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VC in Brief: Rygar (Arcade)

by David Hinkle { Oct 19th 2009 at 5:15PM }

Rygar (Arcade, 1-2 players, 600 Wii Points)
Rygar is a pretty intense title. Luckily, the quarter-munching gameplay of the arcade classic translates to the Wii very well. For one, you don't need to run out of quarters from dying -- oh, and you will die, believe it. Second, every time you die or even continue once you've run out of lives, you pick up right from where you left off. So, there's no replaying stages or sections of the game you've previously played as a result of dying. Have we mentioned how much you'll die?

You will die. A lot.

Every week, we like to check out what's new on the Virtual Console. We offer these videos as a sort of taste to help you decide whether or not you would want the game in question. We also toss in our own two cents because we're pushy jerks like that.

Daytona USA returns to arcades in high-def as 'Sega Racing Classic'

by Randy Nelson { Oct 15th 2009 at 5:30PM }

In recent weeks, what appeared to be a promotional flyer for a new Sega AM2 arcade game, Sega Racing Classic, has been making the rounds. Its inclusion of imagery closely matching that of Daytona USA lead many to believe there might finally be a new sequel to the, er, racing classic. As it turns out, coin-op industry site Highway Games has obtained an official rundown on the game, and it's ... an HD remake of the original Daytona USA, sans the name.

According to the site -- which also has pictures of the sit-down cabinet -- Sega Racing Classic is "a revamped version of Sega's smash hit Daytona USA, featuring the original tracks and heart pumping action with all new high definition graphics." Specifically, the machine sports a 32" widescreen LCD display and the game runs at 1280x720 (720p) resolution. As suggested by the aforementioned flyer, SRC is powered by Sega's latest arcade hardware, Ringwide.

Since Sega no longer has the rights to the "Daytona" name, it's likely that the game's title won't be the only change. There's the little issue of the attract sequence music, with its enchanting repetition of the word "Daytona" along with the lyrics "let's fly away." Still, whatever the name, Sega's classic racer in HD is a welcome surprise. We imagine some of you have already started online petitions to bring the game to PSN and XBLA before even finishing this post.

[Via Arcade Heroes]

VC in Brief: Altered Beast (VC Arcade)

by David Hinkle { Sep 28th 2009 at 3:15PM }

Altered Beast (Sega 1 - 2 players, 1,000 Wii Points)
We say: Great game, but you can find it for less

It's not that the VC Arcade version of Altered Beast is bad or anything -- in fact, it's the complete opposite, but for such an old game, there are less costly ways to enjoy it. If you have a PS2, there's a Sega Genesis Collection that's a more financially responsible way to play. If you've only got the Wii and have never played this, though, it might be worth your double sawbuck. Check out the video above and decide.

Hands-on: Music GunGun!

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 20th 2009 at 11:30AM }

It's Ouendan meets Time Crisis.

Wait, you need more than that? While not technically a new arcade game, this rhythm/light gun shooter was one of our favorite things from this year's Amusement Machine Show. (It was also conveniently located next to Elevator Action Death Parade.) Music GunGun! has you aiming at the screen with a colorful (but rather standard) plastic light gun. Instead of the usual shooter fare, your targets will be the most adorable, um, things ever. (They're not quite animals, fruits, nor vegetables.)

The basics of the game will be familiar to anyone who's played Ouendan or Elite Beat Agents on the DS. Circular targets will appear on the screen, and players will have to hit the targets in sync with the beat of the song. As in most other music games, players are judged on how closely they match the beat, and successive hits will increase the combo meter.

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Hands-on: Elevator Action Death Parade

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 20th 2009 at 8:00AM }

There were a few new arcade games made playable at the Amusement Machine Show in Japan this weekend, but only one truly commanded our attention. No, we're not talking about Cho Chabudai Gaeshi, that crazy game where you hit a tea table. Instead, it was Elevator Action Death Parade that stole our hearts.

Now, you might be thinking: "Elevator Action Death Parade? I'm already sold on that name alone!" But trust us, this Taito-developed arcade cabinet truly delivers on its namesake: elevator action and death parades. While the game may look like your an ordinary light gun game from afar, Elevator Action makes use of a unique cabinet that features closing elevator doors, up and down floor buttons and yes, even awkward moments of silence as you wait for the elevator to reach its next destination. Awesome!

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Table-flipping becomes subject of Japanese arcade game

by Griffin McElroy { Sep 19th 2009 at 12:00AM }

We all occasionally get the urge to make a showy fuss by sending a table -- and all the items said table is supporting -- sailing through the air. Whether you've just landed on a hotel-equipped Park Place in Monopoly, or if you've recently realized the downward spiral your half-finished life has embarked upon, the desire to dramatically rearrange furniture eventually visits us all. However, Destructoid recently turned our attention to a new Japanese arcade game that may prove cathartic enough to keep your dining room intact: Cho Chabudai Gaeshi, which translates to "Upending the Tea Table."

The game takes players through a number of enraging scenarios, forcing them to pound on the table to demand the attention of nearby diners, ultimately culminating in the titular Upending. You can check out two videos of rage-filled people playing the game after the jump.

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ESRB reveals Ninja Gaiden, Rygar, Solomon's Key on Virtual Console Arcade

by JC Fletcher { Aug 14th 2009 at 4:00PM }

If you, like us, were jealous of the Japanese release of the arcade Ninja Gaiden game on Virtual Console, you can dry your ninja eyes (just pull up the front of the ninja mask and dab with that). The ESRB reveals that Tecmo is planning a North American release of the arcade brawler.

Tecmo isn't stopping with Gaiden, either: further ESRB listings have appeared for arcade versions of both Rygar and Solomon's Key (which will be released in Japan next week). Oddly, the company's other upcoming Japanese VC release, Bomb Jack, is absent from the ESRB list.

At the very least, we can all be happy that these are video games that someone wants to release on the Virtual Console.

[Via Siliconera]

Stride Gum giving away $25,000 to help support struggling arcade

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 13th 2009 at 1:00AM }

Let's face it: the arcade scene in America has seen better days. The availability of peripheral-based games on home consoles and the kinetic gameplay offered by the Wii have put many arcades out of business. Stride, in its continuing efforts to gain the respect of hardcore gamers, has begun an interesting new promotion called "Help Save the Arcades." The gum company will be awarding 100,000 quarters (or $25,000) to one of four struggling arcades: Arcade UFO in Texas, StarBase Arcade in California, Game Galaxy in Tennessee or Star Worlds Arcade in Illinois. Which one of these four takes the grand prize will be determined by you, the internet.

Players will have to play a free Flash game, Zapataur, to take part in the promotion. After playing, players will be able to don points to one of the four arcades. The one with the most takes the cash -- and presumably, survives for just a little bit longer.

Tiniest Neo Geo arcade cabinet ever

by JC Fletcher { Aug 11th 2009 at 3:00AM }

If there were a show called Arcade Babies in which miniaturized versions of popular arcade games hung out in a nursery and had adventures, modder Pocket_lucho's Neo Geo Pocket Arcade would easily get the lead role. Using parts of a real Neo Geo cabinet along with a plug-and-play game's joystiq, miniature buttons, a PSOne screen (the modder's choice!) and, of course, a custom cabinet, Pocket_lucho crafted a Neo Geo cabinet even cuter than SNK's official MVS-2 Mini. You can see it in tiny action after the break.

As impressive as this is, it's the third unit in Pocket_lucho's tiny console arcade, joining lil' Mega Drive and PC Engine cabinets.

[Via GameSetWatch]

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Square Enix countdown reveals Final Fantasy/SaGa/Magic the Gathering crossover card RPG

by JC Fletcher { Aug 7th 2009 at 5:30PM }

The latest Square Enix teaser countdown displayed a big Roman numeral that counted down each day, causing a lot of excitement when it struck "VII." The countdown has elapsed, revealing that no, it's not the Final Fantasy VII remake, nor is it something remotely as exciting, though Lord of Vermilion II is at least interesting in its own right.

Lord of Vermilion II is the sequel to Square Enix's popular arcade collectible card game, which uses real trading cards to summon monsters, allies, and such in-game. The sequel is particularly noteworthy because, as the new site reveals, it includes characters from Final Fantasy IV, Romancing SaGa II, and even creatures from Magic: The Gathering.

Of course, since we don't really have card RPGs or arcades in North America, the chances of playing this ourselves are slim. Although, as Siliconera noted, Square Enix trademarked Lord of Arcana in the US. So, it's possible.

Pac-Man Championship Edition following the dots to iPhone

by JC Fletcher { Aug 6th 2009 at 10:58AM }

Should Pac-Man Remix fail to provide enough remixed Pac-Man for you and your iPhone, Namco Bandai is preparing another version. We think you'll be delighted to hear about this new Pac-Man even if you just bought Pac-Man Remix: Namco Bandai is working on an iPhone version of Pac-Man Championship Edition, the excellent Xbox Live Arcade Pac-Man game created by Toru Iwatani himself. If you were about to buy Remix, then ... don't.

According to The Feed, the iPhone version of the modernized maze game will be out later this year. We aren't thrilled with the idea of playing the high-speed Championship Edition with fake buttons or tilt controls, but we're excited enough about the game to give it a try. At least it makes more sense than Tekken.

NintendoWare Weekly: Overturn, Sexy Poker, Tecmo Bowl

by David Hinkle { Aug 3rd 2009 at 2:30PM }

This week is a special one for Nintendo fans. Not only do we finally see an end to the Virtual Console drought, but we also get fighting robots and a new Art Style game. Oh, and then there's Sexy Poker, Gameloft's odd strip poker game for WiiWare. We guess the company never heard of Google image search?

Gallery: Overturn

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Arcade cabinet used to smuggle pot, DEA nabs 'High Score'

by Xav de Matos { Jul 31st 2009 at 1:00AM }

Police have arrested 24-year-old Las Vegas resident Kevin Dixon with unlawful trafficking and possession of cannabis after authorities discovered 172 pounds of the substance hidden inside an arcade cabinet. According to the Daily Herald, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been investigating possible drug activity between Arizona and Nevada, which eventually led to the interception of the arcade unit by DEA agents and the Palatine Police Department.

Over $170,000 worth of the "Sticky Icky" was recovered in the bust, landing Dixon (whose mugshot is poorly 'shopped above) in a Cook County courthouse, where bail was set at $250,000. Dixon's motives are unclear, but we're sure some anti-video game activist will let us know exactly which game is to blame for the crime sometime in the near future.

[Thanks, Don]

Moonwalker: the video game legacy of Michael Jackson

by Kevin Kelly { Jun 26th 2009 at 2:45PM }

Unless you've been competing in a Starcraft lock-in all week, or living under a rock in the sub-Saharan desert somewhere, then you heard the news that Michael Jackson died yesterday in Los Angeles. As strange as the guy was in his later years, he made an indelible mark on the world of music which carried over into the world of gaming.

If you were an arcade rat back in 1990, then you probably spent time playing, or at least listening to Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, which featured the singer doing battle against baddies and rescuing children by performing dance moves and using "Dance Magic" powers, i.e. spinning around and screaming "HOOOO!". Yes, for real. The game featured simultaneous three-player action, and includes a robotic MJ that appears when Jackson meets up with Bubbles the Chimpanzee.

True story -- and there's more. Read on after the break for more about Moonwalker and a video clip of vintage arcade play, along with the other video games Jackson appeared in.

[Thanks for suggesting this, Judd and Niko]

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Namco Networks gives BurgerTime the update it didn't need

by JC Fletcher { Jun 25th 2009 at 12:30PM }

27 years after the release of Data East's original, Namco Networks has declared BurgerTime once again. BurgerTime Deluxe (not to be confused with the Game Boy game) recasts the arcade classic as a casual PC game, which primarily means replacing the arcade game's pixels with awful 3D models. Deluxe adds enemies like lemons and zucchini for some reason, includes minigames, and replaces the repetitive BurgerTime music with equally repetitive, but less catchy, music. Oh, and Peter Pepper talks to you all the time.

It still mostly plays like Burgertime, which is the only reason Data East hasn't risen from its grave in the form of a zombie Karnov and destroyed the world with fireballs. You can try it yourself for free for one hour (Burgertime Deluxe, that is, not destroying the world as a zombie Karnov).

And now for a bit of BurgerTime trivia: Data East released two arcade sequels to BurgerTime, called Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory and Super BurgerTime.