At least a few arcades will have SFIV in the US, how many more are out there?

It seems that despite the fact that Capcom USA has completely dropped the ball on the arcade version Street Fighter IV so far it’s not deterring some operators from getting their hands on the game already. Obviously they need to import the game from Japan but in case you are curious to know of a couple of places that I know of (and I am quite sure that there are several others out there) where you can play SFIV without having to go to a Capcom press event, there is Tokyo Game Action in MA that I reviewed recently and the upcoming arcade in Texas that we talked about a few weeks ago called Arcade UFO and they will have it when they open (on the 29th of this month). I do wonder if operators are opting for the full machine or the kit as you can go either way but I’m happy that some arcades have the opportunity to jump on this and hopefully it will bring out a lot of people to give each arcade a boost. I would import it too but I’ve used up my funds for such things for now.

Now something similar has happened with Tekken 6 because Namco didn’t release it in the US. It is telling at the very least since some say that fighters are past their heyday.

[Thanks to Adam for the tip on ArcadeUFO getting the game)

[Discuss on the Forum]

Power Putt Golf, a new IP by Incredible Technologies

I hate it when I overlook a game announcement but it happens from time to time when you’re

The Power Putt cabinet breaks away from the usual design for ITs cabs

human. But while the game we’re going to talk about here was first announced in June, I’m happy to see the number of new games we are starting to hear about as developers build up to the big arcade shows next month. Incredible Technologies has a brand new IP on the slate and from the looks of it, the game will probably be out by the end of September. Called Power Putt Golf, this brings miniature golf to the arcade, IT style.

Thanks to a teaser site of the game, here is a rundown of the details. First, PPG has 3 courses to play on: The Freaky Tiki, Dusty Trail, & Skull Island, each with 18 holes. PPG allows for up to 8 people to play either casually or in an organized league and up to 16 people can play in the Tournament Mode (which probably means that you should expect to see plenty of tournaments held for PPG, much like Golden Tee or Silver Strike Bowling). The game has leaderboards and will reward a player for making special shots and to top it all off it will include the new Hit List feature where players can “discover new music while they play”. It looks like a fun game and it has some sharp graphics along with an eye-catching cabinet to boot. Expect to hear more on this one soon and it has just been added to our Master Arcade Release List for 2008.

[Power Putt Golf Teaser Site] [Discuss on the Forum]

Hey look, another new book on arcades!

Just the other day I was talking about how there aren’t hordes of books about arcades written these days so naturally I have to come across some news about another book where arcades are the primary subject. This is making me want to write my own book about arcades but I’m not sure what I would focus on or what I could write about that would be any different from what you see here on AH everyday.

Anyways, the new book is called Invading Spaces: A Beginner’s Guide to Collecting Arcade Games and it will debut at the Oklahoma Video Game Expo on the 9th of this month. The book is written by avid classic game fan and arcade collector Rob O’Hara and offers tips, experiences and terminology for readers so that if they are getting into the hobby for the first time or they are still green with it, they can learn from someone who has already tread that path. Even though I have collected some games since 2000, I would like to pick this up myself as it sounds like a great read. To find out more you can visit the author’s personal website, http://www.robohara.com.

[Via Retroblast!] [Discuss on the Forum]

Samurai Spirits Sen and KOF98 Ultimate Match now available

Fighter fans can now rejoice – two new fighters are now available for purchase, through at least two importing companies that I know of (and probably more), Legend Trading Company (update: I just noticed that the link isn’t working although this is the one I got in the e-mail, maybe the site is down at the moment?) and Coinopexpress. The prices on both games are different between these two companies but Samurai Spirits Sen is going for $3,500 to $3,700 if you get it with the hardware (just the software runs for about $1000 less) and KOF98:UM is going for between $1300 to $2700 respectively, with the software going for much less. If you’re out of the loop, Samurai Spirits Sen is the latest entry in the Samurai Shodown series and is in 3D, KOF98:UM is KOF98 with some enhancements in graphics, new fighters and new moves and was made to celebrate KOF98′s 10th anniversary.

[Discuss on the Forum]

Modern Marvels episode focuses on coin-op games including pinball

I remember reporting about this some time ago but admittedly I forgot about it afterwards - fortunately my dad told me that he recorded it on TiVO as he came but I haven’t had a chance to go over to his place and check it out. Since I have not seen the episode yet and I can’t seem to find any video of it online, I’ll just have to go off this press release from Stern Pinball. From the sounds of it, they covered everything coin-operated, including parking meters but fortunately they took the time to give pinball some recognition. I hope that they gave video arcade games some recognition as well but they are not specifically mentioned in the release.

Hit the post break for the press release from Stern Pinball.

[Discuss on the Forum]

Maximum Tune 3 gets a sequel – MT3 DX

We just received confirmation that Namco will be showing off a sequel to Midnight Maximum Tune 3 called (wait for it….) Midnight Maximum Tune 3 DX. All we know about it at the moment is that it will include new courses, cars and music and it will be shown next month at the JAMMA show. Stay tuned to what else will be coming along at JAMMA – hopefully Namco has something else up their sleeve.

So this adds another racer to the list, which has been added to our Master Arcade Release List for 2008. Let’s hope that the new game also carries a lower price tag than the original as well so more operators can get it.

[Discuss on the Forum]

More DDRX details

BemaniStyle.com has some extra details on Konami’s latest entry in the DDR series, DDRX. Some features the game will include are an eAmusement card reader it also has USB ports and a dial not unlike what you find on an iPod. The combo system works similar to DDR ITG2 and of course the game looks great. On top of this US players may get a chance to check out the game on location test if the rumor holds true that the game will see a test at the Brunswick Zone of Napperville, IL.

We’ll keep you posted as we find out more.

[Thanks to poster ATomik for pointing this out] [Discuss on the Forum]

The Xbox Arcade Machine revealed

We have heard of the latest attempt at an Xbox Arcade machine but until now, no one had seen it. Thanks to The Stinger Report, we have a first look at the “T2″ arcade machine, which houses an Xbox 360 inside, along with two connected controllers and a coin mech. As you can see, the cabinet itself looks like an old school cabinet and we assume that it also features an HD screen. Then again, this is an obvious mock-up, by taking a close look at the marquee you can tell that it was photoshopped in. But it’s better than nothing, right?

The only problem with it is that there is still no confirmation on the legality of this cabinet, which has caused similar ideas like FragIsle to quietly go away. Hopefully that can be clarified soon; I would assume that they know about troubles others have had in trying the same thing so they would try to avoid it.

[Xbox Arcade Machine site][Discuss on the Forum]

Hollywood Bowl Makes Striking Impression!

The main reason I picked up on this article by Clarion Gaming’s Laura Mountford is the quote; “It was clear that the arcade is central to the overall entertainment offering.”  Now that’s definitely something I like to hear, and it got me thinking. Imagine a Hollywood Bowl, or any bowling alley for that matter, with no arcade. It wouldn’t be the same would it? It would be a life-less, dull night out, don’t you think? Thank god for arcade games!

[via Coin-op Today]

Clarion Gaming’s Laura Mountford gained an invaluable insight to one of the most respected operators in the leisure business when she was the guest of the Hollywood Bowl in Finchley, north London.

During the visit, the company’s electronic leisure machine manager, Eve Oliver, provided an overview of the Hollywood Bowl brand, its business philosophy, marketing strategy and commitment to providing the British public with a fantastic value for money entertainment experience.

Expanding on her visit Laura said: “I am tremendously grateful to Eve and her team for taking the time to provide such a comprehensive ‘behind the scenes’ perspective on the business and how the various components of bowling, catering and games work together.

It was clear that the arcade is central to the overall entertainment offering.” She added: “My main points of contact in the industry are exhibiting companies, so to be able to gain an insight into the challenges faced by leisure operators and how they respond to those challenges has been really beneficial.”

Operated by Mitchell & Butlers, the Hollywood Bowl brand was founded over 15 years ago and comprises 24 tenpin bowling centres located throughout Britain.

[Discuss on the Forum]