Several new arcade titles have surfaced through UK distributor UDC, offering a mix of video gameplay and redemption-style operation. Here is a closer look at Galaxy Rangers, Dream Ball and Slime Busters, followed by updates on Dance Dance Revolution for Europe and the United States.
Galaxy Rangers
Galaxy Rangers is an original science-fiction shooter developed by Ace Amusement, rather than a remake of the older Teratoma arcade game. It uses familiar arcade shooting ideas, but players aim with free-moving guns instead of permanently mounted weapons.
The game contains four stages and can be configured with ticket redemption. Its presentation appears more suited to conventional score-based amusement play, however. The gun button changes weapons, a feature listed on UDC’s product page.
Dream Ball
Dream Ball combines a colourful obstacle-course concept with physical ball-pushing controls. Players move their character towards the goal while also manipulating balls on the cabinet, giving the game a feel that sits somewhere between Fall Guys and Super Monkey Ball.
Its standout feature is a pair of large 18-inch trackball controllers. Players must push the balls across each course and reach the finish before time expires. There are 18 courses in total, and further details are available on the product page.
Slime Busters
Slime Busters is a mounted-gun game aimed more directly at younger players. Its central mechanic involves firing coloured slime at characters, while the visual design features small humanoid figures and cabinet artwork showing humanoid pigs.
The family-friendly theme gives it a different audience from the science-fiction action of Galaxy Rangers. Like the other titles, it can operate as a video game or redemption attraction. UDC lists the game here.
Could these games reach North America?
It remains possible that one or more of the three games could appear in the United States. Coastal Amusements and Amusement Source International have both previously carried Ace Amusement titles, so any wider release would depend on whether either company considers a particular game commercially suitable.
For operators assessing new cabinets, the Arcade Machine Buying Guide provides a useful starting point, while arcade machines cover a broader range of cabinet styles.
Dance Dance Revolution updates
A Dance Dance Revolution A20+ cabinet was spotted at Funland London. DDR is distributed in the UK by Electrocoin, although its website still lists the older DDR A.
DDR A20+ arrived a couple of years earlier and was later replaced by DDR A3, which launched in Japan earlier in 2022. A social-media report from 13 July 2022 also raised the possibility of a second white cabinet at Funland London.
The Funland London sighting included discussion of a possible second white cabinet and an A20 marquee. The report was posted on 13 July 2022.
In the United States, no distributor was selling new DDR machines at the time. Round1USA regularly imports newer units, while some Dave & Buster’s venues were also believed to have newer DDR cabinets, though they have been less aggressive than Round1USA with Konami rhythm-game content.
Alex Neal photographed a gold DDR A3 at his local Round1 venue, and BemBlake confirmed that the Round1USA location in Utah had one as well. That suggests the gold cabinets may have been appearing across multiple Round1 venues. The machine’s gold finish makes it particularly striking.
Rhythm-game cabinets need regular attention to keep their controls and displays performing well. For operators and collectors, RETROCADE’s arcade repairs service and arcade parts are useful resources for ongoing maintenance.
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