AirGallet EXA Label - 30 Years Later, Legends Returned to Finish What They Started

When AirGallet EXA Label hit exA-Arcadia cabinets in 2024, it marked one of the most remarkable comebacks in arcade shooter history. The original design chief, Junya Inoue (aka Joker Jun), returned nearly 30 years after the 1996 release to finally realize the vision he'd had for this classic shooter all along.

Back in 1996, the original AirGallet dropped in arcades, developed by Gazelle—a team composed of former TOAPLAN and CAVE staff who had just finished working on BATSUGUN. For those who know their arcade shooter pedigree, that lineage was absolutely legendary. TOAPLAN created defining classics of the late '80s and early '90s, and many of its staff went on to form CAVE, which became synonymous with bullet hell excellence.

On February 28, 2024, exA-Arcadia filed the official application with Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs under Article 67-2 (1) of the Copyright Act, legally paving the way to bring this classic back. By April 2024, AirGallet EXA Label was revealed as the 5th entry in the highly acclaimed EXA LABEL lineup.

The Story That Matters

The game threw players into 1996 Japan, torn apart by brutal civil war. You joined The Silver Knights squadron—a joint operation between the Japan Self Defense Force and US Air Force—to figure out who orchestrated the coup d'état and stop them. The narrative changed based on which pilot you picked, and grabbing a friend for 2P co-op unlocked even more lore.

What really elevated this was the voice acting. Every single character interaction got fully voiced by legendary '90s anime voice actors, giving the whole experience that authentic retro anime vibe. Masami Kikuchi voiced Keiichiro Tojo, Tetsuya Iwanaga brought Johnny Glover to life, and Urara Takano commanded as the squad leader. This wasn't just nostalgia bait—it was period-appropriate authenticity.

Two Games in One Package

ORIGINAL MODE delivered a pixel-perfect port of the 1996 arcade version with bug fixes that dedicated players had discovered over nearly three decades. This preserved the game exactly as hardcore fans remembered it, but refined.

EXA LABEL MODE represented the complete reimagining—Junya Inoue's chance to rebuild the game around medal scoring and subweapon usage. This was essentially a whole new game constructed on top of the classic foundation. Add in EXTREME difficulty for masochists and Score Attack for leaderboard chasers, and you had content that kept players coming back.

Technical Excellence That Defined the Platform

The 1-frame input lag response was twice as fast as the original 1996 arcade version and represented the fastest in the industry. For shmup players who lived and died by pixel-perfect dodging, that difference was everything. Your reactions finally matched your skills with zero hardware excuses.

Players could choose between two ships: the Japan Self Defense Force F-15XX or the US Air Force F/A 18G, each with distinct characteristics. The dual soundtrack option let you rock either the original 1996 arcade OST remastered in HD stereo or the brand new arranged soundtrack composed by Keishi Yonao, the renowned shmup audio legend.

The game supported both vertical orientation (the way shmups were meant to be played) and horizontal with customizable screen gadgets, giving arcade operators flexibility while maintaining the core experience.

A 30-Year Journey Comes Full Circle

AirGallet EXA Label represented something rare in gaming—a creative team getting a second chance to perfect their work decades later. Junya Inoue returning as character designer, key visual illustrator, and scenario director meant this wasn't some corporate cash-grab revival. This was the original artist finishing what he started.

Keishi Yonao not only composed the new arranged soundtrack but supervised all character voices, ensuring the audio matched the visual ambition. The collaboration between exA-Arcadia's Team EXA-AM1 and the original Gazelle team created something that honored 1996 while embracing 2024's technical capabilities.

For fans who grew up feeding quarters into the original AirGallet cabinet, EXA Label delivered closure, much like Shinorubi Pink Label's bullet hell revival. For new players discovering it on exA-Arcadia, it offered a masterclass in how classic arcade shooters could be preserved and enhanced without losing their soul. This was the 5th entry in the EXA LABEL series for a reason—it proved the concept worked perfectly, following successes like FixEight EXA Label.

For more information, visit the official AirGallet EXA Label page.