Raw Thrills is testing two arcade projects ahead of the next major amusement-industry trade-show season: a non-VR version of Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR and a motorcycle redemption racer currently titled Jackpot Racer. The company has not officially commented on either test, so the details below reflect what has been observed rather than confirmed production specifications.
Location-test note: These games are effectively arcade beta tests. Cabinet design, software, features and even the decision to release them commercially may change before production.
Godzilla Kaiju Wars without VR
The first project is a hardware variation of Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR. Early glimpses suggested that Raw Thrills was exploring a version with the same gun-based format but without the virtual-reality equipment. The test was later spotted at a Great Wolf Lodge location in a video posted about the arcade at a Great Wolf Lodge location, followed by an Instagram clip. There is also this video showing the attract mode.
The test cabinet appears to retain the original game’s main components, including its two vertically stacked screens and mounted guns. The key physical change is the seating direction: players face the displays rather than sitting outward from them as they do in the VR configuration.
That layout could still be revised. An enclosed environmental cabinet seems unlikely, particularly because Raw Thrills has used that approach less often recently and the stacked-screen arrangement would be difficult to integrate into such a design.
If the non-VR model reaches production, its price will be worth watching. The VR edition is less expensive than some comparable virtual-reality arcade attractions, but remains a substantial purchase for smaller venues. Removing the VR hardware could reduce the price, although the saving may be limited to a few thousand dollars because the rest of the cabinet appears broadly familiar.
The VR release includes six levels, and this version may offer those stages as standard content rather than adding them through a later update. Gameplay may also need adjustment because players cannot freely look around without the headset. Beyond those expected changes, the available information does not confirm any further differences.
Jackpot Racer
The second Raw Thrills test takes the company further into video redemption, or “videmption”, while moving into a less common format: motorcycle racing. Raw Thrills and Play Mechanix have already worked on titles including Wizard of Oz, Nerf Arcade and Angry Birds Boom!, but motorcycle racers remain relatively unusual among redemption releases, aside from a handful of games from Ace Amusement.
The clearest available image makes Jackpot Racer look like an early reskin of Super Bikes 3, with a second screen added to the cabinet. Raw Thrills has used existing cabinets during early testing before, so the machine’s final appearance may be substantially different if the project advances.
The title itself may also change. Arcade operators have increasingly favoured terms such as “bonus” and “super bonus” instead of “jackpot”, partly because of the gambling associations attached to that word. Even so, Jackpot Racer is arguably more distinctive than alternatives such as “Ticket Racer”.
This appears to be Raw Thrills’ first motorcycle game to use the company’s now-familiar dual-screen presentation. Fast & Furious Arcade helped popularise that format, which has since appeared in numerous racing games from Chinese manufacturers.
The visible screens do not establish whether the test reuses tracks from Super Bikes 3, draws from Fast & Furious Arcade or features entirely new courses. The number of tracks and the final redemption system are also unknown. For readers comparing the format with other racing arcade machines, those details will be important if the game moves beyond testing.
When could they appear?
If both projects have progressed successfully through testing, upcoming trade shows provide several possible debut opportunities. The listed events include GTI Asia China, followed by IAAPA Expo Europe and IAAPA 2025 in November. Raw Thrills would not usually be expected to premiere a title at an event such as GTI, but it remains possible.
For operators assessing new cabinets, the arcade machine buying guide offers useful context on choosing hardware, while the Arcade Blog covers more industry and gaming news as these projects develop.
Neither game has been confirmed for production, and both may change before any formal announcement. For now, the non-VR Godzilla cabinet and the motorcycle-focused Jackpot Racer offer two notably different directions for Raw Thrills.
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