As many of you already know, JAEPO 2014 (Japan Amusement Expo) is on this weekend and we’re here to give a glimpse of which racing games are featured in biggest Japanese amusement industry event!
Obviously racing games are the minority in a whole event dedicated to arcade amusements, so we’ve filtered for you! Here’s what you care about!
Starting from Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune 5 from Bandai Namco, already announced to be released this March 2014 in Japan. Still no word about a non-Japanese-language asian release or an EU/US one.
The game won’t be much different from its predecessor (that has been released roughly a year ago), but from a first sight it looks like Namco has improved a bit the graphic engine, even if we’re still not sure about on which hardware/machine it’ll run.
The game still features extensive online modes and the Banapassport service.
Also from Bandai Namco (and licensed by Nintendo) we got Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, that again features online services and the Banapassport system.
MKAGPDX is going to be released in the US (where it’s already under location testing) and Europe (presented during last January EAG in London) too, but without the Banapassport feature, since the service has not been launched in Western countries yet. The release date for us should be around April 2014, while the game is out already in Asia.
Last but not least, SEGA is sporting its most recent, not-yet-released, IDAS installment. Initial D Arcade Stage 8 Infinity, after its debut in Akihabara’s SEGA GiGO Game Center as part of a early loc test, is showing itself with a brand new cabinet.
SEGA has also (finally) announced the release date for Japan, and the game will be out on July 2014. As usual no word about a Western release, but we wouldn’t bet on it.
The game, like the previous installment of the series, uses an IC Cards system to save players’ profiles, with massive online features.
UK Arcade Racers 
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