New exA-Arcadia Games Announced for Arcades

Shooters Fes has delivered a substantial update for arcade shoot ’em up fans, including several new exA-Arcadia releases and development details. The platform continues to bring these games to arcades internationally, rather than limiting them to the Japanese market.

The exA presentation included live English translation, although overlapping Japanese and English commentary could make parts of the stream difficult to follow. The key announcements are summarised below. For more arcade-industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog.

exA-Arcadia platform updates

The exA Board has been installed at more than 500 locations.
Twenty-three titles are planned for launch during the year, with another 50 games in development.
The team is concentrating on reducing input lag, with games operating at one, two or three frames depending on the title.
Dodonpachi True Death Exa Label will receive a free software update that reduces input lag to one frame and introduces additional fixes and changes.
Noisz Arc Coda is scheduled for a location test at Taito Hey on 7 April.

Previously announced games

P-47 Aces Kai

The original P-47 Aces programmers and sound programmer discussed the upcoming remake. Alongside the previously announced four-player cooperative mode, the presentation showed updated gameplay and several new features.

P-47 Ace Kai Mode adds stage content and enemies while rebalancing the playable aircraft.
A revised “Hyper Scoring” system returns. It was tested for the original game in the 1990s but removed before release, and has now been redesigned to improve playability.
Manabu Namiki, the original sound designer, has arranged the complete soundtrack. Players will be able to choose between the original music and the new arranged version.
The game is targeting one frame of input lag.
Release is planned for summer, matching the team’s “hot game” theme.

Astro Ninja Man Exa

This unusual shoot ’em up began on the NES and Famicom. RIKI originally developed it as an experiment to explore how far the NES hardware could be pushed. Three members of the development team provided further details during the presentation.

A new Caravan mode has been added, similar to the format used by Vritra Hexa.
The exA version includes new music absent from the NES release. The soundtrack is being designed to sound appropriate for NES hardware while still offering a strong musical experience.
Input lag is targeted at one frame.
Development is complete.

Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica

Touhou Perfect Sakura Fantastica, or TPSF, is another highly anticipated upcoming vertical shoot ’em up. It is due to be shown at Reitaisai on 8 May.

Music is being created by Keishi Yonao.
Programming is handled by Yugo Fujioka, known for work with Cave and A2B.

Players comparing these releases with different cabinet formats can explore RETROCADE’s Arcade Machine Buying Guide and browse the current arcade machine range.

New exA-Arcadia game announcements

Cambria Sword Another Cry

Cambria Sword Another Cry is a horizontal shoot ’em up and a new exA-Arcadia-only entry in the series that began on PC in 2016. Its prehistoric sea creatures serve as both the player characters and enemies, with the creatures based on the fossil record.

The game is built around a deliberately early-1990s shoot ’em up feel, while adding new mechanics. It will run at 4K and target one frame of input lag.

Parallax scrolling is a major visual feature. Rather than restricting the effect to background scenery, the game applies layered movement to enemies and bosses as well, giving encounters a stronger sense of depth.

Created with the Shooting Game Builder engine, the arcade edition will offer multiple characters with different statistics and abilities. It will also include rebalanced gameplay, new enemies and bosses, further additions, and two-player support.

The intended release window is 2022, although a specific date had not been confirmed.

Jamjam’n Jelly Exa Lente and Shinorubi Pink Label

Details were limited to trailers for the final two announcements. Jamjam’n Jelly Exa Lente is a new exA-Arcadia-exclusive shoot ’em up for one or two players.

Shinorubi is already available on PC, but the Pink Label arcade edition will add true TATE support for vertical screen orientation. Both games remain part of the platform’s expanding shoot ’em up line-up.

A growing arcade shoot ’em up line-up

With more than 500 installed boards, 23 planned releases and 50 additional games in development, exA-Arcadia is continuing to build a broad arcade catalogue. Its focus on low input lag, specialist scoring systems and dedicated vertical-screen support should appeal to operators and competitive players alike.

For enthusiasts planning a home setup, RETROCADE also offers arcade parts for cabinet projects and upgrades.