New Arcade Game Updates: Gravitar: Recharged; Dino Dash; Balloon Fest; Wild Hunting

It has been a slow start to October, but as the month moves on, we will start getting more IAAPA news. We’ll break some of the first of that fast with several new arcade games out of Alan-1, UNIS and Ace Amusement/Amusement Source International (ASI). Stay tuned to the site as we have even more coming!

Gravitar: Recharged

Alan-1 will be debuting Gravitar: Recharged at both Pinball Expo 2025 (at the AVS Companies booth) and Portland Retro Game Expo (at the Atari booth). Based upon the console version of the only sequel Gravitar has ever received, this edition adds new voice overs, an astronaut rescue mechanic, a zoom-in/out feature in the solar system view, and it restores the green vector outline around black objects to look a little bit more like the 1982 original. There are a variety of other polish items in it too, but those are the major ones, and it comes in a beautiful upright cabinet

As a note/disclaimer, Alan-1 is sending me go out to PRGE to help promote it; I also have been able to playtest the software and provide feedback. It’s still a prototype, but it’s looking like things will be done for it by IAAPA (where it will also be at the Alan-1 booth).

Note that Alan-1 also has a few other games that will be announced soon, including two variations on Soda Slam! (both of which will be at IAAPA), and a new model for Missile Command (which is not the same as the early prototype shown this year back in January).

Dino Dash (UNIS)

Yesterday, UNIS suddenly announced the availability of a game that we’ve seen at a couple of Chinese trade shows through the pictures we were sent, Dino Dash. I had thought that they would wait for IAAPA, but apparently they wanted to get this one out there before the show.

As you can see above, the molded seat is shaped like a dinosaur, pulling some inspiration from horse racing/derby video games, and a little bit of kiddie ride thrown in there. There is a rein that you use for steering, but according to the description, “shaking” it activates an “Ultimate Skill” which is used to perform a special ability of some kind. I assume that there are multiple characters/dinosaurs and tracks to choose from, but neither the website nor the trailer get into those specifics (also – how many cabinets can be linked together).

Balloon Fest & Wild Hunting

For our last bit on this round we have two different games that Amusement Source International is bringing over to the States and will debut at IAAPA 2025. Per their active LinkedIn page, they are bringing 19 titles to their space this year, which pulls from a variety of international manufacturers (hence their name). I won’t be sharing all 19 (which they haven’t fully revealed all of the games that are coming yet), but just the video games/videmption pieces.

First is one that has caught our eye since it first popped up this year at the AAA 2025 show, a challenger to Play Mechanix’s Big Buck Hunter that they are calling Wild Hunting: Heart of the Hunt. I saw someone on LinkedIn claiming that you are shooting animals with darts, but in all the media I can find of it, those look like bullets. It also appears to not feature pump-action shotguns, but rifles which don’t appear to require reloading at all. This one has been seen in 2 & 4-player configurations, but the one that ASI is showing on their LI page is the 4-player model.

Next up is Balloon Fest by Sunflower. We saw this in the GTI Asia China photos, where it was certainly inspired by the likes of ICEE Slush Rush & Soda Slam!, but presents an original game idea in filling up balloons instead of pouring drinks. You can see ASI’s footage of it on LinkedIn.

Other titles that ASI has shown off as coming to the show include: Tricky Pong; Gem Master; Speedy Toss; and Madball Fury Road.

BuckFest Starts Today

As a quick note, the 2025 Big Buck Hunter World Championship starts today, and Keystone Light sent me this quick presser:

Keystone Light is partnering with the beloved arcade game, Big Buck Hunter. The brand collaboration kicks off in October, with Keystone Light serving as the official beer sponsor of the 2025 Big Buck Hunter World Championship, BuckFest.

Taking place in Nashville on October 10 & 11, the annual BuckFest tournament offers top gamers the chance to cash-in on $125,000 in prizes.

The partnership continues in November, when 21+ fans can enter the Big Buck Hunter Tournament sponsored by Keystone Light. Players 21+ are automatically entered upon playing the arcade game at their favorite bars and other participating locations for a chance at exclusive prizes, such as:

Exclusive, limited-edition Keystone Light merch awarded to the top 25 players of the tournament
All players will be entered for a chance to win a $1K cash grand prize with every round

To learn more about BuckFest, visit http://www.bigbuckhunter.com/world/about. To find a Big Buck Hunter arcade near you in time for the Big Buck Hunter Tournament sponsored by Keystone Light in November, visit http://www.bigbuckhunter.com/locations.

Unfortunately I’m not there to check out the festivities, but we’ll watch vicariously through the livestreams. There is new content headed to the game, so we’ll be sure to give that some coverage.

What do you think of these new arcade games?

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