Mini Arcade Alert!

[negative1]

3 hours ago, Tanooki said:

I've been thinking about that TMNT pinball again, but I'm kind of holding off until I can see someone capture the video of how it plays.  I have to wonder just if it's any good or just barely serviceable and would get boring quickly.

All of these micro sized games get very uncomfortable after long periods of time.

I doubt that would be any different. Also, they screw up your eyes.

 

I'm not sure how long you plan to play them. But even if they were boring, it wouldn't make a difference

due to ergonomics of them.

 

later

-1

[Tanooki]

Small screens have never given me an issue, but if it's uncomfortable to use then I do have a problem.

 

Currently my only new toy is the Neo Geo Mini as newegg had a 2 days long sale at $50 instead of $120 on the international model so I snapped it up.  The thing is fantastic, people and their bitching about stuff about it are just being emulation or real hardware snobs.

[+save2600]

Wait, some of you actually play these things?! I thought they were just for decoration.    

[Tanooki]

Well the Neo Geo Mini is comfy, and I do have one of those mini keychain arcades with Ms Pacman/Galaga/(hidden)Dig Dug on it and surprisingly it's fun even as tiny as it is.  They just sit on my desk for passive amusement and they're good for it.  I'd never argue them as a primary gaming device as they sit, though I have yet to try the NGM on a TV yet.

[negative1]

some reviews of the mini atari arcades, these came out awhile ago.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JItuS2YKKEQ

 

later

-1

[wolfy62]

On 12/5/2019 at 5:03 PM, Tanooki said:

Small screens have never given me an issue, but if it's uncomfortable to use then I do have a problem.

 

Currently my only new toy is the Neo Geo Mini as newegg had a 2 days long sale at $50 instead of $120 on the international model so I snapped it up.  The thing is fantastic, people and their bitching about stuff about it are just being emulation or real hardware snobs.

I couldn't agree with you more!

I purchased the neo geo Christmas mini last year,and I love it.

It looks fantastic on my big screen,certainly not as blurry or whatever people were complaining about..it looks great to me.?

Edited December 7, 2019 by wolfy62
Spelling error

[Tanooki]

10 hours ago, wolfy62 said:

I couldn't agree with you more!

I purchased the neo geo Christmas mini last year,and I love it.

It looks fantastic on my big screen,certainly not as blurry or whatever people were complaining about..it looks great to me.?

Does it now?  I know the older NGX which used stolen stuff and crappy parts Tommo slapped together was just awful on the TV, but once the firmware was hacked and you put your own emulator to play even the very blurred/fuzzed out display was nice.  I figure SNK would have learned their lesson on that, but we see those whining purists and I was like on the fence like...yeah?  nah?  I'm thinking it could just in a way come down to how poor your TV handles image to a degree, just like many TVs outside and sometimes annoyingly in game mode can get game killing display lag, weird blur, etc on stuff like this.

 

For now it's a desk toy.  I have a minihdmi-hdmi cable on my TV anyway for my UltraHDMI N64 modded system, so all I need to do is brace the thing in my lap, or buy for like $25 one of those pads they made and I could get busy.  I'm thinking I may test the visuals on my TV and if it's nice, I'd go for it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

On 12/5/2019 at 7:22 PM, save2600 said:

Wait, some of you actually play these things?! I thought they were just for decoration.    

All the time. They are kind of a mixed bag but still fun to play with. You get what you pay for, but there is a huge price disparity between the cheapo toys and boutique collectibles. All my arcades are 100% functional except the Donkey Kong ornament. Because Nintendo won't license the arcade ROMs for reproductions. It took decades of fighting bootleg Famiclones before they released the NES classic, so that's progress.

 

The quartercades / replicades are nearly as much as the Arcade 1up tabletops, and quite frankly a better value, especially given the overhaul I had to do on the control panel (new joystick, fire button, and some much needed varnish to protect the delicate print job) to get the 1up galaga cab up to my own standards. Even with the 1 foot riser, it is still too short. Lol

 

Next standup arcade I buy will be a real arcade machine. Now taking donations. Anyone wanna contribute to my Gofundme page? Lol J/K! ?

https://www.amazon.com/NAMCO-America-inc-Pac-Mans-Cabaret/dp/B07GC97M5G/

 

These pint sized arcade units are surprisingly playable if they just put a bit of effort into making reliable controls. I got like a half dozen variants of Galaga alone. The My Arcade NES ROMs at least have consistent gameplay quality absent of bizarre bugs. The Tiny Arcade and Basic Fun ports are truly a mixed bag.

 

I scored like over 110k on my Numbskull Replicade Tempest despite the plastic rotary spinner. Made it to stage 15 exactly once. The smallish dial is a bit imprecise and gets cumbersome once you hit stage 11 (the line level) and beyond.

 

I also got Galaga and Ms Pac quartercades on preorder wazzup!

 

BTW, Best Buy is clearing out the remaining stock of Replicade Centipedes for $79.99. The tiny trackball is surprisingly responsive. They are already going for 200+ on Amazon. Get them while you can. ??

 

========

 

I wanted to memtion, My Arcade just opened preorders for the Don Doko Don micro player. I do want, but I have to know if they fixed the A/B buttons on those blasted things.

 

If the buttons are still swapped (regardless of labeling) then that is a deal breaker. Any game with jump and run or jump and shoot mechanic, my muscle memory kicks in and I just die repeatedly. Sometimes I wonder how these asshats screw up something so simple. The minicades were all correct.

 

B is always on the left, numbskulls... ??‍♀️

Edited December 20, 2019 by Kosmic Stardust

[simbalion]

Our Best Buy here never got the Replicades in ever. Always had the tag on the shelf and the empty spot though! Pretty much lost my business over that as well.

[Andromeda Stardust]

4 hours ago, simbalion said:

Our Best Buy here never got the Replicades in ever. Always had the tag on the shelf and the empty spot though! Pretty much lost my business over that as well.

You're welcome! ?

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/replicade-amusements-centipede-video-game-cabinet/6264911.p?skuId=6264911

[Tanooki]

I swear if I felt I would get my moneys worth out of it I'd grab that Centipede at that price, and not only that I could have it in about an hour since the local BB 3mi from here has a supply for immediate pick up.  Now if that were SF2 I'd struggle not to buy that, I'd make a place for it as I'd use that far more.

 

Right now my newest arcade is kind of an extention -- and going by that annoying question by sav there, yeah, people DO enjoy them.

I've got that Neo Geo Mini and it's a fun desk toy I can pull away and use in my lap, and I've yet to do it but my UltraHDMI (N64) has that right style video cable, so I'd just need to drop $25 on a game pad and I could use it on my TV if I so wished it.  I also next to it retained one of those keychain mini tiny arcades that has Galaga, Ms Pac-Man and hidden DigDug too and while not perfect they're solid fun.  Same can be said on the few of those Basic Fun released NOAC style mini cabinets with NES games (and a few that don't using color or b&w LCD VFD style play.)  I have a few of those on my shelf and paid all but like $5 on average for them from second hand spots so I can't complain.  I still even retained 3 of the old Coleco tabletops too which are way out in left field for accuracy but they're awesome little point grinders.

[simbalion]

Wow, not available for store pickup withing 250 miles of my nearest store! Yeah...

[negative1]

mrs pac man looks good:

 

$170,

 

and bubble bobble:

 

later

-1

[negative1]

longer one showing galaxian, galaga, pac-man, ms pac-man:

 

 

 

later

-1

[King_Salamon]

I see Basic Fun released game number 16 in the line... Spy Hunter!  I'll be grabbing that one when I go on my next shopping trip to the states.  I never picked up the number 14 PacMan yet so it will be a fun bit of gaming!

 

Weird thing is, even though the My Arcade units are a bit bigger, I find myself enjoying the Basic Fun line a bit more.  I do really like the looks of the Bubble Bobble mini that My Arcade put out though...  lol.  

 

Anyway, back to Spy Hunter... I'm a bit surprised to see this release as I didn't expect anything until the new year... which leads me to wonder, what else is coming out?  Basic Fun usually does two new games at a time, Spy Hunter is #16... what is #17?

[Tanooki]

Someone tipped me off on facebook of all things that there's a new line (or single) release of a new My Arcade cabinet out now.  SPY HUNTER.  The box, cab art, etc looks fantastic.  I tried to ask and got nothing but silence, but I was wondering if anyone here has seen or used this, are we talking Famicom emulation, or like their recent re-do of like Ms Pac Man where it's a freshly coded game with its own quirks?  All I got was that the Peter Gunn music sounded awesome.  I used to be a sit down, stand up and NES version junkie for Spy Hunter as I could just go and go.  If this is a solid one, even with me swearing off buying these things anymore, I'd grab that.

[Andromeda Stardust]

On 12/19/2019 at 9:27 PM, Kosmic Stardust said:

 

I also got Galaga and Ms Pac quartercades on preorder wazzup!

 

Santa was good to me this year! ??

 

Waka-waka! ? • • • ＼⍩⃝／

Edited December 26, 2019 by Kosmic Stardust

[King_Salamon]

11 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Someone tipped me off on facebook of all things that there's a new line (or single) release of a new My Arcade cabinet out now.  SPY HUNTER.  The box, cab art, etc looks fantastic.  I tried to ask and got nothing but silence, but I was wondering if anyone here has seen or used this, are we talking Famicom emulation, or like their recent re-do of like Ms Pac Man where it's a freshly coded game with its own quirks?  All I got was that the Peter Gunn music sounded awesome.  I used to be a sit down, stand up and NES version junkie for Spy Hunter as I could just go and go.  If this is a solid one, even with me swearing off buying these things anymore, I'd grab that.

It's not My Arcade but rather Basic Fun who released Spy Hunter.  It's #16 in the line of Arcade Classics.

 

As for My Arcade, they are working on releasing Contra and Space Invaders next... when??  I'm not sure but they have been announced.

[Andromeda Stardust]

17 hours ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

Santa was good to me this year! ??

 

Waka-waka! ? • • • ＼⍩⃝／

Did I mention this this thing is freaking solid? What if someone took a shrink ray and put it in reverse, like in "Honey I Shrank the Kids?" It might be indistinguishable from the real deal.

 

To test this theory, I weighed Ms Pacman on a parcel scale. 5 pounds, 2 ounces. Multiply by 64 (4 cubed) yields 328 pounds. I could not find an exact figure for vintage Ms Pacman arcades, but the Ms Pac / Galaga machine was 300 pounds. Most vintage arcades are in the ~300 pound range, especially with a crt monitor.

 

That's pretty damn impressive.

[negative1]

14 hours ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

Did I mention this this thing is freaking solid? What if someone took a shrink ray and put it in reverse, like in "Honey I Shrank the Kids?" It might be indistinguishable from the real deal.

 

To test this theory, I weighed Ms Pacman on a parcel scale. 5 pounds, 2 ounces. Multiply by 64 (4 cubed) yields 328 pounds. I could not find an exact figure for vintage Ms Pacman arcades, but the Ms Pac / Galaga machine was 300 pounds. Most vintage arcades are in the ~300 pound range, especially with a crt monitor.

 

That's pretty damn impressive.

Did they leave in the dipswitch settings or turbo option (although thats not official)

 

later

-1

Edited December 27, 2019 by negative1

[Andromeda Stardust]

5 hours ago, negative1 said:

Did they leave in the dipswitch settings or turbo option (although thats not official)

 

later

-1

Note there is no "speed hack" in the original Arcade ROM, although the Class of '81 cabinets do provide that. These were typically added as aftermarket kits. You do not have to update the firmware on Ms Pacman to change the starting lives configuration as with Pacman.

 

Hold P1+P2 during boot sequence to access a dip switch settings menu.

 

Difficulty: Normal/Hard (default =normal)

(pellets expire sooner, ghosts more aggressive, Ms Pacman moves slightly faster)

Start Lives: 1, 2, 3, or 5 (default =3)

Extra life: Never, 10k, 20k, 30k (default =10k)

Coins / credit: Free Play, 1/2, 1/1, 2/1 (default =1/1)

 

Rack advance and coctail mode are not accessible. You can access a diagnostic mode by simultaneously holding C1, C1, P1, and P2 start at sny time. This will end the game in play.

 

Unlike the Replicades and Arcade 1Ups, the Numbskull Quarter Arcades do not retain high scores when turned off. Numbskull achnowleges this fact stating that emulation is authentic to the original machines, which did not contain non-volatile memory or retain high scores when powered down. I'm gonna miss seeing my top 5 in Galaga. Cest La Vie... So be sure to whip out your phone and take a pic of the screen when you are finished playing. Hope this helps.

Edited December 27, 2019 by Kosmic Stardust

[Tanooki]

On 12/26/2019 at 8:55 AM, King_Salamon said:

It's not My Arcade but rather Basic Fun who released Spy Hunter.  It's #16 in the line of Arcade Classics.

 

As for My Arcade, they are working on releasing Contra and Space Invaders next... when??  I'm not sure but they have been announced.

Well at the time I wrote that I wasn't sure, probably should have remembered to edit that if it were in the time frame.  I noticed what it was, then eventually found an owner with it who didn't bother wth a gameplay video but did video the demo part of the game with the title, and it appears to be a new coded simulation of the arcade version of the game, so it's NOT the NES game at all which does fit with their re-do of the pac game and a couple others they recoded from scratch.

[King_Salamon]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

Well at the time I wrote that I wasn't sure, probably should have remembered to edit that if it were in the time frame.  I noticed what it was, then eventually found an owner with it who didn't bother wth a gameplay video but did video the demo part of the game with the title, and it appears to be a new coded simulation of the arcade version of the game, so it's NOT the NES game at all which does fit with their re-do of the pac game and a couple others they recoded from scratch.

I'm excited to give the Spy Hunter a try.  I enjoy these little minis (and the MyArcade ones as well).  I saw someone on Facebook who was showing pics of it... I'll be looking for this one the next time I hit up a US WalMart (along with the new PacMan #14)

[Tanooki]

I checked the inventory tool people love to abuse and the upc code doesn't even create a hit for walmart it's that new.  If you find one, good luck.  Hopefully it circulates well and is done nice enough that I'd care to try and track it down as I refuse to get into an ebay battle over such things.

[King_Salamon]

31 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

I checked the inventory tool people love to abuse and the upc code doesn't even create a hit for walmart it's that new.  If you find one, good luck.  Hopefully it circulates well and is done nice enough that I'd care to try and track it down as I refuse to get into an ebay battle over such things.

I don't plan on getting this unit for a few months as our next trip to the US isn't likely until spring... by then the Spy Hunter will be available at most WalMarts… and who knows, maybe the next release as well... whatever game that will be is still a mystery.