Umihara Kawase Fresh! Will Swing Into Japanese Arcades

Studio Saizensen revealed that, for the first time in the series’ history, there will be an Umihara Kawase arcade release. Umihara Kawase Fresh! is heading to a new platform, and the game will be demoed at Japan Amusement Expo (JAEPO) 2020 starting on February 7, 2020.

The Umihara Kawase series first began on the Super Famicom, and it has released on both portable and home consoles since. This includes the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 for Umihara Kawase Fresh!. However, it never appeared in arcades.

Currently, it’s unknown which arcade platform Umihara Kawase Fresh! will be on, nor how the game will be changed to fit on arcades. The console version of Umihara Kawase Fresh! is mission-based and features Kawase’s adventures in Sky World, a place she has decided to temporarily live after seeing it match a location from her dreams. Each mission takes on a Point-A-to-Point-B structure in the same world, with the freedom of how to travel left to the player. Each mission also has online rankings for time trials.

While single-player games aren’t unheard of in arcades, it’s surprising to see that Umihara Kawase Fresh! is the game being released there and not the upcoming Umihara Kawase BaZooKa, which is a multiplayer versus game. That particular title is currently set to release on consoles only, with English support in Spring/Summer 2020.

Umihara Kawase Fresh! is available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 and will be heading to arcades in Japan.