Like arcade games?
Well, I absolutely love them ( just in case you haven't been able to gather that from previous posts.) My love often leaves me longing, due to the fact that most modern releases never maker it here to the states. However, that doesn't stop me from gloating at the lovely cabinet designs, sound and graphics - desperately wishing I could afford a trip to Akihabara to play them (or even better, afford to buy and ship them to my door). Maybe I am just a glutton for pain, or maybe I just know what I like. Plus, there is always the chance of a decent home port.
The biggest show in arcade games, Japan's Arcade Operators Union Expo (AOU), recently took place in Tokyo. At AOU this year, tons of new games got their big reveal and others showcased their first playable demos. Let's take a sec to review some of the highlights, shall we?
Konami, who can't seem to steer clear of the fuck-up-zone when it comes to home releases, showed what is probably one of the coolest games of the show: Castlevania Arcade.
It's essentially a Wii game, using the same motion control style; only instead of the wii-mote the player uses a sort-of whip handle, which is used to simulate swinging the Belmont's vampire-killer at the various ghouls and ghosts haunting Dracula's castle. In order to play the game you have to step into a booth (which is ambient lit with small LED candles ((futuristic medieval.) Inside the booth the game is presented on a large LCD screen and the whip-motes are attached. Hoping this one gets a Wii port, which it should, considering that it is practically designed for one.
Taito was crazy for light gunners this year. First, a 2009 revision of a one of their classics titled: Elevator Action - Death Parade. The hook for this one is totally unique and totally awesome: the monitor for the game is (physically) hidden behind two small elevator doors. There is a button to open and close the elevator doors, which you use as a cover system. From what I can gather, the bad guys can run up and open your door, adding tension to the gameplay. Sounds totally awesome, unfortunately, there is little to no hope of seeing this one locally.
Check out the video:
Next from Taito a big, and I mean physically-fucking-giagantic, light gunner: Haunted Museum. Haunted Museum is claiming to be the first ever "closed-chamber gunner", which basically means the game is a self-contained room. I don't know how this is really different from other booth games, other than the shear size, but the game booth is pitch-black dark and the lightguns function as real-space flashlights. The HD projection screen inside is huge and the game is presented in surround sound. I guess it's basically a playable haunted house, sounds pretty killer to me!
Haunted Museum Video (from a reference monitor outside of the game-booth):
Taito's last game from AOU I wanted to talk about is definetly strage, a concept Adam and I have joked about many times before: sort of a half-rythm, half-gunner. The game is titled, Music GunGun (somebody buy the guy who came up with that name a beer goddamnit.) From what I can gather, the player must show various targets in sequence to the games sound track. Its a totally Japanese concept and would probably be recieved with a collective "THAT'S GAY" from most American gamers, so no real chance of seeing this one in person. The video below will have to do:
SEGA, despite their major cutbacks, annouced some new arcade hadware dubbed, Ringedge. The new hardware will be supporting a new, third-person, mech fighter: Border Break. It's a team based affair, utilizing up to ten linked cabs, with head on combat similar to Virtual On. The game is one of the first arcades I have seen to actually use a mouse, or include a touch-screen LCD (used to send commands and comunicate to the other players) on the cab. Being a SEGA release, there is a slight chance we may see a few of these here. There is plenty video online for this so I won't bother linking any here.
This was a big show for 2d fighters, as well, with some a playable KOF XII, tons of new dojin fighters, and a big anoucnment from Atlus: a NEW POWER INSTINCT! The game english translation for the new game is Power Instinct: the Commemeration, and is the first new title in the series in twelve years. I thought Power Instinct and it's sequel Grove on Fight, were great and strange fighters and I am really looking forward to seeing more on the newest game in the legacy. Atlus is really good about porting games, so we should hopefully be able to get this as a Japanese PS3 or 360 release.
Here is some video from Power Instinct: the Commemeration:
All and all, AOU 2009 looked to be one hell of a show. The sort of thing I would die to have seen in person. We are now now taking donations for the airfair to next years event, so pay up doodz.
Well, I absolutely love them ( just in case you haven't been able to gather that from previous posts.) My love often leaves me longing, due to the fact that most modern releases never maker it here to the states. However, that doesn't stop me from gloating at the lovely cabinet designs, sound and graphics - desperately wishing I could afford a trip to Akihabara to play them (or even better, afford to buy and ship them to my door). Maybe I am just a glutton for pain, or maybe I just know what I like. Plus, there is always the chance of a decent home port.
The biggest show in arcade games, Japan's Arcade Operators Union Expo (AOU), recently took place in Tokyo. At AOU this year, tons of new games got their big reveal and others showcased their first playable demos. Let's take a sec to review some of the highlights, shall we?
Konami, who can't seem to steer clear of the fuck-up-zone when it comes to home releases, showed what is probably one of the coolest games of the show: Castlevania Arcade.
It's essentially a Wii game, using the same motion control style; only instead of the wii-mote the player uses a sort-of whip handle, which is used to simulate swinging the Belmont's vampire-killer at the various ghouls and ghosts haunting Dracula's castle. In order to play the game you have to step into a booth (which is ambient lit with small LED candles ((futuristic medieval.) Inside the booth the game is presented on a large LCD screen and the whip-motes are attached. Hoping this one gets a Wii port, which it should, considering that it is practically designed for one.
Taito was crazy for light gunners this year. First, a 2009 revision of a one of their classics titled: Elevator Action - Death Parade. The hook for this one is totally unique and totally awesome: the monitor for the game is (physically) hidden behind two small elevator doors. There is a button to open and close the elevator doors, which you use as a cover system. From what I can gather, the bad guys can run up and open your door, adding tension to the gameplay. Sounds totally awesome, unfortunately, there is little to no hope of seeing this one locally.
Check out the video:
Next from Taito a big, and I mean physically-fucking-giagantic, light gunner: Haunted Museum. Haunted Museum is claiming to be the first ever "closed-chamber gunner", which basically means the game is a self-contained room. I don't know how this is really different from other booth games, other than the shear size, but the game booth is pitch-black dark and the lightguns function as real-space flashlights. The HD projection screen inside is huge and the game is presented in surround sound. I guess it's basically a playable haunted house, sounds pretty killer to me!
Haunted Museum Video (from a reference monitor outside of the game-booth):
Taito's last game from AOU I wanted to talk about is definetly strage, a concept Adam and I have joked about many times before: sort of a half-rythm, half-gunner. The game is titled, Music GunGun (somebody buy the guy who came up with that name a beer goddamnit.) From what I can gather, the player must show various targets in sequence to the games sound track. Its a totally Japanese concept and would probably be recieved with a collective "THAT'S GAY" from most American gamers, so no real chance of seeing this one in person. The video below will have to do:
SEGA, despite their major cutbacks, annouced some new arcade hadware dubbed, Ringedge. The new hardware will be supporting a new, third-person, mech fighter: Border Break. It's a team based affair, utilizing up to ten linked cabs, with head on combat similar to Virtual On. The game is one of the first arcades I have seen to actually use a mouse, or include a touch-screen LCD (used to send commands and comunicate to the other players) on the cab. Being a SEGA release, there is a slight chance we may see a few of these here. There is plenty video online for this so I won't bother linking any here.
This was a big show for 2d fighters, as well, with some a playable KOF XII, tons of new dojin fighters, and a big anoucnment from Atlus: a NEW POWER INSTINCT! The game english translation for the new game is Power Instinct: the Commemeration, and is the first new title in the series in twelve years. I thought Power Instinct and it's sequel Grove on Fight, were great and strange fighters and I am really looking forward to seeing more on the newest game in the legacy. Atlus is really good about porting games, so we should hopefully be able to get this as a Japanese PS3 or 360 release.
Here is some video from Power Instinct: the Commemeration:
All and all, AOU 2009 looked to be one hell of a show. The sort of thing I would die to have seen in person. We are now now taking donations for the airfair to next years event, so pay up doodz.
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