arcades

Bandai Namco has announced Ace Combat 8, the next entry in its long-running arcade flight combat series. Fans of the franchise are celebrating the return of the series, which has been dormant since Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, and are speculating about platforms, story setting, and release timing.

The Computer History Museum says sponsorship interest in Galaxy Game, the 1971 arcade title often credited as the first coin-operated video game, is rising. The machine is now playable for visitors, and the museum has launched a restoration blog detailing the conservation work behind bringing the historic cabinet back to life.

The Retro Video Game Expo is welcoming visitors with free gaming, letting attendees play classic video games at no charge. The event celebrates vintage consoles and arcade titles, drawing fans of retro gaming culture. Coverage has highlighted the free access as a family-friendly way to experience gaming history in person.

Publisher Bitmap Books has opened pre-orders for Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-'Em-Ups, a comprehensive guide to the street brawler genre. The book features titles such as Brawl Brothers, the Jaleco brawler known to SNES players. Retro gaming fans are sharing the announcement as interest in classic arcade-style fighting games continues.

Photographs of an original Capcom Vampire Savior arcade board for the CP System II, released in 1997, are circulating among retro gaming enthusiasts. The images highlight the classic hardware and CRT scanline aesthetics of the fighting game known in the West as Darkstalkers. Fans of arcade preservation and vintage gaming hardware are sharing and appreciating the look of the 1990s board.

A new Kunio-kun title, 'Kunio-kun's Survivors of the Dead', has been released on Apple Arcade, putting the classic brawler series hero against zombies. The launch was reported by Japanese tech outlet Weekly ASCII, highlighting availability on iPhone and iPad via Apple's subscription gaming service.

Attention is turning to the vehicle physics in Grand Theft Auto VI, with claims that the cars in the upcoming Rockstar Games title feature far deeper simulated behaviour than players expect. The discussion suggests GTA 6's driving model goes beyond simple arcade handling, hinting at detailed mechanical and environmental interactions. Fans are analysing every available detail as anticipation builds ahead of the game's release.

Bitmap Books' new title, 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', has received a glowing review from The Express, which praised the book as beautifully crafted. The publisher shared the review approval, highlighting the book's production quality and its account of classic arcade games told by the people who created them.

GENDA GiGO Entertainment has announced that its fourth GiGO arcade in northern Vietnam will open at AEON Mall Hai Duong on October 3, 2026. The venue will be operated by the company's local subsidiary GiGO VIETNAM, based in Ho Chi Minh City. The announcement, made via press release, highlights the Japanese entertainment company's continued expansion of its amusement facility brand in Vietnam.

Gamers are drawing a line between Ace Combat, Bandai Namco's arcade flight series, and Nintendo's classic Star Fox, calling the former the modern heir to that style of fast, accessible aerial combat. The comparison is being made ahead of talk around a new Ace Combat entry, tagged as Ace Combat 8, and it resonates with fans of retro Nintendo space shooters who see the franchise filling a niche few games occupy today.

A Japanese gaming guide claims a complete, no-miss, single-credit clear of the classic Konami shooter Gradius II, with detailed walkthrough coverage of every stage. The guide breaks down strategies for the notoriously difficult game, drawing attention from retro shooter fans interested in full-clear playthroughs.

The Namco NB-1 arcade system, home of the light-gun games Point Blank and Gun Bullet, has been brought to the MiSTer FPGA platform, which reproduces classic hardware at the board level. The news is being shared in retro gaming circles, with fans of arcade preservation highlighting the addition of another Namco system to the increasingly complete MiSTer library.

UK publisher Bitmap Books has opened pre-orders for 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', a retrospective of classic arcade machines featuring accounts from the people who built them. Pre-orders went live at 17:00 BST, with shipping scheduled to begin the following week. Retro gaming fans are sharing the announcement online.

Double Dragons, a retro-style brawler, is drawing attention for blending elements of classic games Kunio-kun and IK+ with wrestling flair reminiscent of WWF Superstars. The mashup of arcade beat-'em-up action, fighter mechanics, and pro wrestling chaos is being described as unhinged, in an affectionate way, by those covering it.

New Old Pixels has signed a deal with French publisher Microids to bring Toki, the 1989 arcade game also known as Juju Densetsu, to classic platforms. The agreement means the cult run-and-gun platformer, originally developed by Taito, will be re-released for players on legacy systems. Fans of retro arcade titles are following the news as Toki remains a well-remembered classic of the late-1980s arcade era.

Retronom, a retro arcade bar on Bockenfelder Strasse in Dortmund, has announced its programme for next week. The line-up includes a SingStar party on Friday, a live show by the band Die Exports on Saturday, and a Commodore 64 gaming day on Sunday, with the venue open as usual on Wednesday and Thursday. The announcement invites locals to come by and says there is something for everyone.

CNET has published a review of Star Wars: Galactic Racer, praising the new racing game as a fantastic spiritual successor to the Burnout series set in the Star Wars universe. The review is drawing attention from gamers interested in how the Star Wars brand translates into an arcade-style racing title.

A new book, 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', is opening for pre-orders and features the classic arcade game Paperboy among its subjects. Author Paul Drury spent more than twenty years interviewing the programmers, designers, artists and musicians behind seminal arcade titles. The publisher, Bitmap Books, is promoting the book by spotlighting individual games covered in it.

On this day in 2001, the PC game Moorhen 3: The Chicken Chase was released for Windows. The title, part of the Crazy Chicken shooter series, is being remembered by retro gaming fans recalling the wave of budget arcade shooters of the era. Nostalgic players are swapping memories of the quirky hunting games that became a familiar sight on home computers in the early 2000s.

A social media post jokingly compares a bear to a poor Pac-Man player, drawing amused reactions. The quip suggests the animal's movements resemble someone fumbling through the classic arcade game. Little verified detail accompanies the joke, but it has caught attention among users sharing lighthearted gaming and wildlife content.

The Namco NB-1 arcade system, home to the 1994 shooter Nebulas Ray, has been recreated on the MiSTer FPGA platform, which reproduces classic arcade hardware at the circuit level. Retro gaming enthusiasts are sharing footage of the emulation-quality core, adding another Namco board to the platform's growing arcade library.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer is being called the best arcade racing game in a generation, according to a review from Polygon. The game appears to be earning strong praise for reviving the arcade racing formula within the Star Wars universe. Coverage is focused on how it compares favorably to classic racing titles, making it a standout release for fans of the genre.

The 2013 western shooter Call of Juarez: Gunslinger is on sale for $1.35, a 91% discount, at Green Man Gaming. The deal is being shared widely among PC gamers looking for bargain titles on Steam, with the game's arcade-style gunfights and low price making it an easy impulse buy during the promotion.

A new book, 'The Arcade 1971–1999: The Stories Behind Classic Coin-Ops, Told by Their Creators', is now open for pre-orders. Author Paul Drury spent more than twenty years interviewing the programmers, designers, artists and musicians behind seminal arcade titles. The book documents the history of coin-op gaming from its beginnings to the end of the 1990s, with shipping due to start soon. Retro gaming fans are welcoming the project.

A shop in downtown Everett, Washington is drawing attention for capturing the feel of classic arcades, according to local reporting. The store taps into nostalgia for coin-op gaming while contributing to the city's efforts to enliven its downtown core, giving residents and visitors a retro entertainment destination.

Japanese crane game enthusiasts are discussing a strategy guide for winning a Frieren prize figure from UFO catcher machines. The tips focus on one key move, explained from a professional player's perspective, including the so-called bridge technique used to shift prizes toward the chute. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End merchandise remains highly popular, making its prize figures a sought-after arcade target.