Mini Arcade Alert!

[Andromeda Stardust]

I played a lot of Pacman handheld electronic game ports.. and it's funny to me how in just recent times we can go from one of the worst of them all, to probably the best of them all.

 

Last year's game is actually an exact replica of a vintage LCD handheld, sans the micro arcade form factor. The only difference was they replaced the ticks and tocks with actual sampled arcade sounds. I never owned the Pacman LCD but I knew a kid with one once. The Space Invaders LCD was slightly more playable.

 

That was where they were going by recreating vintage LCD games like Mattel Electronic Football and other 70s sports titles, as well as vintage 80s LCD arcade ports. I may still pick up a Mattel Electronic Football if I find any.

 

Problem is, when people want a portable arcade fix, they want nostalgia how they remembered the arcades, not literal recreations of vintage handhelds they may or may not have played growing up. That's why they discontinued the monochrome LCD line of games and did actual arcade replicas with full color screens.

 

Both are definitely cool items though. I almost kinda wish the Monochrome Pacman and Space Invaders had retained the original ticks and tocks of the vintage LCDs.

[SiberianSpForces]

I got my tiny Pac-Man modded, just need to wire it to a switch. Then I have another Pac-Man on the way for my brother. It's a bit of a task for me since the surface pads are very small.

[simbalion]

I'm really liking the Tiny Arcades. I know there are imperfections, but those almost seem to make these even more in the tradition of small, handheld games. That's what the good ones like Coleco made were always about, trying to replicate the fun as much as possible in the constraints of the systems they had to work with. In that respect, these games really do work. So tiny, yet so much hand cramping fun!

[Trinity]

Got my Space Invaders tiny arcade today.

[SiberianSpForces]

On the FB group, a guy has now modded one to play all 4 with using a joystick direction when you turn it on.

[Tanooki]

I really want to see a picture of that being wired up as I'll go buy one right now and do it.

[SiberianSpForces]

Here we go. Pulled the pic from another fb memeber's post.

Edited November 14, 2017 by SiberianSpForces

[Andromeda Stardust]

Here we go. Pulled the pic from another fb memeber's post.

That's boss. Much neater than dip switches. So apparently the switch only need be engaged at boot, and afterwords does nothing?

 

Only issue with this is if the user doesn't know to hold down a joystick direction on boot, they get greeted with a blank screen...

 

= = = = = = = = = =

 

I may still do the rear mounted 4-DIPs with magnet wrapping wire for mine, so I can set it and forget it.

[Tanooki]

What's with the other yellow wire and the other red and black? I get the point of the 4 from the ribbon spots to the individual games but I can't follow the others. That is interesting. I'll have to check into fb maybe ask there since it's someone elses image.

[SiberianSpForces]

The black wire runs to the negative terminal on the battery case. The red goes to the on/off switch. The 2 yellow ones are for the speaker.

[Tanooki]

Ahh gotcha so it's basically just a direct wiring job from the ribbon cable area to the 4 points of the joystick to get this manipulation to fire up a game on powering it up. Smart trick.

[SiberianSpForces]

Indeed. One person noted that it won't boot up correctly when the batteries are low, but once those are replaced, it's fine. Then the guy that discovered this says after it times out from demo mode, you have to repower it. He is looking into a bypass for that.

[Flojomojo]

I played a lot of Pacman handheld electronic game ports.. and it's funny to me how in just recent times we can go from one of the worst of them all, to probably the best of them all.

 

 

 

Wow, I almost want the one on the right. The one on the left has no reason to exist. It's like the Black series of Star Wars figurines, compared to Happy Meal toys. Namco should be a little tighter with their licensing.

[Tanooki]

Indeed. One person noted that it won't boot up correctly when the batteries are low, but once those are replaced, it's fine. Then the guy that discovered this says after it times out from demo mode, you have to repower it. He is looking into a bypass for that.

I'll have to keep an eye on this or that facebook page better for the work around. I don't much like the idea of chopping when I can just add wires.

[+-^CrossBow^-]

I'll have to keep an eye on this or that facebook page better for the work around. I don't much like the idea of chopping when I can just add wires.

 

Here we go. Pulled the pic from another fb memeber's post.

 

Was going to ask where the ground was to finish the game selection and then it occured to me...the joystick itself provides that missing ground connection when you have it pressed in a direction as you power it on. Duh... Interesting about the demo mode though. that would seem to indicate that after the demo runs its course, the entire unit is basically rebooting itself again?

 

Also I've decided these make better Christmas ornaments than actually playing on them. The screens are too tiny for my eyes and I just can't find a good way to hold it in my hand and play at the same time. But..remove that keychain and put some ribbon on them and they will work quite well along side my Pac-Man and Galaga hallmark ornaments. And cost the same price to boot!

[Andromeda Stardust]

LOL. Functional Christmas ornaments are rad. I am naturally nearsighted and have no issues viewing the screens. If my eyes ever do stiffen with age, I could just remove my glasses for close up viewing. 36 now so knocks on wood thet I won't need bifocals for a while.

[+Tarzilla]

Finally saw the qbert,asteroid, centipede and pac minis in a Walmart in Canada. 24.95 but only the crappy pseudo-vfd versions, not the NOAC Centipede or qbert. Oh, well, I'll just use the money on drugs and alcohol.

[Tanooki]

There are two new ones out today I've been made aware of by a friend and with photographic evidence too he got from someone else in Texas.

 

Rampage and Joust, Walmart versions with the NOAC running an 8bit NES ROM on them (or at least rampage if the Joust isn't the 7800 release.) $20 as usual in a nice box. I tried to find one up the street here a little while ago and they just had the big display for the others. I think I'll try again in a week or something.

[Andromeda Stardust]

There are two new ones out today I've been made aware of by a friend and with photographic evidence too he got from someone else in Texas.

 

Rampage and Joust, Walmart versions with the NOAC running an 8bit NES ROM on them (or at least rampage if the Joust isn't the 7800 release.) $20 as usual in a nice box. I tried to find one up the street here a little while ago and they just had the big display for the others. I think I'll try again in a week or something.

Joust would be terrible on those tiny hand cramping buttons IMO.

[Tanooki]

\The little stick is about the size of those old NES wrap around super controllers which had a joystick mushroom on it and the outer most button is fairly close in distance. I think it would be ok. I haven't found a picture of Joust turned on but I haven't looked yet either today so I have no idea if it's 7800 or NES release. Rampage is very much looking like the NES though from the shot I was given.

 

I forgot to mention, also Defender! Each of those NOACs they do have 2 games inside, so there's a video on faebook of Defender being bridged out of Joust, but oddly no one has poking a metal stick at Rampage yet. Anyone want to float a guess on that? Data East handled that on on the NES, but since they're doing their own mini arcades I'd think Burgertime and friends would be out. Spy Hunter?

 

Edited November 18, 2017 by Tanooki

[Flojomojo]

LOL. Functional Christmas ornaments are rad. I am naturally nearsighted and have no issues viewing the screens. If my eyes ever do stiffen with age, I could just remove my glasses for close up viewing. 36 now so knocks on wood thet I won't need bifocals for a while.

Ha ha ha, "if." You have about ten years left before presbyopia knocks aside your youthful bliss, because aging doesn't give a F about your state of denial. It's coming, tick tock. You can't run (because you're getting old and it hurts to move) and you can't hide (because your metabolism is slowing down and you take up more space, plus it's hard to bend down).

 

Sent while wearing my new progressive lenses from Costco and wishing I could be 36 again.

[Andromeda Stardust]

and you can't hide (because your metabolism is slowing down and you take up more space, plus it's hard to bend down).

Haha. I am still 295 lbs or so. Since starting my job at the plant over 3 months ago, I've built up some strength in my arms, legs, and abs, but you couldn't tell by looking at me. I can curl a 91 pound valve gate like it's nothing. BTW I'm still 295 lbs, teetering on the proverbial 300 "holy shit, I need to do diet or something" moment. I do need to grab my mom's leather punch though and put a couple extra holes in my belt. A good sign as I'm on the smallest notch and my pants are getting loose. Denser muscle is slowly displacing fat, but I'm still padded 3x like a walrus.

[NE146]

I'm healthy as heck at near 50 (48) but yeah once I hit 44 that's when my lifelong 20/20 vision deteriorated rapidly and I couldn't see stuff closeup.. it was pretty disheartening. But now I'm used to it.. Just get progressives and move on.

[SiberianSpForces]

This came from Colecovision's facebook page.

[Tanooki]

That is the coldest trolling of them all. Coleco should have just stayed dead.

 

I'll take that back if one it is real, and two it hits the market.