It’s been a few weeks since IAAPA 2023 took place and in that time, I’ve slowly been working through the many companies and games that made their grand debut at the show. This post is intended to wrap it all up, helping you navigate what was there and what is coming to the arcade scene in 2024.

I will refrain from making this too wordy and focus more on bullet points, mixed up with a few videos. Games in italics are brand new, debuting at the show for the first time.

If you are seeing this shortly after posting, please check out the Arcade Heroes YouTube channel for a livestream chat about all this, where I can get into more detail and answer your questions!




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Raw Thrills

TouchMagix

Wahlap

Note that many of Wahlap’s games are being carried by Amusement Source International

Gesture Art & Design

On top of GAAD winning second place in the IAAPA Brass Ring Best New Product category, a couple of big players in the industry will be testing Food Flight out here soon.

VR 360 Action

Here’s how the raffle for their $30,000 OMG Simulator went, in case you missed that:

 

New Arcade Games As Seen At IAAPA 2023

Now for the rest!

Ace Amusement

I realize now that I should have grabbed a booth video for this company as I did not catch the names of their products aside from Legends of Spark below and the 4-player version of Galaxy Rangers. But they did have a few other sports & redemption games around.

Adrenaline Amusements

American Pinball

They had a small booth over by LBX Collective and Retro Arcade Remakes but had Legends of Valhalla & Galactic Tank Force on hand.

Amusement Source International

Andamiro USA

As mentioned previously, I unfortunately missed filming the Andamiro booth – one of those times where I thought I had done it but turned out that I hadn’t.

Bandai Namco Amusements

*I’m not counting Adrenaline and Raw Thrills product that was there.

For those still asking, it’s still too early for them to be promoting something like GoldStorm Pirates but perhaps when Amusement Expo rolls around (or definitely IAAPA 2024)

Bay Tek Entertainment

Chicago Gaming Co.

They mainly were focused on Play Mechanix’s Pulp Fiction pinball machine but there were a couple of Cactus Canyon games around too.

Coastal Amusements

Elaut USA

I didn’t get a booth video of Elaut USA but they had quite a few new products, particularly branching out into some products that they don’t normally sell, such as boxers.

  • BGI Boxer
  • Funky Beats Hockey
  • Punch The Number Kickboxer
  • Smurfs crane
  • Superman Worlds United
  • VRX Arcade
  • Wizard of Oz Emerald City Edition

ExA-Arcadia

ICE

They had a similar booth to IAAPA 2022 – minus a few pieces like RaceCraft. They didn’t have any new pieces we hadn’t seen before.

IGPM/Kalkomat

IGPM Had plenty of boxers around their booth but the one that stood out to me was the MMA Boxer, an evolution of Hit The Green, from Kalkomat.

Jersey Jack Pinball

JET Games

Komuse USA

One I missed was this Korean producer of popular redemption and merchandizing games. The principle game they had at their booth was a variation of the Ultimate Shot called One Shot Wonder. This appears to be no different from Ultimate Shot, aside from the name/art. They also had their Air Slide DX which was at IAAPA last year.

LAI Games

PLAYMIND

Playmind has been expanding their product options, first by releasing an enhanced version of their big FEC ball toss game PLAYBOX, then showing a more arcade-style version of the game for 1-2 players. The latter will launch around Spring next year. Playmind is also expanding into creating their own locations, which is an interesting touch.

Really Big Crane Company

I didn’t see anything new although I didn’t stop by for very long. I might have missed a new crane next to the older Zombie Jam.

Retro Arcade LLC

This company also had a similar booth to last IAAPA but with new versions of their Atari Warlords cocktail cabinet. I didn’t catch when these would be available but I assume early next year. They are also working with Slackerz Inc. on some new, Atari licensed content for these cabinets so stay tuned there.

S&B Toy/St. Louis Game Co.

While I wasn’t expecting much more than crane machines here, but they had a couple of video games/videmption pieces at their booth including Amazing Race & Street Racing. The latter is definitely for kids due to the size. Unfortunately, this was another case where I had intended to film them but missed out as the few times I was nearby, no one was playing those particular games.

Sega Amusements

Smart Industries

While Smart did have an array of new products at their booth, I didn’t pay much attention to anything beyond their new JJ Bot – The Avatar crane. Launching “soon,” this is the most expensive crane I’ve ever seen (quotes were near $50k but it might vary slightly depending upon your distributor) but it also is the most interactive towards the player. The robot really is a cool feature that I can see as changing how cranes work moving forward, although I don’t think that will entail a robotic arm.

Step Revolution

They had a similar setup as last year, with two standard and two deluxe models of Step ManiaX. These were running the latest software, and I hear their next content update will even include a classic Christmas song…

Stern Pinball

Team Play Inc.

I had a brief chat with the fine folks over at Team Play; They had their Carnival Wheel, FunSpot Photo Booth and Photo Motion kiddie ride at the show but didn’t sound too enthused with their spot due to the setup of some neighbors that had walls that prevented good visibility.

TrioTech

Tucked further back into the show (north of the coin-op area), TrioTech had a large space that spanned two large booths. One side was focused on meeting spaces, the other had their FEC products including an XD Dark Ride, QUBE, and the new Super Blaster. The latter is for locations that want something like QUBE, but want to make a stronger impression thanks to the open design.

Unico USA

Unfortunately I completely missed Unico’s booth, which featured the debut of their Nova Blast City desktop cabinet for home use. As a note, I will be ordering a second LCD from them here soon as my CRTs are suddenly dropping like flies.

UNIS

  • Bigfoot Crush
  • Bigfoot Mayhem
  • Ducky Splash 3
  • Dynamic Orbs
  • Emoji Frenzy / Party / Roller
  • Fantastic Prize cranes
  • Godzilla Vs. Kong
  • Lane Master Xtreme
  • Power Puck Fever
  • Raccoon Rampage
  • Sailor’s Quest VR
  • Time Out
  • Toy Box Cranes
  • Space Raiders
  • Wicked Tuna
  • Work Zone

Valley-Dynamo

I didn’t get a chance to film their booth area but they had several of their air hockey, foosball, and shuffleboard tables, and Jet Pong.

Zooom Studios

I had a brief moment to pass by Zoom Studios but didn’t get a chance to film anything. They have several new redemption and merchandizing games right out of the gate (as they are newcomers). From a brief glance, it all looked quite nice and it is surprising to see such a variety from a new company.

AR/MXR/VR/Simulator Providers

I didn’t have any issues in using VR this year, aside from a lack of time. As such, I was only able to briefly pass by some of these companies and didn’t have the time to wait in line to try out many of their products. I did manage to grab some footage of some of them though, as you’ll see below

(I will post that video some time later right here, after I finish the IAAPA livestream)

One anecdote that I gleaned from the show is that it seems like there is a greater desire for many companies to diversify their portfolios. So while VR had a similar presence to what we saw at the last IAAPA, more companies who got their start solely in the Virtual Reality space are experimenting or releasing some decidedly non-VR products. That doesn’t mean that the tech is on the way out, but I do think it is wise to branch out and find additional ways to innovate in amusement. Granted, that obvious “gem” of wisdom can really apply to any company – the more options across price ranges, the better.

Amega Entertainment

They were setup close to LAI Games and Amusement Source International with their E-Racing Container, a heavily modified shipping container that “includes 4 2DOF moving VR Rally simulators, monitoring screens, cafe-bar and seating area in a single container.”

Amusement Products LLC

They showcased their VEX Solutions Free-Roam VR system (with the Adventure and the Arena), along with some kart & bumper car systems, but I didn’t get a chance to come across them.

Arcade Arena

Right before I had to leave the show, I did come across this company and their game room system that uses LiDAR sensors, projection mapping, and features multiple games – they are in the video above but I was in a rush and didn’t have the chance to try them out.

Barron Games International

Barron had Birdly World VR and a new version of Koliseum – VR Foosball on hand but I also unfortunately didn’t have the time to give either one a try. The Koliseum has a new overhead gantry for hanging the VR headsets upon.

CXC Simulations

CXC was taking sharper aim at DOF Robotics with their own big car on a motion platform, although they are integrating more VR into their products.

Creative Works

I was able to drop by their booth very briefly before I had to leave the show to catch my flight but they had a reduced presence compared to the last IAAPA. They still had Limitless VR, the VAR Box and Lucky Putt to show however.

DOF Robotics

They had the Grave Digger VR ride there with a new skin, their Hurricane 360 VR attraction, and announced collaborations with Rovio for an upcoming Angry Birds ride and Hasbro for a Transformers ride. Those are detailed briefly in this press conference:

Hero Zone VR

Their free-roam VR arena was busy every time I passed by, and they also appeared to have it setup in a way to show how little space it could take up, in case a facility doesn’t have an extra 5,000 sq. ft. laying around.

Hologate

I had a moment to stop by Hologate, where I was able to film a quick play of their new Hyper Golf system. While not VR, it is an interesting tangent for them to take, as mentioned at the top in seeing some new non-VR products around. After the show, they announced that they are integrating HTC’s new tracking system in their Hologate arenas.

Immersive Gamebox

I didn’t stumble across them this time to see what upgrades they’ve made to their system since I saw them last.

INOWIZE

I finally got a chance to play the QBIX, as you can see below; I also was there for the QBIX press conference, where I unexpectedly had a chance to say a few words. I have some video of that but am waiting for some extra footage since I arrived a few minutes late.

Rilix

Here’s one that I walked past a couple of times but I didn’t see anything new-new – apart from an impressive prop that showed a piece of roller coaster track and their Rilix VR attached to it.

Subsoccer

Subsoccer made their industry debut at the PrimeTime Amusements booth. It’s a great idea that really captures the soccer fever that is prevalent in most of the world except the US. But (sorry to use that qualifier), I think it needs a much more sturdy looking cabinet for the commercial model. I emphasize looking as even though the cabinet can withstand the weight of 500lbs on it, it looks like it would crack under much less than that, and I think just that impression will send some operators looking elsewhere. I also think that for their commercial model, the scoreboard needs to be much larger – or at least operate on the attached screen.

SPREE Interactive, Talon Simulations, Valo Motion, Virtuix, VRCave

Unfortunately I missed all of these companies – the plan is to stay until Friday at the next IAAPA to make

VRLeo

Found at the AVS Companies booth and touting itself as the “world’s first self service VR Arcade,” this multi-game system uses a retractable cable that keeps the whole headset protected from damage while not in use. It also sanitizes said headset using UV-C light, which is a great idea. I can’t recall how many games are available for it at present but here it is in action:

VRsenal

VRsenal had a strange, giant cube sitting on the south side of their booth, which I believe was the new holographic system based upon Zombieland that Bob Cooney had mentioned in his Replay coverage. Whatever it was, you needed an invite to check it out and I did not have such a thing, so I’m not sure. They also had Synth Riders and Zombieland VR next to it.

Overall

That’s all folks! I’d say that it was an awesome show and as usual, a bit overwhelming. The only issue I have is that my earnings are crap now now, and I need them to improve so I can dig myself out of the debt hole that came along via covid. Once I’m more stabilized there, I can then start looking at grabbing new products.

If money weren’t an issue right now, here are my top categories of what I’d likely be purchasing:

  • Best Racing Game: Apex Legends (Sega)
  • Best Light-gun game: Mega Shot (JET)
  • Best Joystick Game: Omen of Sorrow AC (exA-Arcadia)
  • Best Pinball: Elton John (Jersey Jack Pinball)
  • Best Videmption Game: Zombies! Ready, Deady, Go! (Sega)
  • Best VR Game: Godzilla Kaiju Wars VR (Raw Thrills)

I’d give close seconds to Bobblehead Baseball VS. on videmption; Asphalt Moto Blitz DX on racing. Strongest overall impression on a game came from Mega Shot – but I’m just saying this all for me. There’s also nothing that I came away saying “I absolutely hated that, burn it with fire.” But I also did miss a few things, which I hope to make up for at Amusement Expo 2024 in Las Vegas.

What were your best games from the show?

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