ARCADE WATCH
Keeping an eye on the coin-op gaming scene
Game Top Gun: Maverick
Manufacturer Raw Thrills
If the proportions of the screenshot below feel a little unusual, that’s because it shows an amalgamation of the visuals spread across the upper and lower screens of Top Gun: Maverick, the latest heavy-duty cabinet from Eugene Jarvis’ Raw Thrills. Tom Cruise’s face doesn’t get a look in, presumably because those licensing rights are a little out of reach, but the game features real-world fighter jets, control via a flight stick and throttle, and a linkup mode supporting up to four cabinets. The lack of a VR headset, which might be expected for a game of Maverick’s nature in 2025, makes the game more accessible, while the hardware’s “jet engine infinity mirror” at its rear provides a bit of style. Crucially, the game doesn’t skimp on movement, its motion platform doing its best to rekindle the buzz of clambering aboard After Burner back in ’87.