Arcade News Roundup: Big Buck, Alice Pinball and More

Arcade and pinball news is gathering pace ahead of IAAPA, with championship results, new location tests, limited-run pinball, preservation discoveries and several industry updates to catch up on.

Big Buck Hunter World Championships XVII

The seventeenth Big Buck Hunter World Championships have concluded in Chicago, with Jamie Rundall taking the title for Minnesota. A livestream captured the excitement from day two of the tournament.

The next championship will bring a major change of venue. After many years in Chicago, the event is scheduled to move south to Nashville next year.

Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR was notably absent from the event, despite screenshots for new chapters appearing quietly on Raw Thrills’ website. Other Raw Thrills machines present included the tethered Halo model, two standard Fast & Furious Arcade cabinets and NBA Superstars. The selection suggests the organisers were working with limited floor space.

For readers tracking new location-based releases, our arcade news coverage follows developments across the industry.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Pinball

Dutch Pinball’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland is based on a Zidware design, following earlier coverage of the project. Dutch Pinball is known for The Big Lebowski, but this visually elaborate machine could become the company’s signature title, particularly with its Chester the Cat topper.

Production is capped at 500 machines, while the price is a little above $12,000. Those limits mean the game is likely to appear mainly in private pinball collections rather than many public venues. It was also due to appear at Pinball Expo that week, offering an opportunity to play it in person.

Find more information and pictures on the official game page.

For home collectors comparing formats, RETROCADE’s virtual pinball machines provide another way to explore the wider pinball experience.

Beatmania IIDX Pinky Crush Arrives With a Delay

Konami has released Beatmania IIDX Pinky Crush, the rhythm series’ thirty-second edition, after location testing in July.

Round1 USA venues have traditionally received Beatmania IIDX updates alongside Japan and other Asian markets. This time, however, the American rollout was reportedly delayed by one week. No official explanation had been provided.

Another rhythm title attracting attention is MASH VP! Re:VISION, developed by former Bemani figure NAOKI. It has been location tested at World Game Circus in Tachikawa, Tokyo, despite only a Steam release being announced so far. The test used Namco Grigio cabinets, making the situation unusual. NAOKI previously worked on Capcom’s arcade rhythm game CrossXBeats, which also reached Round1 USA briefly.

Stern Pinball Prepares New Updates

Stern Pinball has revealed a remastered version of its Metallica machine ahead of its next major events. Together with Uncanny X-Men, the update should give the company’s November IAAPA stand a fresher lineup.

Stern has also released a new promotional video for John Wick, followed by a video covering the sweepstakes winner.

Watch the John Wick sweepstakes winner feature.

The Pinball Expo 2024 visit was planned for part of the week, with possible trips to arcade and pinball venues around Schaumburg outside the exhibition itself.

Two Cancelled Arcade Games Resurface

Preservation researchers have brought two obscure cancelled projects back into view. The first is Dinosaurs, believed to have been produced in very small quantities by Eastern Micro Electronics.

The game appears to be a Mr. Do-style title. Eastern Micro Electronics also sold officially licensed Mr. Do kits, but only one Dinosaurs board is currently known to survive.

The second discovery is an unreleased Fire & Forget II cabinet. Its shape resembles a modified After Burner upright, and it was intended to house an arcade adaptation of the futuristic racing shooter released on Amstrad and Master System by the now-defunct French developer Titus.

The cabinet appeared at a company exhibition in France in late 1990, where it may not even have been playable, before disappearing. Further details remain available here, although much of the project’s history is still uncertain.

Stories like these also highlight why maintaining original controls, displays and boards matters. RETROCADE’s arcade parts and repair services support that preservation work.

LBX Collective Returns With a Weekly Show

After a short break, the LBX Collective podcast has returned in a weekly format rather than its previous daily schedule. The programme covers news from the location-based entertainment industry, including an Arcade Corner segment and Kevin Williams’ Sound Off feature.