February 2023 has delivered an unusually busy run of arcade releases. Alongside Ice Cold Beer and Dead Heat Unleashed, the month has brought Sega Amusements titles including Storm Rider 2 and Drone Racing Genesis, Adrenaline Amusements’ NFS Heat Takedown, UNIS’ Sailors Quest VR, Andamiro’s SpongeBob VR Bubble Coaster and the Neo Geo MVS release The Eye of Typhoon – Tsunami Edition.
Ice Cold Beer returns as a licensed arcade remake
The official licensed remake of Taito’s 1983 electromechanical classic Ice Cold Beer began shipping on 20 February 2023. It aims to reproduce the original machine in both appearance and operation, with the recreation described as faithful in virtually every aesthetic and functional detail.
The stated MSRP is $5,499. Several distributors are carrying the machine, so final pricing may differ between sellers. The manufacturer has also announced plans to remake Zeke’s Peak, with shipping expected in summer 2023.
For a home arcade collection, this sits outside the usual video-game cabinet categories. RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide can help buyers compare the space, format and operating considerations involved in adding a substantial machine.
The important question for operators is how the remake performs on location. Some operators have reported strong results from the original, while the new machine will need to find its audience in a market where it may compete for attention with pinball. A venue can offer both, but rising pinball costs and unchanged returns make alternative attractions worth watching.
Dead Heat Unleashed enters a crowded racing market
Bandai Namco Amusements has also started shipping Dead Heat Unleashed, a new racer developed by the team behind Maximum Tune. Its launch arrived earlier than expected, much like NFS Heat Takedown.
The software remains broadly unchanged from the versions shown at IAAPA 2022 and EAG 2023, aside from minor tweaks. The game includes eight levels, bright visual presentation and no save system. Operators can visit the official Dead Heat Unleashed game page for more information. No price had been announced; interested operators were directed to contact their preferred Bandai Namco distributor.
The production cabinet features side art that differs from the version displayed at IAAPA:
Official screenshots provide a look at the racing, collision and special-move systems. A video of the Chicago track is also available, with London, Vegas and Shanghai among the other tracks shown through related videos.
Two releases built specifically for arcades
Both machines are arcade-exclusive. That is especially significant for Ice Cold Beer, whose physical controls and electromechanical design cannot be reproduced perfectly by a conventional home conversion or digital port. The tactile character of the original format is part of the experience.
Dead Heat Unleashed also arrives as operators assess an increasingly crowded driving-game field. The market was estimated at roughly 18 racing titles in production at this point, with the total rising when separate SD, DX and VR versions are counted. That figure was expected to reach 19 when MotoGP VR began shipping and 20 if Hyper Cross entered production soon.
More choice gives operators options across different price points, although the number of competing racers could influence which games receive attention. The expectation was that IAAPA 2023 might feature fewer entirely new racing games, with more gun games potentially taking their place.
Operators comparing driving cabinets can browse RETROCADE’s racing arcade collection, while readers planning a broader venue or home setup can explore the latest updates on the arcade blog.
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