If the question is, "How good were the machines at ACME '96?" then the answer can be given in a single word: better! The new videos took a major leap past last year's state of the art, with the promise of even more spectacular improvements to come. The new jukeboxes showed themselves flashier on the out
side, or else
upgraded on the inside. The new pinballs at the show offered clever new twists and/or irresistibly classic themes and gameplay. The new kiddie rides combined superb licensed themes
and big-time eye ap- Wills gaElect,
peal.
mescfronics has entered the
Bel/eveltor or the TouchNasteT multi
We could go on Nottrivia game, Nine Which sgps thi°untertop video market, ArnOng
...but in general, games in all are month, is a licensed RI Yg
most of the signs pointed to a clear on the menu of this c-top P/e
, received their first U.S. national trade
show outing at this show. Covering absolutely 100% of everything on the market, just because it happened to be displayed at ACME, would take more space than we've got. Besides, you guys already know how great Skee Ball is, as well as Valley's Cougar Darts and NSM's Performer Grand 2000 ... right?
Capcom's Street Fighter Alpha 2 as among the super-looking videos on display
as a B-board conversion, full kit (A- or B-board) or and dedicated upro s videos. All are on the market o Dun
geons & Drag RePlay Magazine
increase in that sometimes-elusive factor known as "quality." We spoke to quite a few operators - large, small and inbetween who were pleased, or even enthusiastic, about the product they saw in Orlando. Now that the operators have returned home, can they afford to buy many of the new goods? Some definitely can and defmitely will. In fact, the morecompetitive guys and gals are already sprucing up their routes and arcades with new ACME product. Ultimately (as we ritually acknowledge) it's up to the cash box to sort out the winners and losers.
For now, however, we present a broad, quick review of what was shown in the aisles (and sometimes, in the
suites) at ACME '96. As usual, we con
centrate strictly on brand-new items
and those "newer" goods which
April 1996
VIDEO
ACCLAIM Coin-Operated Entertainment made its trade debut at ACME with two very respectable videos. The creators of Batman Forever enhanced the realism of their computer-animated characters with 3D modeling techniques and hi-res
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