Mini Arcade Alert!

[Tanooki]

I'd like to find a way to use an Android phone as the hardware for a tiny arcade system. I mean, everything you need for gaming is right there except the controller, and these phones have gotten ludicrously cheap over the last four years. It just seems a shame to let that potential go to waste, or e-waste as the case may be.

 

Do they have an Android launcher specifically for gaming? You know, something that throws you straight into MAME so games can be run conveniently.

I could help you partly with this, frontends exist but are your choice. Go google or check facebook for a My Arcade group. A regular there has been both tearing apart and ID'n parts but hacking the thing. He found out what butchered Chinese cheap android device was used for the screen and computer guts of the thing that runs on Android 4(KitKat.) You could find out what's going on there and duplicate it likely for notably less than the $100 device that has the 25~ Data East arcade rom sets on there using a hacked version of Droid4MAME. That would be your best bet, but if it's a PITA at your level, just get the device and add what you want into the existing stuff to save a lot of steps.

[zenmechanic]

Yeah, that regular you mention is me and I posted about it a few pages back in this very thread. PM for details or check the facebook groups that were linked.

 

 

I could help you partly with this, frontends exist but are your choice. Go google or check facebook for a My Arcade group. A regular there has been both tearing apart and ID'n parts but hacking the thing. He found out what butchered Chinese cheap android device was used for the screen and computer guts of the thing that runs on Android 4(KitKat.) You could find out what's going on there and duplicate it likely for notably less than the $100 device that has the 25~ Data East arcade rom sets on there using a hacked version of Droid4MAME. That would be your best bet, but if it's a PITA at your level, just get the device and add what you want into the existing stuff to save a lot of steps.

[atarifan88]

Does anyone have news as to what games will be released next for the Basic Fun arcade units? Obviously Defender will be one of them since it was hacked from a Joust cabinet. Just wondering which ones to look forward to!

[Flojomojo]

[Andromeda Stardust]

aah nice.. 3 new ones coming! Galaga, Dig Dug, and Frogger. I'm all over it.

Awesome. I'm definitely getting Galaga. Given the previous four games had nice solder pads on them you could wire to a dip switch selector, I'm wondering if there's a fourth not yet revealed arcade game tucked away in the ROM.

[atarifan88]

I think I would like the smaller of the mini-arcade games if they weren't so small. I mean how in the world can anyone over 45 see how to play the darn thing?! The fact that it replicates the actual arcade cabinet is awesome. I haven't heard if the sounds are accurate, but the size of that screen is just too small for me. I think I would be more excited if they were at least as big as the Basic Fun arcade cabinets. Are people actually able to enjoy playing these or are they just for decoration?

[Glen's Retro Show]

Next on Glen's Retro Show.

It's so tiny..it's HUGE!!!!

 

[NE146]

I think I would like the smaller of the mini-arcade games if they weren't so small. I mean how in the world can anyone over 45 see how to play the darn thing?! The fact that it replicates the actual arcade cabinet is awesome. I haven't heard if the sounds are accurate, but the size of that screen is just too small for me. I think I would be more excited if they were at least as big as the Basic Fun arcade cabinets. Are people actually able to enjoy playing these or are they just for decoration?

 

I can only play them in short spurts.. they're more for looking nice on the shelf I think and the game on it is just a bonus that makes it better than a Hallmark ornament.

Edited May 15, 2018 by NE146

[Skeeter]

I think I would like the smaller of the mini-arcade games if they weren't so small. I mean how in the world can anyone over 45 see how to play the darn thing?! The fact that it replicates the actual arcade cabinet is awesome. I haven't heard if the sounds are accurate, but the size of that screen is just too small for me. I think I would be more excited if they were at least as big as the Basic Fun arcade cabinets. Are people actually able to enjoy playing these or are they just for decoration?

 

I'm 63 and here's my take. They are all too small to play.

 

My son and I have started collecting these. We have all four current Tiny Arcades, six of the Walmart/Basic Fun, and Burger Time by MyArcade.* All of them are too small for my old man hands/eyes to play with much success. My son (15) can do better but for the most part they make up his mini arcade display in his room and they look nice doing that.

 

*Like a lot of others I was on the fence about Burger Time because of the NES rom. I didn't order one but MyArcade did a contest on Twitter and the prize was Burger Time. I won, and I think it's the best looking mini cab in our collection, game play aside.

 

We'll be picking up the Namco collection from MyArcade - Galaga, Dig Dug, Pac Man, are coming soon along with the new ones from Tiny Arcade. And as much as I hate those static screens on the older Basic Fun we need Asteroids and Space Invaders to complete our collection there. Anything new Basic Fun comes up with, we'll probably have to have them as well. Yeah, we're addicted.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I can only play them in short spurts.. they're more for looking nice on the shelf I think and the game on it is just a bonus that makes it better than a Hallmark ornament.

I have played mine and return to it often in small bursts. I once made it past the second animation.

 

Honestly the sound is all samples ripped from the arcade game, and the this version of Pacman seems to play slower than the arcade. There is also no "Cruise Elroy" mode where the gameplay gets more frantic as the number of remaining dots decreases. Ghosts pursue pacman at the same speed whether there's one dot left or 239. Sound plays in the demo or attract mode when it shouldn't, and Pacman starts the game facing right instead of left. Pacman continues chomping when he hits a wall. Also during the intermissions, the actual Pacman sprite appears to be scaled using a poor nearest neighbor algorithm rather than having actual large sprites like in the arcade. It's still a fun little port though...

 

Here's my top score from Xmas day (note the Christmas lights in the background), a noble attempt with 32,460 points. Also I beat the second intermission, a feat I can rarely achieve on the real arcade.

 

Had an epic game of Pacman the other night. Hit the s3cond melon stage and scored over 32k points. Will post screenshot later. I noticed there's very little to no ramp up in difficulty as you progress in stages, and it starts a bit slow to begin. A few other things are off, no "cruise elroy" mode as you eliminate pellets, and samples sometimes play back incorrectly. When you hit a wall, the sprite keeps munching instead of stops. Also the cutscene with large pacman is blurry with scaling artifacts as if they expanded the sprite. Overall it's still a decent port and fun but behind the scenes doesn't work quite like the arcade.

 

UPDATE WITH PIC:

[dgdgagdae]

It always drives me crazy that Pat pronounces the word "buttons" like a 13-year-old girl.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Andromeda Stardust]

It always drives me crazy that Pat pronounces the word "buttons" like a 13-year-old girl.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Or a gingerbread boy. Skip to 25s.

https://youtu.be/FpBJih02aYU?t=25s

[Flojomojo]

It always drives me crazy that Pat pronounces the word "buttons" like a 13-year-old girl.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Hey, at least he doesn't use or advertise for Tapatalk.

 

The world is full of diverse people, all with different ways of speaking. Of all the things to be bugged by! He's also a man-child who runs a podcast about video games, but that gets a pass.

[Flojomojo]

I can only play them in short spurts.

So says your avatar.

[Skeeter]

Just got an email, three new ones from MyArcade are now available to order. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and Galaga. According to the email, they will also be available on Amazon (they're showing Pac-Man in stock on the 21st.) and attention Walmart shoppers, they'll be available at WallyWorld as well.

 

Like the Burger Time I have, these don't appear to be using arcade ROMs. That said, from a display and collect standpoint that I have, the cabs look great. I'll most likely be adding these to the collection soon.

[OldSchoolRetroGamer]

I feel nobody asked for or wanted the titles on offer. They should have taken a poll or something offering titles unique to Colecovision or perhaps titles the original coleco had planned but never released. I have no doubt there are very specific reasons they are offering Robo-tech GBA port and Strawberry Shortcake 8bit title but nothing besides the mini cabinets says "COLECO" to me. Just comes off as another cash on marketed to the retro collector crowd because "NOSTALGIA" with zero understanding of what made the originals so cool.

[Tanooki]

That would fit with the company looking how well they and the rest handled the Chameleon both by lip service and non-development of product.

[NE146]

Just got an email, three new ones from MyArcade are now available to order. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and Galaga. According to the email, they will also be available on Amazon (they're showing Pac-Man in stock on the 21st.) and attention Walmart shoppers, they'll be available at WallyWorld as well.

 

Like the Burger Time I have, these don't appear to be using arcade ROMs..

 

So.. I'm guessing it will once again be NES Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga?.... *sigh* We'll see.

 

Anyway, so the "actual games" themselves aside, which little cab do you prefer. The larger MyArcade, or the smaller keychain-size Tiny Arcade is the question.

vs S

 

Or

 

vs

Edited May 16, 2018 by NE146

[Skeeter]

@NE146 I like them both

[Flojomojo]

 

I feel nobody asked for or wanted the titles on offer. They should have taken a poll or something offering titles unique to Colecovision or perhaps titles the original coleco had planned but never released. I have no doubt there are very specific reasons they are offering Robo-tech GBA port and Strawberry Shortcake 8bit title but nothing besides the mini cabinets says "COLECO" to me. Just comes off as another cash on marketed to the retro collector crowd because "NOSTALGIA" with zero understanding of what made the originals so cool.

 

 

They hold the rights to those other properties, so they wanted to exploit them. They still met their crowdfunding goal and can claim success, even though it doesn't feel like the output is "for us." Honestly I prefer it this way, I don't want to be tempted to put any money into their pockets.

 

 

 

 

So.. I'm guessing it will once again be NES Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga?.... *sigh* We'll see.

 

Anyway, so the "actual games" themselves aside, which little cab do you prefer. The larger MyArcade, or the smaller keychain-size Tiny Arcade is the question.

vs S

 

Or

 

vs

 

For a Mini? The ones on the left are far more visible, playable, and easy on the eyes.

[keepdreamin]

Is the end goal of gaming on these to develop Myopia?

[JBerel]

No it's in advance of the downsizing initiative that will be announced next year just like in that Matt Damon movie. You can have an arcade in your new doll house for only $20 each.

[+save2600]

Vertically oriented games should have vertically oriented monitors. Not digging the wide body look of those other cabs, but do like the bezel art. And what's with the generic console controller next to "My Arcade"? Looks silly.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Vertically oriented games should have vertically oriented monitors. Not digging the wide body look of those other cabs, but do like the bezel art. And what's with the generic console controller next to "My Arcade"? Looks silly.

The screens are all landscape mode because these are all ports of nes games. Bad Dudes... Karate Champ... Kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Not saying the games are bad, just easy to license because nobody cares...

[Flojomojo]

The screens are all landscape mode because these are all ports of nes games. Bad Dudes... Karate Champ... Kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel here. Not saying the games are bad, just easy to license because nobody cares...

For NES games, something like this "Retro FC" is a lot more palatable ... many more games, and a more ergonomic case. $25 shipped. I have one, it's fine if you like early NES games and don't need save/load/rewind etc.