ARCADE WATCH
Keeping an eye on the coin-op gaming scene
Game Wave Riders X-Treme
Manufacturer Ace Amusement
As every seasoned arcade-goer knows, the most exciting attractions are always the ones that carry warnings about not getting too close while they’re in operation, lest you somehow get messily entangled in their mechanisms – or even with the person actually playing. Sega’s Galaxy Force was famous upon its launch in 1988 for being encircled by a rope barrier to prevent onlookers coming to harm as the cabinet spun through 360 degrees, but arcade hardware doesn’t need to be quite so exotic to keep you on your toes. Wave Riders X-Treme isn’t particularly elaborate, but it does require plenty of physical movement to operate, leaning the cabinet’s jetski left and right to navigate courses in a manner reminiscent of Namco’s Aqua Jet from 1996. Wave Riders manufacturer Ace Amusement has form when it comes to paying homage to arcade games of yesteryear, having previously riffed on Namco’s Prop Cycle with 2021’s Sky Rider, but at least it’s picking some decent source material. Stunt moves provide a few surprises, but any lasting value will surely lie in linkedcabinet play versus friends.