Alongside headline games including Namco’s giant of a performer, Time Crisis 4, and Raw Thrills stalwarts Super Bikes and The Fast and the Furious, Brent will be debuting no fewer than eight new games, all of which provide a great deal of promise for operators of family amusements.

Redemption is a strong theme of Brent’s Preview line-up with four games making their European debut, two of which, Raptor Captor and Haunted Mansion, are from California-based 5 Star Redemption. Whilst the former has already been a number one hit in the US, the fun-based, ticket payout, skill game features an all-new ball shooting mechanism which enhances gameplay. Haunted Mansion is a stunningly eye-catching ticket redemption model on which players attempt to work their way through booby trapped zones and secret passages up to designated ticket prize values and the Jackpot Attic at the top of the mansion. Manufactured by ICE, Magic Hand is a ticket version, one-player, pusher-style game whose dimensions are similar to those of Namco’s epic, Pac-Man Ball. The cabinet houses an LCD screen to display jackpot wins. Offering instant prize win or ticket redemption, Namco’s Comet! is a rollercoaster-themed piece on which players attempt to skill-stop a moving trail of LED lights at the right moment, so that they are wholly contained within ‘prize carts’ placed strategically along the track.

On the video front, Namco’s Soul Calibur 3 makes its European exhibition bow. Available in both dedicated and kit form, the game will doubtless create a big stir amongst the many loyal followers of this immense combat video series. Fresh from its unveiling at AMOA ‘06, where it proved to be one of the stars of the show with operators and distributors placing orders in time for Christmas delivery, Panzer Elite Action is a new motion base simulator with a unique appearance and functionality enhanced by a crystal clear, motorised, TFT screen which slides up and down to allow players to be seated.

Completing Brent’s list of new launches at the Novotel are Magic Photo Land – an electronic imaging kiosk from Fusence, which dispenses 3-D photos incorporated into novel lenticular key rings and frames – and Brent’s new X-Factor Bright. An example of listening to and working with the market to refine what was already an extremely strong product, the 2-player crane benefits from a raft of new feature enhancements to improve both functionality and aesthetic appearance.

Reflecting on the Preview product offering, sales and commercial director John McKenzie said: “This is a great line-up which comprises best of breed products from around the world. It’s not just the games making their debut that will excite visitors; Raw Thrills’ Big Buck Hunter Pro remains this year’s best kept secret in terms of ROI, whilst Intouch Games’ video game SWP, Rollerball has shown some remarkable results and is certainly one for single site operators to watch out for. Add to this mix the industry’s highest earning pair of Time Crisis 4 and Super Bikes – both of which are relative newcomers following first shipments in the summer – and what we have is quite simply the best all-round collection of games currently available.”