With AAA Expo 2025 in Guangzhou, China, beginning on 10 May, Wahlap has offered an early look at the games and amusement machines planned for its booth. The Asia Amusement & Attractions Expo is one of the major events on the Chinese arcade calendar, and the company is marking its 35th anniversary this year.
The preview is weighted towards China-only editions, redemption products and updated versions of previously announced games. Wahlap may still have additional surprises reserved for the show, but the announced line-up already includes several noteworthy cabinet variations. For Australian operators and collectors tracking new arcade hardware, the differences between regional releases are particularly interesting.
For wider industry coverage, visit the RETROCADE Arcade Blog, with more information available through the official Wahlap website.
Alpha Ops VR Strike
Alpha Ops VR Strike is a virtual-reality shooter developed by 3MindWave and Sega Amusements. Sega Amusements is handling the Western representation, while Wahlap will be releasing it in China. The connection between the companies also reflects the involvement of former Wahlap personnel with 3MindWave.
The Chinese cabinet differs from the version shown in other markets. Rather than using two vertically arranged displays, it has a single horizontal screen. That layout could be more practical for venues with lower ceilings, although the overhead structure supporting the guns and VR headsets still adds height.
Marvel Contest of Champions
Raw Thrills’ Marvel Contest of Champions is also returning in a China-specific cabinet after the expiration of Dave & Buster’s exclusivity. Wahlap displayed the game at last year’s GTI Asia China Expo in a cabinet matching the Western release, but the 2025 preview shows a substantially different design.
The new enclosure has a more Japanese arcade card-machine appearance. It is not yet clear whether the Chinese edition includes changes to the software, as a corresponding product page had not been published by Wahlap when the preview appeared.
Monster Eye 3 Unite
Wahlap first presented Monster Eye 3 as a major new release at the previous AAA Expo. For 2025, the IGS-developed monster shooter is being shown in a new four-player configuration with tethered guns.
The ‘Unite’ edition increases the player count from the original format, in a similar spirit to the four-player ‘Assault’ model of Halo Fireteam Raven sold by Wahlap in China. Any further gameplay changes had not been confirmed.
Redemption, Ultraman and basketball
Much of the remaining announced line-up is focused on redemption, including several new coin pushers and a crane machine. Wahlap is also introducing a range of Ultraman products, with these machines using purely electromechanical designs rather than the video-based redemption format sometimes described as videmption.
On the video redemption side, CyberHoop Basketball expands Wahlap’s presence in the basketball-hoop game category. The company previously released Alley Oop Blitz, while the new machine uses a cleaner white cabinet design and appears to be an upgrade in presentation.
Rhythm games and show-floor activity
Wahlap will also represent rhythm games from Sega and Bandai Namco. Taiko no Tatsujin is set to receive particular attention, with the first Real Rank Dojo tournament qualifying rounds for professional Chinese players scheduled to take place at the expo.
Chinese updates for Maimai DX and Chunithm would not be unexpected, although no new versions had been confirmed in the preview. Other video-game announcements remain possible, with rumours circulating about Wahlap’s next projects but no firm details available.
AAA Expo 2025 will provide the first opportunity to verify the full booth line-up and any unannounced products. For readers comparing cabinet formats, the Arcade Machine Buying Guide and RETROCADE’s arcade machine collection offer useful context, while dedicated arcade categories show how commercial machines can differ by game type.
Leave a Reply