Sega Debuts Four Arcade Games In Private Showing At AAMA Annual Meeting

LISLE, IL -- Sega Amusements provided a first look at its new entries in four popular categories during a private product presentation at the American Amusement Machine Association's annual meeting and gala, held in early August here. Making their debut were the Hello Kitty air hockey table, Sonic Dash video and Sonic Blast mechanical ticket redemption games, and the Monkey Claw prize crane.

Hello Kitty air hockey is a downsized pink kiddie table, which features the world-famous minimalist feminine character first introduced on a purse in Japan four decades ago. Hello Kitty has grown into an international marketing mainstay of well-nigh universal appeal. According to Sega, the new table is the first kid-size licensed air hockey game on the market. Its size (the assembled dimensions are 76" L. x 39" W. x 27" H.) enables everyone from toddlers through "tweens," teens, young adults and the parents of any of them to enjoy the frictionless play action.

Sonic Dash features a 55" high-definition video monitor said to display graphics in near-life size. The player controls the action with an oversized implementation of the familiar home-console directional pad, an interface that is instantly recognized by today's players. "Multiple worlds and characters from the Sonic franchise ensure plenty of repeat play," Sega reported.

Sonic Blast Ball is a quick-reaction game that challenges players to open "drop gates" at the top of the playfield at precisely the right time to drop a ball through the bonus hoop for a chance at the 1,000-ticket jackpot.

The Monkey Claw prize crane offers a wide range of claw configurations, perhaps the most ever available on a production model. Operators can configure the claw with one to six arms.

During the private AAMA presentation, the amusement machine company also offered an overview of its portfolio that now covers 12 distinct categories, 27 titles and 34 cabinet configurations. "The wide range of excellent choices we're offering gives us a great deal of relevance with buyers who've come to rely on Sega having an extensive array of amusement games for their locations," said Sega Amusements general manager Pete Gustafson.