Two notable arcade titles are currently appearing in location tests: Bandai Namco Amusement’s Taiko No Tatsujin at Anime Expo 2023 in Los Angeles, and exA-Arcadia’s long-awaited fighting-game sequel Axel City 2 in Japan. Test results can still influence a game’s final form, and neither title’s test performance guarantees a commercial release.
Taiko No Tatsujin appears at Anime Expo 2023
Bandai Namco Amusement brought Taiko No Tatsujin to Anime Expo 2023, giving players another chance to try the company’s signature rhythm game following an earlier test in Plano, Texas. This tweet shows the Anime Expo setup and notes that it uses the same cabinet as the Plano test.
Reports from players and Round1 staff about the February test were positive. However, there was no confirmed release timing, and feedback from other potential venues, including Mitsuwa and Dave & Buster’s, had not been publicly established.
The Anime Expo response appears encouraging enough for a representative to say that they’re looking into organizing US tournaments. Players seeking more information can also consult an existing English page for Taiko arcade support that can be found here.
Axel City 2 begins testing in Japan
The sequel to the early-2000s PC fighting game Axel City is moving closer to release, with Axel City 2 entering the Japanese test circuit. Per this tweet, testing was scheduled to begin on Monday, while the game’s website listed an August launch.
Like Dynamite Bomb!!, Axel City 2 is designed as an arcade-exclusive release for the exA platform. exA-Arcadia funded and contributed to the game’s development, helping explain that platform focus. The announcement also included the latest game trailer.
For an alternative to the social-media trailer, exA-Arcadia also published the attract-mode video on YouTube:
40 characters and extremely low input lag
The game has promoted a 40-character roster for some time, but the translated announcement highlights several additional features. Axel City 2 claims 0.3 frames of input lag, compared with the already very low 0.5-frame figure stated for Dynamite Bomb!!.
It also includes a “25-person kumite mode”. In this challenge, the player has one round to defeat 25 opponents, each with a full maximum meter. The announcement lists a traditional versus-fighting system, fully voiced characters and a story mode among the game’s other features.
“Axel City 2” was announced for advance operation at Shinjuku Sports Land’s main building, third floor, from July 3. The listed features included 0.3-frame input delay, 40 playable characters, a traditional fighting-game system and a fully voiced story mode.
There was no confirmed price at the time, as pre-orders had not opened. Based on other exA fighting games, an estimate around $1,550 was considered possible, but that figure was not official.
Why these tests matter
Location tests offer operators and developers a practical way to measure player interest before a wider rollout. For Australian arcade fans, both games will be worth watching as their testing progresses and release plans become clearer.
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