Mini Arcade Alert!

[Mini Arcade Alert!]

On 10/22/2020 at 4:29 PM, Zoyous said:

Oh, okay. Do you ever use a mousewheel? Or do you need a giant wheel to scroll? 😄 I'm telling you man, the trackball is incredibly accurate. Anyway, I can't deny these are mostly to look at. But they are playable.

 

Sorry, but i can't agree, maybe my unit isn't as accurate, but i had constant problems using the trackball and fire button.

=============================================================================

i got the replicade centipede 2 weeks ago. due to work and other things. i have been playing it on
and off during that time.

 there's nothing to note about the cabinet or the game, that hasn't been said already, by pretty much

everyone:

1) quality - excellent   2) artwork - excellent 3) sound - very good   4)  price - expensive  5) weight

- light for its size 6) trackball - pea sized

2 things to note: i think default out of the box, is the initial version

a) apparently there is a battery draining issue


if you go through these steps :

https://newwavetoys.freshdesk.com/support/solutions/articles/43000391180-centipede-trak-ball-firmware-

update-detailed-instructions
 
i did NOT do this.
===========================================================
ergonomics - terrible, this is a toy, meant to be put on a shelf and looked at and not played seriously

start buttons - miniscule

fire button - miniscule

trackball - tiny

spacing - is scale to arcade, but here, feels very cramped, and for an adult trying to use the

'trackball' is futile, because your fingers have no place to rest


==============================================================
gameplay thoughts

--------------------------------------------------
week 1
===============================================================
i had a ton of problems trying to figure out how to hold it in a way to play it,
and could never get comfortable. sometimes my right hand couldn't quite move
the trackball quickly enough.

other times, my left fingers couldn't fire it fast enough.
i got to 100k, which takes several minutes, and at the end
of the week, i hit a wall at 200k, which takes about 50+ minutes.

luckily you can pause the game using the settings, but you lose
momentum, and its hard to pick up where you leave off.

my fingers and hands were completely cramped, so i had to
give up for the next day or two.


week 2
================================================================
played the same way as from last week, but found a slightly more
comfortable grip for the left fingers, and firing.

had several more 200k games, but finally played for a few hours
and got to 640k. i had to pause every half hour using the settings,
because there's no way you can play the game constantly without issues.

will probably max it out at 999k i hope, but since hand cramps
constantly, will have to wait.


Got to 640k :




Verdict : you can play games that range from 5 min-30 min easily,
but if you think you can last longer, you will have to play in spurts,
and pause the game game constantly

trackball - the trackball is not adequate AT ALL, it is hard to move, hard
to be precise (the middle setting is as good as it gets), and you will be
overshooting your spot constantly. the light weight of the machine makes
it move when you're trying to play, which also makes your shooting imprecise.

ISSUES - THE BUTTON IS THE WEAKEST PART OF THE MACHINE, CONSTANTLY NOT REGISTERING, and DID NOT RESPOND
WELL AT ALL.

Final thoughts:
=======================
THE BUTTONS AND TRACKBALL ARE TERRIBLE and make the game unplayable for experts, because you
will constantly be pausing, and your hands will be cramping the whole time using them.

is it worth the money to play. NO WAY, not for $100-$120, but for a 'TOY' to put on a shelf, maybe $50
-$75.

later
-1

[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

unboxing for marvel pinball:

 

later

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[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

Turbo mode for ms pac-man.

 

 

 

later
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[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

There are 3 or 4 ms Pac-Man stand up units,

they now have an upgrade to change these settings:

 

 

 

this is the first time, turbo mode has officially been allowed
since the anniversary arcade units, and also from the
snes and genesis versions.

 

later
-1

[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

more on big buck hunter:

 

 

later

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[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

big buck hunter unboxing:

https://www.facebook.com/buystuffstore/videos/187192656404815

 

 

later

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[Mini Arcade Alert!]

review of contra pocket with link cable:

 

 

later

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[Mini Arcade Alert!]

contra pocket player is out:

https://www.myarcadegaming.com/collections/featured-products/products/bubble-bobble-pocket-player

 

yes, i know the link says bubble bobble:

 

CONTRA Pocket Player™

Includes fully playable arcade versions of Konami’s run-and-gun classics, CONTRA and SUPER CONTRA. Features My Arcade’s CO/VSTM Technology which allows you to link your Pocket Player with a friend’s for co-op play.

• Includes 2 games, arcade version of Contra and Super Contra.
• Allows for CO-VSTM functionality for co-op action (CO-VSTM cable included).
• 2.75” full color backlit display.
• Powered by either 4 AA batteries or by any Micro-USB cable (not included).
• Built-in front facing speaker, volume control and 3.5mm headphone jack.
• Compact size and included lanyard make for perfect on-the-go gaming

 

GAMES

1. CONTRA -Run, jump, and shoot to defeat Red Falcon and his army.
2. SUPER CONTRA- Defeat aliens and possessed comrades with new weapons and power ups.  

INCLUDED
CONTRA Pocket Player™, CO/VS™ cable, lanyard, user guide

ITEM NUMBER
DGUNL-3281

UPC
845620032815

PACKAGING DIMENSIONS
6.50 x 5.25 x 1.75 in (W x H x D)

PACKAGED WEIGHT
0.55 lb

 

later

-1

[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

cooltoy will be doing a preview of marvel pinball:

 

 

later

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[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

Numskull Dig Dug uses Namco ROM revison 1:
-----------------------
Slow Boards level 136   Killscreen level 256
====================================
Here is gameplay for these levels: 137-157

 

You can see the enemies are slowly speeding up
throughout these levels.

 

Will try to get to the killscreen after.

 

later

-1

[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

Numskull is using Namco Dig Dug Rev 1:

------------------------------------------------------------------

Slow Boards - level 136 Killscreen - Level 256

Here is a preview:

Level 130, the fygar moves slowly when it is at the top of the screen.  (not shown)

Video starts on level 131

 

Level 136 - All enemies go back to being 'frozen', but every level until the killscreen, they start speeding up again.

 

 

 

 

later

-1

 

 

 

[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

here is a maxout score on the numskull machine, 999990  on easy settings 10k/40k and every 40k

 

 

 

later

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[Akka Arrh - Coming to mame hopefully]

1 hour ago, mr_me said:

Is arcade1up coming out with a home console collection?

 

Technically, all atari 5200 trakball games are analog joystick games.  The atari 5200 trakball emulates an analog joystick and doesn't output true trackball signals from its connector.

Yes, they have 3 novelty giant joystick games coming out : 1 pac-man one, 1 disney one, and 1 atari one, 

which is a gigantic 2 foot tall atari 2600 joystick:

 

 

1 hour ago, Supergun said:

...so “ARCADE” 1-up is adding a home console game to their lineup...

 

...

 

...

 

ok

 

they did on one of the fighting cabinets.

 

but they have released 2 HDMI plug and plays, 1 megaman series one, and 1 NAMCO one which is all arcade versions.

 

later

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[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

5 minutes ago, wongojack said:

Great review - thanks!

 

Question though, wouldn't a grade of B equate to a 4/5?

Maybe, but it doesnt map directly. I thought B+ 4, A- 4.5 and A 5/5

 

my point is, its great for looking at, but not so much for playing

with getting cramps or repetitive stress.

 

also i'm not sure the tiny joystick can put up with handling

you need to play the game properly.

 

later

-1

[Mini Arcade Alert!]

Got my numskull Quarter scale - Dig Dug machine.

 

Unboxing:

 

 

Gameplay up to a million:

 

 

Review :

 

 

later

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[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

ok people, sit back and relax.

here's the review for new numskull dig dug quarter arcade.

dig dug is an natural choice for numskull. they have been
going through all the big hits from namco. so it was just
a matter of time.

 

this was supposed to come out a few months ago in 2020,
but got pushed back to december.

 

dig dug is a very popular namco/atari title which has a lot of fans,
due to its colorful look, and basic gameplay. it also offers challenges
for intermediate and expert players looking for more. it is pattern
based, so you can eventually learn several patterns to go through
the repeating levels.

 

these are my opinions.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

tldr version:
==============================
controls are not arcade accurate - but actually, 
and surprisingly do the job for average players,
they are subpar for intermediate and expert players

 

games play near arcade accuracy - framerate, and response is decent, 

 

graphics are blocky and pixelly 

 

sound - decent, loud enough but not overdone

 

screen angles are shallow - but are pretty vibrant enough in most cases
                          - color is slightly dimmer than usual
===================================================================================

the long review follows:

 

i am going to go into gameplay details,
response times, and control mechanics for the games i know.

================================================================================
background -
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
i have been playing videogames from the days of pong, breakout and space invaders
i stopped playing them in the late 90's, and 00's when deluxe units were the norm.

i do know most of the atari, williams, namco, and capcom library inside and out.

i am NOT an expert at every game, but have played all of them either extensively
in the arcade when they originally came out, at home in MAME, and in pretty much
every port on PC, console, and remake that has come out.

hardware control experience

----------------------------

 

i have used arcade controls, buttons, trackballs and spinners since they came out.

i have home versions of those controls, and actually don't use dpads or analog stick
on any console unless i'm forced to.

my preference is always dedicated controls for arcade games

arcade gaming habits
-----------------------
i play arcade games, or ports pretty much every day, through the 80's, i stopped
in the 90's, and then picked up mame, and played it every day for a few years.
stopped again, until the 2nd year of the xbox 360. got gameroom, and pretty much
every arcade game, and port on those systems. i have continued this when ports
started showing up on the xbox one. i have played them on the playstation also,
but only the original and PS2, and now the PSP 2000.

lately, over the last couple of years, i have been playing arcade ports and games
everyday for a least a few hours. i usually place in the top 1-10 place on games
that i'm an expert in, and below that on other games.

 

 

as far as dig dug is concerned, i've mastered that game early on,
back when it was originally in the arcades. it took a few weeks
of playing, and watching someone else do patterns. then the
joystick magazine came out with other patterns and strategies.

i was able to flip the machines score at 1 million multiple times,
on the standup and cabaret versions. never saw the cocktail version though.

 

 

i've recently gotten back into dig dug over the last few years,
and have topped the leaderboards on steam, xbox live, and others.
the scores stop tracking at 1 million, so theres no point in playing
further unless you go for a world record, or personal best. (mines 1.7 million).

i can still play it pretty well, and just have to touch up on my
patterns. i should be able to hit the killscreen with some practice,
although this version is the namco 5 man total, which makes it a
lot tougher.

 

======================================

now with that out of the way, lets get to the actual quarter scale version

 

time spent playing
==========================================================================
i have spent a few hours playing dig dug

dig dug - numskull quarter arcade
==========================================================================
condition - these machines are pre-assembled, all you have to do is plug them in.
due to the scaled down size, they are using custom buttons and joysticks,
even miniaturized volcano start buttons. there is also a working coin
door with the slots being used for credits.

durability - the unit is constructed fairly well, it has significant weight
for its size. it does wobble, when you are playing, because of the movements
needed during the gameplay.

the control panel is solid, and supports both hands easily, 
although you will using your fingers mostly for the actions.
the marquee does light up (optionally)

ergonomics - this is the main problem with the machine, YES, the game is playable,
but your fingers will get cramped, and so will your arms if you play it for any
length of time. i managed to play for about 20 minutes for my first game, and
later on a 40 minute game, and it was painful.

 

visuals - the artwork is printed in decent quality, scaled and cropped to
fit, and same with everything else on the control panel (omitting the instructions).
it looks well done, and mine didn't have any scratches or marks on it.

 

screen - the screen is an 4 inch LCD screen that is of average quality.
not great on the viewing angles, but with the distance that you will be
sitting to play this, it is actually decent in size, and clarity.
the colors are a little dimmer than expected.

 

gameplay - dig dug
======================================================================================
dig dug is a very basic game. you control your player with 1 four directional joystick,
and 1 pump button.

 

to emulate the arcade, they've placed 1 button on either side of the joystick.

due to the limited space on the control panel, the buttons are placed very close to
the joystick, so you have to alter your gameplay.

 

since i play with my right hand, i found that switching to the left during
the end of levels and between rounds gave me some rest before each level.

i played several games and noted the following:
-----------------------------------------------
1) namco revision of the game
   - i don't know if its version 1 or 2 yet, i still have to play it much further
   - the 2nd version had bug fixes due to killscreens, and gameplay slowdown in latter levels

 

2) default settings which are adjustable
HARD  - 3 men start, 1 extra at 20k, 2nd extra at 60k thats it.
EASY - 3 men start, 1 extra at 10k, extras every 40k

 

3) game allows unlimited continues, but resets your score back to 0

 

4) highscores are saved when machine is unplugged

 

5) new loading screen

i scored 200k on the first game ending around level 18.
continued a few times, and then got to level 110, and 1 million.

 

this is good enough for now. after level 11, 12-15 repeat every 4 levels.
after level 32, the boards speed up until the 50's.

 

if this version has slowdown, it will occur around level 136 or so.
if it has a killscreen it will be at level 256.

 

i probably won't get that far playing normally, but with continues
to find out.

 

i will get to a million, and flip the score (999,990->0), and post a
video when i get a chance.

 

as far as emulation goes, i did not detect any noticeable lag in the
gameplay. the sound was mostly accurate, and at a decent level.

=======================================================================================
Final thoughts
----------------
A valiant, but in the end ok experience, 
unless you're going for nostalgia,
and love dig dug, and are ok with the compromises.

 

overall, i would give numskull dig dug a grade of B for effort.
A for quality and longevity, B for emulation, A for graphics,
C for controls.

 

So an average of B overall grading, or 3/5 stars for the price.
---------

Take into account how much you like dig dug, and that this will
mostly be a collectable, thats not really for playing, unless
you want to risk some pain in your hands.

---

the price was not really a factor to me, although its a little higher than i
thought. and for a little bit more, you can get an arcade 1up countercade,
or even more for a partycade, and finally about triple that for a version
thats included in the 3/4 sized arcade 1up cabinets.

 

i don't recommend these quarter scale machines to anyone looking for accurate gameplay,
arcade quality controls, or bargains. they are mostly for collectors,
and fans of the game.

 

other options will suit your needs much better than these.

later
-1 

[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

Here is combined gameplay of first game showing 200k up to level 18, and then i continued a few times.

Then played another full game for 40 minutes, and started getting video of gameplay from 400k-1 million.

 

Just stopping short of flipping score, and got to level 110. Will play again to see if it has the slow boards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

later

-1

[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

Here are pictures of my numskull dig dug unboxed:

------

 

 

 

later

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[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

supreme branded mortal kombat:

 

 

later

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[Akka Arrh - Coming to mame hopefully]

The next game coming from Arcade 1up is another prototype:

 

About Xari Arena

Xari Arena is an original, unreleased game for the Atari 5200 that was programmed by John Seghers back when he was working for Atari. The game never saw release, and an earlier version has been available for some time in digital form. Xari Arena is one of the few unique titles for the Atari 5200 that was not released on any other platforms.

Archivist Ken Van Mersbergen recently uncovered a newer version of the game, and one of the changes was the addition of Trak-Ball support

 

 

This will be included on another unit they have.

 

later

-1

[Budget Atari and Capcom arcade cabinets to see release this fall!]

I have modded my Pac-Man gen 1, to use the Arcade 1up Pac-Man 10-1 HDMI plug and play:

==========================================================

Arcade 1up - Hybrid system
==================================================
arcade 1up - 10-1 HDMI plug and play - Pac-Man 

Goal - Use it in 3/4 Stand up Pac-Man GEN 1

 

===========================================
Time to completion, about 1 hour.

 

Now, I can switch easily back and forth with this 10-1
featuring many exclusive games, that are usually on the
partycade, and a few that haven't even been on any standup.

 

Additionally, i could swap out with Atgames blast, but it
only has wireless controls.

 

Difficulty level of Mod : Beginner.

 

Rationale:
=========================================
Reuse    - Arcade 1up plug and play unit

Controls - Superior USB Joystick over wireless gamepad

Graphics - Using LDVS adapter - can control Brightness,
           Contrast, Gamma

Aspect ratio - 4:3, fullscreen, zoom

Volume  - Full 0-100 internal, and external volume
        - Stereo Sound

Price - Much cheaper than getting a partycade

Simplicity - No drilling, soldering needed, only unscrewing
             a few screws.
================================================

 

games: Comparison with Atgames Arcade Blast
and Arcade 1up Pac-man 8-1 Partycade
=====================================
Namco Arcade Blast
===============================
Pac-Man                 - on 8-1
Galaga                  - on 8-1
Galaxian                - on 8-1, standup
Dig Dug                 - on 8-1, standup
Mappy                   - on 8-1, standup
Pacmania                - on 8-1, standup
New Rally-X             - on A1up HDMI
Sky Kid                 - Exclusive
Tower of Druaga         - Exclusive
Xevious                 - Exclusive

 

Arcade 1up pac-man HDMI
================================
Pac-Man                 - on 8-1, standup, Namco Blast
Galaga                  - on 8-1, standup, Namco Blast
Dig Dug                 - on 8-1, standup, Namco Blast
mappy                   - on 8-1, Namco Blast
Pac-Mania               - on standup, Namco Blast
New rally-x             - Namco Blast
Galaga 88               - Exclusive
rolling thunder         - Exclusive
super xevious           - Exclusive
Dragon Spirit           - Exclusive
===================================

 

Quick and Easy 10-1 Mod to Arcade 1up
-------------------------------------
I had the Pac-Man Gen 1 3/4 cabinet.

parts needed
------------
LDVS HDMI adapter
USB Joystick (Used Mayflash arcade stick)
External Stereo Speakers
Various HDMI,USB cables
Power adapter for LDVS
Power adapter for Pac-Man plug n play

Cost
-------
$20 LDVS adapter
$50 USB Joystick
$50 Pac-Man plug and play
----
$120

Steps and Disassembly
===============================
A) You only need to loosen the screws on the size
holding the marquee an top parts in.

B) Also you only need to remove the 8 screws on the
brackets inside holding the monitor and bezel.

Rotate the bezel with monitor attached
===========================================
1) I did not fix my cabinet completely, when rotating the monitor.
To do it properly you should get a proper horizontal bezel. I just
rotated mine, in the slot, and used the screws, and the control
panel to keep it together.

If you try to force it, you will notice it is about 2 inches wider
than it needs to fit. Also the top panels and marquee will not
stay in place either.

Attach the LDVS adapter
------------------------------------------
A) Remove the Arcade 1up connectors from the back of the
monitor, the only connector you need will go into the
video adapter.

B) Plug in power to the adapter

C) Plug in HDMI cable from Plug n play

D) Adjust video

E) Plug in audio cable for sound into adapter

F) Power up Plug and play
====================================

Close up back of the cabinet.

At this point you can use the wireless controller.

I have plugged in a USB joystick.

Additional 
==================
At some point you can get a USB adapter mounted into
the control panel, and add all the buttons also.

 

Here's a video of gameplay of all the games included:

 

 

later

-1

 

[Arcade 1UP - Series 1 Countercades]

the new galaga rev 2 countercade has galaga 88 on it:

 

 

 

 

 

later

-1

[Atari Ultimate Dual Arcade Fight Stick with Trackball]

1 hour ago, Cousin Vinnie said:

how do you adjust the trac ball sensitivity on this thing? its driving me bonkers

adjust it from the software emulator. usually there are settings. 

in most cases its pretends to be a mouse, so adjust the mouse settings of the device.

 

later

-1

[THE DIG DUG THREAD!]

first review of the new quarter arcade dig dug : looks great

 

 

later

-1

[Atari Ultimate Dual Arcade Fight Stick with Trackball]

2 hours ago, bfollowell said:

I guess there's always that one person...

 

And I'm the same way. If I get burnt by something or someone, I'm done.

 

I have to admit though, after all the reviews I've read and watched and all the research I've done, which was extensive, you're the only person that I've come across that's had anything even remotely bad to say about them, their products, or their service.

 

I'm sorry that you had issues with them, but I'm undaunted, at least so far.

 

They do a great job at suppressing people, hiding facts, banning people, and removing posts that they don't like.

 

that's why you find anything bad about them. they do a real good job of covering up all the problems, and issues with their hardware.

 

later

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