raw Thrills racer for video redemption. It can be viewed as a ticket-focused relative of Super Bikes 3, with a simpler structure, two screens and shorter average sessions. The objective is to catch the named jackpot racer rather than complete a conventional race.
Raw Thrills also demonstrated updated software for Angry Birds Boom!, adding a leaderboard and jackpot, plus a marquee-free version of The Wizard of Oz. Filming of the Angry Birds Boom! update was not permitted. A possible NBA Superstars update was not ready and may instead appear at Amusement Expo the following year, potentially alongside other new releases.
TouchMagix
TouchMagix has recently moved more of its attention from video redemption towards mechanical redemption. The company reported strong results from these newer machines, which formed the main focus of its IAAPA display.
- Pickleball Toss
- Boxed Up
- Treasure Chest
- Minions: Bullseye Mania
- Crazy Prize
- Pudgy Penguins: Polar Challenge
- Pop It!
- Carnival Cups
Pickleball Toss is a sizeable attraction with brass bells based on those used in temples across India. A successful shot can trigger the automatic bell, while internal projectors add star patterns to the cabinet. The target proved challenging during testing, with only two successful shots reaching a lit target.
Operators can configure the machine to dispense standard tickets or printed tickets linked to prizes displayed around the play area. The prize structure shown was one ticket for a small item, two for a medium item and three for a large item. The quoted price was approximately $12,000, lower than might be expected for an attraction of its size and presentation.
Boxed Up uses a rotating tower that players stop at the correct moment to win a small or large prize. Its two-player format may support strong earnings when stocked with suitable merchandise.
Treasure Chest retained its established gameplay but was made taller and fitted with additional LED lighting. Testing placed it among the top 15 performers in a 174-game family entertainment centre in the United States. TouchMagix also displayed Minions: Bullseye Mania, Crazy Prize, Pudgy Penguins: Polar Challenge, Pop It! and Carnival Cups. While a return to more videmption products would be welcome, the newer mechanical games offer a more cost-conscious route for operators.
Wahlap
Chinese manufacturer Wahlap showed a stronger direct presence at IAAPA than in some recent years. Its products have previously appeared through distributors including Amusement Source International and Sega, while LAI Games also represented several Wahlap titles at this event. At least one product was moving directly from Wahlap through Betson for North American sales, with the company also increasing its activity in Europe.
- Storm Racer 2 — Betson
- Phantom Vanguard — LAI Games
- Kaiju Rampage Unite — LAI Games
- CyberHoop Basketball
- Asphalt Moto Blitz DX — LAI Games
- Asphalt 9 Legends Arcade DX — LAI Games
- NASCAR Pitstop — LAI Games
- Getter Spin D
- Bi-Grab
- Tri-Grab
- Track X
- Super Hunter
Storm Racer 2 was Wahlap’s major new release. Developed with 3MindWave, the sequel updates the earlier 2010s racing series with Unreal Engine visuals, a vertical display and a slim motion cabinet.
The influence of 3MindWave’s Apex Rebels can be seen in the menus and interface, although the racing itself is closer to open-route games such as Fast & Furious and Cruis’n than the closed-loop structure of Apex Rebels. Storm Rider X, despite frequent online promotion alongside the game in China, was not present at IAAPA and may appear at a future show.
Phantom Vanguard, developed by Wahlap and IGS, had been revealed at GTI in September and appeared at both Wahlap’s and LAI Games’ displays. Its gun-combination mechanic is distinctive and the presentation is polished, although the characters and game content could offer more variety. It remains an alternative for venues seeking an action-oriented military shooter.
Kaiju Rampage Unite is an upright four-player adaptation of IGS’s Kaiju Rampage, also known as Monster Eye 3 in other markets. Tethered pistols give it a different physical setup from the earlier two-player environmental cabinet, but the play system is largely unchanged: players hold the trigger to fire continuously without reloading.
CyberHoop Basketball offered another option in the video basketball category. Its play appears to use several rounds in which the hoop behaves differently, although further distribution and gameplay details were not available. Wahlap also displayed a substantial crane-game range and the LAI-backed NASCAR Pitstop redemption machine. Its Rocket X pusher had been promoted online but was not present at the show or on a distributor’s stand.
Alan-1
Alan-1 was positioned outside the Games & Arcade Pavilion, but still brought a wider selection than at the previous year’s event. Its display included Missile Command Recharged Pro+, Gravitar Recharged Pro+, the non-coin-operated Atari PONG Mechanical Coffee Table and the new Liquid Death. Visitors could also try Dr Pepper Soda Slam! at the AVS Companies booth.
- Liquid Death
- Butts On Things
- Cosmic Spin
- Missile Command Recharged Pro+
- Gravitar Recharged Pro+
- Atari PONG Mechanical Coffee Table, non-coin-operated version
Liquid Death is the latest themed version of Soda Slam!. The underlying gameplay remains the same, while the cabinet and artwork adopt the canned-water brand’s skull-heavy visual identity.
Alan-1 also introduced the Cosmic Spin merchandiser and reported strong interest in its Butts On Things crane machines and toys. Artist Brian Cook attended the show and shared the official toys amongst his Instagram followers, adding visibility to the range.
Blue Motion Games
Blue Motion Games had previously introduced the large-format FEC games Cannonball Jam and Desert Chase at Amusement Expo 2025 in Las Vegas. At IAAPA, the Canadian company joined Player One Amusement Group rather than operating its own booth, presenting a smaller version of Desert Chase with additional LED lighting around the controls.
No other Blue Motion Games product was displayed. The company did, however, indicate that its next major title will use a significant licensed IP. More information is expected at the next Amusement Expo in Las Vegas.
More IAAPA 2025 coverage
This first IAAPA 2025 report covered five manufacturers and a mix of new games, redemption concepts and updated cabinets. Further coverage will examine Bandai Namco, Sega Amusements, LAI Games and UNIS.
For Australian operators and collectors comparing cabinet formats, RETROCADE’s Arcade Machine Buying Guide covers the key considerations, while the racing arcade collection is a useful reference for driving-game fans.
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