Taking Aim: IAAPA Game Reviews

The 2022 IAAPA Expo in Orlando was the biggest one yet and brought the biggest players in the attractions game! IBI hit the ground running by testing over 30 VR, arcade, and redemption attractions from the industry’s most recognized and respected brands.

In my previous Bowl Expo game review, my biggest takeaway was that although VR games averaged two minutes of play, they felt much longer than that due to intensity. My biggest takeaway this time was the innovative use of virtual briefings at the beginning of VR games! I can feel clueless when I first start a VR game since I never know what to expect. But, once my goggles were on, I was greeted by a VR character that briefed me on the story and the controls. This made me feel more confident in my game, I enjoyed the playtime more, and we saved time with this self-tutorial.

By Mike Fernandez

Incredible Technologies: Arcade Collection, Arcade

HD monitor / Classic variety: 3 games, each with several modes / Bowling game / Small footprint / Mass appeal / Cabinet design and controls proven success / Easy installation/ 7 square feet

When scouting the IAAPA show floor, my eyes lit up, stumbling upon Incredible Technology’s booth with Golden Tee: PGA Tour games. Once I got closer, I saw they had expanded their cabinet collection. I was immediately blown away when I noticed their newest product featured bowling. I thought I saw a glowing halo and wings appearing behind it.

From the creators of Golden Tee, Incredible Technology’s Arcade Collection is a single cabinet holding three big games: (1) Silver Strike Bowling provides a perspective of bowling with angles you can’t get in the center, with the primary control ball being an exciting new way to work on your hook or hit gutter balls with a little more privacy. Player customization options and a Vegas mode appeal to all ages and demographics. (2)Target Toss Pro features a unique take on the icon tailgating games cornhole and lawn darts without the loss of eyes or cops busting down your door. If we weren’t a bowling magazine, my favorite game would have been (3) PowerPutt Golf due to the 11 extremely fun and creative 18-hole courses.

The Arcade Collection’s three simple games in a comprehensive package might leave you buying a second one for your home office.

LAI Games - Rick and Morty: Blipz and Chitz, Pusher

Features: Billion-dollar multimedia brand / Massive following / 2 players at once / Targets enormous demographic / Colorful, mesmerizing display / No learning curve / 17 square feet

Gameplay:

Rick and Morty is a critically acclaimed, animated TV series where 14-year-old Morty travels the multiverse with his hyper-genius grandpa Rick, often saving planets, destroying planets, finding alien love, or hitting ‘Blipz and Chitz,’ the intergalactic FEC.

Rick and Morty: Blipz and Chitz’s workhorse is the big-brand signage and mesmerizing, glowing cabinet. Due to its popularity, it just needs to catch fans’ eyes for a split second before playtime! 100% skill-based, this pusherstyle game challenged fine motor skills to aim marbles and discs to the reward deck. If we hadn’t been in the heart of IAAPA, I’m not sure I would have ever left. I’ll admit I may have shown some bias as an avid Rick and Morty fan. But as the mostwatched adult comedy for ages 18-34, good luck finding someone under 40 who isn’t! Aside from television, show creators have mastered the art of merchandising to build a billion-dollar enterprise, and LAI Games’ latest attraction is your ticket to the table.

Creative Works – VAR BOX, VR

Features: Multiplayer: 4-8 / Variety: 4 games, 9 modes / Length: 3.5 minutes/ Access user profile from app/ ESports tournaments and winnings / Massive existing player base / No attendant /10 square feet

Gameplay:

OVERKILL: I tightened my belt, adjusted my VR goggles, grabbed my sidearm, and entered the worldwide stage in a 4x4 battle against players around the globe. In a chaotic future, I teleported around a high-stakes battlefield, peeking around corners and double-checking my aim so I didn’t miss the shot - a mistake that could prove fatal.

VAR BOX is an astoundingly low-footprint entry point to a worldwide competition, consisting of over 200,000 registered players in 15 counties. A compact build provides players with zombie hoards (careful, they’ll sneak up behind you) or dominating the battlefield in shootouts against live teams. When looking at online gaming options, nothing meshes monstrous surprises, fluid gameplay, pinpoint accuracy, and a global network to power it all like VAR BOX.

Creative Works - Hyperdeck, VR

Features: Multiplayer: 4 person / Variety: 3 games / VR briefing / Length: 2 minutes / Ground motion, wind, and heat simulators /Unique control modules / Under 300 square feet

Gameplay:

HAIR: A 1980s guitar hero has taken control of the world, and only you can refuel the Hyperdeck! Armed with what I can only describe as a toilet plunger rope cannon, players fire at both crystals and evil henchmen across several unique landscapes in an invigorating competition for the highest score.

I soared the skies on a flying platform over the rooftops of cyberpunk cities and apocalyptic canyons. A rumbling and rocking platform, lava radiating real heat, and immersive simulations of rushing wind put a foreboding voice in my head saying, ‘Don’t look down!’

No need to worry about gameplay visibility - the futuristic physical design boasts LED lighting, gameplay monitors on each corner, and wind streams continuously blasting players - making Hyperdeck ‘The Main Event’ wherever it goes.