September 2022 brought a modest batch of new arcade and pinball releases, with several titles arriving for the exA-Arcadia platform. This roundup covers video games and pinball only, excluding redemption attractions.
For more industry updates, browse the RETROCADE arcade blog and explore the wider arcade machine range.
Astro Ninja Man EXA
Developer and platform: RIKI and exA-Arcadia
RIKI’s second game began life as an NES homebrew before making the move to arcades. It is a distinctive shoot ’em up positioned as a value-level exA-Arcadia release, costing around $500 before the cost of the required exA kit. That makes it one of the less expensive games available for the platform. It is also the third title originally released on the NES to reach exA-Arcadia.
James Bond 007
Manufacturer: Stern Pinball
Stern’s James Bond 007 was treated as a September release as production and shipping began to progress. Stern commonly distributes newly announced machines in stages, meaning locations may receive them at different times rather than on one universally confirmed delivery date.
P-47 Aces Mk. II
Platform: exA-Arcadia
This release revisits the 1990s horizontal scrolling shooter P-47 Aces, a game that was more prominent in Japan than in the United States. The new version adds modes and features, including an easier difficulty option intended to make the game more approachable in family entertainment centres.
Unlike the original, P-47 Aces Mk. II also supports up to four players, giving operators another reason to consider it for social arcade settings.
Samurai Shodown V Perfect
Manufacturer and platform: SNK and exA-Arcadia
Samurai Shodown V Perfect marked SNK’s return to non-Japanese arcades after several years away. The game was originally planned for the Neo Geo MVS, and this release restores elements that were absent from the version included in the Samurai Shodown Collection, including Overkills and English text.
The recovered ROM was located by SNK. It was subsequently included in the collection, but the discovery itself was not made by the journalist or by Digital Eclipse.
This was the only title in the September list acquired for testing, with an unboxing shown below and direct-capture footage planned for later.
Sniper Strike II
Distributor: Amusement Source International
Sniper Strike II is a lightly promoted shooting game from the Chinese arcade market. Its original developer was not identified, but Amusement Source International, a US distributor, shared footage on LinkedIn during September and made the game available to order.
Stripes and the Polycade Retro
Stripes is a puzzle game available on the Polycade platform, with a PC version planned. Its central objective is simple: connect the stripes to score points.
Polycade also introduced the Polycade Retro cabinet. The machine is styled after early Nintendo arcade cabinets associated with games such as Donkey Kong and Popeye. Its product information stated that a batch was ready to ship in June, although the cabinet had already been available for some time by this September roundup.
Readers comparing compact formats can also review bartop arcades, while anyone planning a custom build may prefer DIY arcade kits.
What comes next?
At the time, the release list still showed TBA entries, leaving room for additional announcements in October. Other games were expected to launch around IAAPA 2022 in mid-November.
Which of these September releases would you most like to play in an arcade?
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