IAAPA 2023: The Sega Amusements Round-Up

[Arcade Heroes]

New arcade games have been announced via the IAAPA 2023 trade show, so its time to digest what is headed to venues for you to play. As mentioned previously, instead of lumping all of the companies and news together over the course of a few posts, I’m going to keep most IAAPA coverage focused on the companies themselves. It will take some time to get through all of it, but it should keep things easier to search. Next up is Sega Amusements by Kaisen Entertainment.

A little note on that last part – by how I understand it, Kaisen is the management/operating company who has licensed the Sega name from Sega Japan. This is the first time that I recall them mentioning the Kaisen name at a show, which was on display but perhaps I missed that in the past.
The Sega Booth
If you couldn’t make it to the show, here’s how Sega organized their booth. They crammed in quite a few games for the space, while allowing for a meeting area that you’ll see below (having meeting areas is pretty normal so that sales people and such can discuss business without prying ears):


https://www.youtube.com/embed/pgbinrfOr ... ransparent

Apex Rebels
For me, the star of the booth was Sega’s upcoming racing title, Apex Rebels. Set to launch around January 2024, this game is a fun racer with some interesting touches thrown in that one might not catch if you are a casual player. First, when a race starts, you’re given an actual gauge to where you can rev the engine for a ‘rocket boost.’ This sort of thing is usually hidden in the game, such as press the gas when the countdown timer reaches ‘2’ or something like that. Here, it works like its own little mini-game – much like some reload features in certain console shooter games.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/r8dC8XwOm ... ransparent


The game features a boost upgrade system, where by driving through colored rings will change how one boosts. The boost is controlled by a lever on the right – I was thinking it would feel better if it was a spring loaded lever but that might put its cost too high. A puff of air does hit you when you boost, which is always a nice touch.

I also discussed the game with the developer, 3MindWave, where he explained how the game adjusts the player’s driving apex on the fly. He showed me a map of the apexes and how it works on corners. I won’t pretend to understand how all that works (here’s a link that explains the apex in terms of racing) but suffice it to say, the game learns how you drive and adjusts the difficulty accordingly. This is so it plays well for both casual and hardcore players.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/9q45V9AXO ... ransparent


I also have to appreciate the Sega references found in the game, as seen in the first video above. They wanted to refer to three different Sega driving games on the official poster, but unfortunately that couldn’t be approved. I did see said poster which referenced OutRun, Sega Rally, and Daytona and it looked rad. At least there’s a Back To The Future reference still in the game when one activates the Aero Drift.

A note on the motion base – it is not pneumatic as originally stated in the press release. It uses an air bladder system, which most motion games use nowadays. I wouldn’t mind seeing a non-motion come along at some point though, just to help bring the price down. That said, motion-based drivers always out earn non-motion ones. Perhaps one day I’ll give one a try. Pricing hasn’t been finalized yet, but it might be around $18k per seat on the 65″ model.

Keep in mind that all video from the show demonstrates this game at 70% completion. A lot of things can change in that last 30%.
Hyper Cross
For a different kind of racer on Sega’s booth, there was Hyper Cross. This snowmobile racer is a bit more casual than Apex; I say it feels like Super Bikes 2. There’s nothing wrong with that, although one big difference would be how the handlebar controls work. The graphics are also much better and the wind effects more noticeable than they are in Super Bikes 3.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/wy6UCiAn0 ... ransparent


It comes in a great looking twin cabinet and can link two twins together for up to four players. I just would like to see a software change where it gives you a little more time to select both your avatar overlay and racer. The under 10 seconds window is just too fast.
Zombies! Ready, Deady, Go!
I think I’ve only once tried a classic electromechanical derby game, but it was ages ago. Regardless, Sega is updating the concept with ZRDG as I’ll call it. This keeps how a derby game works intact, but replaces the mechanical horses with a video display. As pointed out on the AH Discord, this way of doing it has been done before with Photo Finish Racing but I’m surprised that it hasn’t been tried beyond these two games.


https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ywl3ueDzl ... ransparent


This game is best played with a friend or three but it is well done and fun regardless. The live-action commentary of the race is a nice touch in both gameplay and the attract mode. I always appreciate a game that has a little fun with itself. I couldn’t manage to get the ball into the Super Bonus mouth though…maybe next time.
New Redemption Games
For those who are into redemption or operate, Sega had plenty to offer there, from ZRDG above to Ballzania, Sync Pong, Polar Slide, Power Roll, Jumanji, and the new Bop It! Battle.  Out of those, I would go for ZRDG if I were on the redemption market, followed by Bop It! Battle (if I had the floor space). Power Roll is also a great one to have had already, from what I hear. I didn’t ask how all of these pieces are performing on location or test however.
Overall
Attendance numbers just came out from the show and it was a record breaker. I think that Sega’s product offering and position at the show put them in a very nice place going into next year.

Which game left the strongest impression with me? Apex Rebels, although that was closely followed by ZRDG. Pricewise, it is competitive with both Fast & Furious Arcade DX and NFS Heat Takedown DX, and the graphics on it are fantastic. I’ll have to wait and see though if an SD model for Apex comes along at some point.

If you attended the show, what impressed you the most from Sega’s booth? If you’ve been watching/reading from afar, what stands out?

The post IAAPA 2023: The Sega Amusements Round-Up appeared first on Arcade Heroes.


Source: https://arcadeheroes.com/2023/11/20/iaa ... -round-up/