Spring Show, Spring Fun

Expo Hosts a Surprising Number of New Games

by Adam Pratt, Arcade Galactic & ArcadeHeroes.com

Spring has been in the air since we gathered as an industry in Las Vegas for Amuse­ment Expo 2025, and here’s my chance to dissect what went on and what this all means going into the summer. But first, let’s talk about what else is going on.

As I write this, the talk of the town is tariffs and the resulting policy. I’m not one to panic, so I would make for a terrible Wall Street investor (or maybe I’m the right kind). I believe all of this will be short-term pain for long-term gain. How to adapt? Well, I think we’re already doing much of what’s required since we’ve been operating under rising costs since 2020 thanks to inflationary pressures. What have you been doing to adjust to those circumstances? I see any potential price increases as falling under the same kind of umbrella.

Since I’m not starting my business from scratch, and also since I don’t rely on redemption to keep me afloat, I see no reason to change my pricing from where it is now. (I only have a few prize machines – like a crane, an S-Cube and Fantastic Prize – and no ticket games at all.) I can continue to honestly say in my marketing that I’m offering a great deal to my customers.

Now is also a time when my traditional arcade business model (retro games + newer games; video, pinball and sports) ends up showing its strength. I should also add that March ended up being pretty solid at my place, and April started off stronger than it had in the previous two years.

In past articles, I’ve often mentioned how I’ve been unable to buy new equipment, and sometimes to the point of not getting anything used either. My buying freeze may be over soon since one bill is about to be paid off and another will be shortly thereafter. Looking specifically at the tariff situation, I think that will bolster used equipment sales. Some companies also stocked up on products before tariffs took effect, and have been able to offer games at original prices.

For my next major purchase, I’ve been looking at finally jumping into the world of card systems, though I’m not quite “there” yet. I think I’m more likely to try buying used, but so far nothing has come to fruition. Game-wise, ExA-Arcadia is an easy choice for me – I’ve got Jitsu Squad and may soon pick up a couple more of their titles.

If you’re wondering if anything new at Amusement Expo caught my fancy, the answer is yes! I was surprised by how many debuts there were at this Expo – a greater number than in previous years. Ususally, AEI might have a couple of games that hadn’t already been seen at IAAPA, but this time, there were many. These included:

• Balloon Carnival (Amusement Source International)
• Candy Forge (Team Play)
• Cannonball Jam (Blue Motion Games)
• Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars (LAI Games)
• Desert Strike (Blue Motion Games)
• Dungeons & Dragons: The Tyrant’s Eye (Stern Pinball)
• Gashapon vending machines (Bandai Namco Amusements)
• iPlay Boxer (Attractions & More)
• maimai DX (Sega Amusements)
• Missile Command Recharged (Atari/Alan-1)
• Monster Kart DX (UNIS)
• Pop-A-Shot Elite (Pop-A-Shot)
• Soda Slam! (DSM Arcade/Alan-1)
• Super Vac (Amusement Source Int’l.)
• Top Gun: Maverick (Raw Thrills)
• The Wizard of Oz (Raw Thrills)
• Ultraman (Attractions & More)

While there were several games that were updated from what was shown at IAAPA, that’s quite the list of debuts!

As I said, I’m not ready to buy anything new yet but between the games I just listed and the ones already available, operators who do have a new game budget have some great options.

If you didn’t make it to the show, two games in the front of the hall were soaking up a lot of attention: Raw Thrills’ Top Gun: Maverick and Sega’s maimai DX. The former is based on the 2022 Tom Cruise mega-hit of the same name and captures that crazy excitement of putting players into a fighter cockpit (in an arcade-style game rather than a simulator). As for maimai DX, you may have heard people talking about “the washing machine game out of Japan.”

maimai DX has nothing to do with laundry (its design makes it look a bit like a household appliance). It’s a rhythm game for two players, each with a touchscreen and physical controls that must be tapped or followed according to the music notes on the circular screen. There are 1,100 songs to choose from, many coming from Sega’s game library and popular anime shows. Despite its previous lack of official release in the U.S. or a console title, the game has formed a loyal fanbase. Sega brought some of those fans to the Expo to demonstrate how the game works.

Further back on the floor was LAI Games’ booth and Cyberpunk 2077: Turf Wars, an interesting, mixed reality take on the iconic and popular PC game. I read online comments from fans that the arcade version didn’t quite match up to their expectations. (They wanted something more like Virtua Cop or Time Crisis.) But without that mindset, you have a modern shooting gallery with three game modes and realistic guns that I found to be both innovative and fun. I think many players who aren’t Cyberpunk superfans will agree, but I do think the game could incorporate more elements from the PC game.

The arrival of Alan-1’s Soda Slam! was a salvo in the pouring wars, as we saw Bay Tek introduce ICEE: Slush Rush at IAAPA 2024 (it was at Amusement Expo as well). Everyone had their opinions about the two, and they each have their pros and cons. I did find the controls on Soda Slam! to be more responsive and easier for kids to access, while ICEE’s graphics are better and gameplay even simpler. (Soda Slam! has more nuance to it on scoring, and it has characters you are serving.) Alan-1 is adding some big-name soda licensing to the game, which should be finalized soon. I wonder if Bay Tek will make a Slurpee version for 7-11.

Notably, both of those games are made in the U.S., which would avoid any direct product tariffs. If you’re shopping for other domestic product, there’s Stern’s new Dungeons & Dragons pinball. For operators who get solid ROI from pinball, I enjoyed it and loved the depth it has for replay value, despite the fact that I didn’t play very well.

For FECs, newcomers Blue Motion Games had a couple of huge games on hand, Cannonball Jam and Desert Strike. Both titles were much larger to see in person than expected, with Cannonball providing a vibrant presentation with ball launcher guns, while Desert Strike caters to the gamer crowd with its pistols, motion seats, and more serious tone.

There was also Attractions & More, a company that was showing off their high-end and feature-packed iPlay Boxer, along with a couple of Ultraman games that were unexpectedly fun. Ultraman isn’t that well-known outside of Japan, but the gameplay was polished and fun. Given the increased interest in Japanese culture and media as of late, this joins the likes of Taiko No Tatsujin and maimai DX in capitalizing on that momentum.

Last but not least is a name we know well in our business: Pop-A-Shot. The company has returned to the route and arcade business with its Elite model, a video basketball game with a strong focus on tournament play (national, regional and local). I was surprised to hear the Pop-A-Shot owner just rattling off various basketball tournaments from the top of his head that they would be capitalizing on with those nationwide competitions. I’ve never heard anyone with an arcade basketball machine for sale looking to ride the hype of the sport itself, showing that Pop-A-Shot knows and loves basketball.

All in all, it was a great Expo – one of the best I’ve ever attended. The industry has some great products, and what’s being brought to market is becoming more varied, which is great for attracting customers! I’m curious: What appeals to you the most?

Adam Pratt is the owner and operator of Arcade Galactic near Salt Lake City, Utah, and also publishes the Arcade Heroes blog site. He can be reached at shaggy@arcadeheroes.com.