"MarioKart Arcade GP DX" Adds Some Tanky Twists To The Kart Formula

Hot off the heels of the excellent Mario Kart 8, Bandai Namco just announced it's latest arcade collaboration with Nintendo in the form of Mario Kart Arcade GP Deluxe, which looks like it'll finally be getting an official US release following some location tests earlier this year. The most noteworthy addition is a really curious 'fusion' technique in a new coop mode that allows two players to fuse into a tank and lay waste to the competition.

If you thought those blue shells were bad, I think this gameplay mechanic will offer a new chance for single riders to shoot some truly dirty stares at their coop competition in arcades. The title also features Don-chan from Taiko: Drum Master, which definitely enjoys more popularity as a franchise overseas (I don't think there's been a localized installment since Playstation 2).

The arcade title's US release seems to have timed itself to spin off the immense popularity of Mario Kart 8, which enjoyed better than expected sales figures and reception. Not a bad strategy, even I was tempted to pick a Wiiu up after enjoying a few evenings playing that awesome 8th installment.

"R-Kaid-R" - An Amazing Portable Arcade Machine

In our latest in the 'money to burn' series comes the 'R-Kaid-R,' an absolutely amazing, portable custom arcade cabinet from the mind of Love Hulten. The Swedish designer and craftsman wanted to create a tribute to the fading arcade scene with a hand crafted creation drawing from his expertise in wood working and love of vintage design. As he best put it, 'I want to make the arcade an equivalent next to the oil painting on your wall.'

The R-Kaid-R is being created as a limited edition series of 50 units, with a €2,499 ($3400) price tag for any reader of ours with some money to burn, not including the handcrafted leather carrying case. Absolutely love the nearly Fallout style retro theming he did with the cabinet, including the custom interface he designed.

R-Kaid-R (Arcader) is a manifest and a tribute to the arcade. A hybrid made from solid wood, combining yesterday's game physics with the digital spectrum of today. A handmade exclusive toy for the dedicated gamer, a creative link between the present and the past and a game jewel to possess. When not in use, the console is folded into a protective vessel, surrounded with elements of mystique and curiosity. A processed gemstone is sparkling inside, waiting to be revealed. 

The specs will give you ~8 hrs of gaming per charge and the hardware will emulate and support up to fifth-generation game systems. Using SD cards for storage, there's no limits when creating your own personal game library. Protected by a tailored shoulder bag made from leather, R-Kaid-R is undoubtedly the absolute arcade machine for the road. This handcrafted machine comes in different material/color concepts, inspired by material values from historic and cultural perspectives.

Crawl - Turning The Classic Dungeon Crawler On It's Head

Oh man. I might have just found my most anticipated indie game of this year. Crawl takes the classic Gauntlet/Golden Axe genre games and truly offers a unique, seriously fun sounding twist. One player takes on the role of the noble, dungeon roaming warrior while the other players assume the role of restless spirits who take control of traps and summon into creatures to prevent his progression- All on one screen. If the player falls, the antagonist spirit who delivers the fatal blow takes his place. One man makes it out alive.

Part roguelike, part ARPG with a large helping of arcadey gameplay, this game has all the elements in place to potentially be a huge local multiplayer hit akin to Towerfall or Samurai Gunn. With a slick retro pixelated look and a crunchy, chippy soundtrack this game is looking seriously freaking awesome. The title is currently up for Greenlight on Steam, so head on over and vote if you'd like to see it hit the store soon.

Strike Vector Heads Into Beta Next Spring

When the first trailer for Strike Vector hit a few months back, we were absolutely amazed at just how much progress a small group of passionate indies were able to make on their concept, which we described as a mix of Macross and Adhesive Games' Hawken. Using the same clever modular building process that the small team on Hawken used to great success to build large, believable worlds and arcadey looking FPS mechanics, Strike Vector will be in beta on Steam early next year. Sign up for a beta key here!

The Faile Arcade

The Brooklyn based art duo called Faile have already done 2 separate pop-up arcades in the past, taking vintage cabinets, gutting them and reloading them with custom videogames and art. The goal of the duo is a mixture of a tribute to their own childhoods spent in dimly lit arcades as well as recreating that distinct atmosphere for a new generation to experience. This third installment of the Deluxx Fluxx arcade will be popping up in Miami from December 3-7.

It’s a connection for us to a time and a place. Not only to the games but the whole experience – the environment, the artwork, the lighting, the sense of losing yourself in this world.

100 Yen : The History Of Japanese Arcades

Who wouldn't want to watch a documentary about Japanese arcades? 100 Yen goes into the history, evolution and cultural impact of Japanese arcades. Ever played Street Fighter? A side scrolling shoot em up? Space Invaders? Sometime in your life, you've probably had a chance to play one of the countless games that originated from an arcade, in one iteration or the other. Despite it being a dormant form of entertainment (I see a second golden age coming somewhere down the line), you can't help but appreciate what arcades have done for the gaming industry as a whole. Japanese arcades are still going strong, and some of the machines they have would be nothing short of mind blowing to someone used to simple stand up machines.

100 Yen is reaching the end of production, and is currently running an Indiegogo campaign (Similar to Kickstarter) to raise the final funds required for post production. Contribute if you can! Check out the teaser trailer for the 75 minute documentary after the break!

Sine Mora : Shoot Em Ups Evolved

Sine Mora is Grasshopper Manufactures (One of my favorite Japanese dev's) foray into the world of shmups. For those of you unfamiliar, shmup is a simple term that was coined to describe arcade 'shootemups.' Its been quite a while since we've had a good console entry for the genre, the last side scrolling shmup I recalled enjoying immensely was the beautiful Gradius V for PS2. Aside from some really awesome art direction, the insane mode is something to look forward to for arcade veterans looking to be put to the test.

Pretty incredible how close they got it to the concept.

Sine Mora promises to have a solid storyline, 7 stages, 50 weapon combos with a time altering twist and excellent music by Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame. Check out some character concepts after the break!

The Artist Behind Bastion, Jen Zee

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A few weeks ago the Xbox Live Arcade game, Bastion, hit the digital marketplace and it's goddamn amazing. While Ms. Splosion Man stole my heart for the best arcade game of 2011, Bastion comes close second. The narration is unlike anything I've seen or heard in a video game and makes for a truly original hack-and-slash RPG, but it's the art that truly hits home. With influences of classic JRPGS such as Tales of Phantasia and Shining Force, Bastion's art style is simply beautiful; filled to the brim with color and a hand-painted looking palette. 

Yes, I could sit here and ooze over how much I f**king love Bastion, I should also get the point of this post. Artist Jen Zee is the woman behind what you see in game, and she's absolutely brilliant. After spending a bit of time looking into Jen's career, I've dug up a few pieces that are just as incredibly as Jen's work on Bastion. Hit the break to check out 5 pieces by Jen Zee.