Mini Arcade Alert!

[Tanooki]

I'll keep an eye out, but I'm not a walmart shopper so I have to have a specific reason to go there.  Spy Hunter isn't quite motivation enough until I see a lot more posts about it being a common find (or proof it is without ebay greasers wanting 2x the value or more.)  I'd still like to find a video showing a few minutes of it played though as I'm curious of the mechanics behind the special weapons and calling the truck.

[negative1]

CES 2020 from myarcade, some new wireless consoles, still haven't seen the portable SNES unit out yet.

 

 

later

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Edited January 7, 2020 by negative1

[negative1]

the myarcade Street fighter 2 looks decent. They also showed off the contra one, and portable version.

 

later

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[negative1]

The arcade 1up mini coleco players are nice.

I'm probably going to get the frogger / time pilot one.

 

There will be:

Megaman / Megaman 2

 

Ducktales / Ducktales 2

 

These will have LCD screens of course.

 

 

later

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[Andromeda Stardust]

18 hours ago, negative1 said:

CES 2020 from myarcade, some new wireless consoles, still haven't seen the portable SNES unit out yet.

 

 

later

-1

My arcade is currently the only "legal" way to play ms pacman? Ha! ?

 

Quarter Arcade is currently the only legal licensee of the arcade ROM afaik, unless you buy a $3000 Ms Pacman Galaga cab direct from Namco or one of their botique 30-in-1 home arcade models. None of the 1up or My Arcade stuff has the original Ms Pacman ROM AFAIK.

 

GCC sued Namco/Bandai for back royalties on the Class of '81 cabs mid 2000s and settled out of court. That's why we haven't seen Ms Pacman reissued since the Museum collections and TV plug-n-play until very recently.

 

The MyArcade and basic fun stuff have either Namco NES ROMs or newly programmed ports which are exempt from the deal because they don't reuse the code from GCC. Didn't they help program the superior-in-every-way Tengen ROM as well?

 

Nevermind Namco in the Japanese homeland never wanted to achknowlege Ms Pacman's existence despite it's cash cow status in the west, likely due to Xenophobia since it was western developed.

 

Now I hear through the grapevine the rights on the arcade ROM have been sold to Atgames. Not sure how I feel about that with their less than stellar Quality Assurance record...

Edited January 8, 2020 by Kosmic Stardust

[negative1]

11 minutes ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

My arcade is currently the only "legal" way to play ms pacman? Ha! ?

 

Out of all of those, only the numbskull version is the 'true' version.

 

the other ones are poor copies and clones that aren't even close.

 

later

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[Andromeda Stardust]

7 minutes ago, negative1 said:

Out of all of those, only the numbskull version is the 'true' version.

 

the other ones are poor copies and clones that aren't even close.

 

later

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Aarrrg! You ninja quoted me while I was editing the post. The Numbskull cabinets by far are the slickest looking and largest of all the mini arcades, and each one is absolutely authentic. I have Pac and Ms Pac, with Galaga on the way.

 

I am concerned they don't have to get Ms Pacman pulled due to AtGames licensing. My understanding was that Numbskull secured the license in the 11th hour right before GCC signed them over to Atgames. So it may be the only "quality" product we see with authentic arcade ROMs for a while.

 

BUY THE MS PACMAN QUARTERCADE, NOW, BEFORE IT'S GONE FOLKS. DITTO FOR PACMAN. Mine is #6731 / 10000

 

The 2004 TV Games port is actually the closest matching the real arcade (they ported the original code from Pacman and Ms pacman to display portrait mode on standard def TVs, and play nearly identically, except patterns don't work anymore in pacman due to subtle nuances) - I also have the 30th anniversary version crammed into a cigar box.

[negative1]

more myarcade stuff, SF2, contra, etc:

 

 

 

later

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[Tanooki]

I won't deny it, but that My Arcade SF2 is tempting.  I mean so is that $200-300 unit that's like 1/4 scale too, but for one old game I really rather not go that deep no matter how good it is.  Still trying to figure out where to locate that new Spy Hunter one.

[negative1]

There's a baseball game coming from myarcade, but no sign of spyhunter anywhere in pictures or video.

 

later

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[alc501]

Hi all!,

 

someone knows if is it posible at least change the games that are included in the Thumbs Up! Mini Arcade Machine? My wife bought me this machine and I have been reading about it because the games are horrible... it seems is not posible... it has a usb entry maybe by ADB or something...

 

Thanks!!!

[negative1]

the retrochamp should be out in a few weeks supposedly:

then later the super retrochamp for genesis/snes etc:

 

 

 

 

later

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[negative1]

retroralph and myarcade :

 

 

 

 

later

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[ComputerSpaceFan]

22 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Still trying to figure out where to locate that new Spy Hunter one.

 

[Tanooki]

14 hours ago, ComputerSpaceFan said:

 

Basic Fun, the ones who started using those NOAC LCD games exclusively at Walmart that started all this copy cat craze My Arcade picked up on still makes them at a slower pace.  They recently announced 2 new models, one of them is Spy Hunter and you can find it very limited in certain Walmarts around the US but very thinly spread so far.  The game isn't a NOAC but like their re-do of Galaga and Ms Pac Man, these ones are brand new coded games attempting to simulate the real arcade game.  If you can find the video online Spy Hunter clearly parrots the arcade release, somehow they dumbed the weapons array down where owners say it works well so you can use whatever you pick up on top of your machine guns.

[Andromeda Stardust]

On 1/8/2020 at 11:20 PM, Tanooki said:

I won't deny it, but that My Arcade SF2 is tempting.  I mean so is that $200-300 unit that's like 1/4 scale too, but for one old game I really rather not go that deep no matter how good it is.  Still trying to figure out where to locate that new Spy Hunter one.

I am not buying any two player fighter in a micro-arcade form factor.

 

No way those will be playable at any skill level with six buttons crammed into a space hardly bigger than my thumb, doubly so for two player cabs.

 

The quarter arcade stuff is top teir, closely followed by replicade. 

 

Sticking to 1-2 buttons plus joystick, they play great. Even replicade's centipede trackball and tempest spinner are golden.

 

But I cannot fathom playing a six-button array of tiny pea shooters... ?

 

With new two player bubble bobble machine by quarter arcade (likely fine for single player), or the replicade street fighter ii cabs with dual six button arrays, I can't fathom two people sharing those units, comfortable or otherwise.

[negative1]

13 hours ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

I am not buying any two player fighter in a micro-arcade form factor.

 

No way those will be playable at any skill level with six buttons crammed into a space hardly bigger than my thumb, doubly so for two player cabs.

 

The quarter arcade stuff is top teir, closely followed by replicade. 

 

Sticking to 1-2 buttons plus joystick, they play great. Even replicade's centipede trackball and tempest spinner are golden.

 

But I cannot fathom playing a six-button array of tiny pea shooters... ?

 

With new two player bubble bobble machine by quarter arcade (likely fine for single player), or the replicade street fighter ii cabs with dual six button arrays, I can't fathom two people sharing those units, comfortable or otherwise.

They may not work for you. But for kids they will be fine.

 

Also the vast majority of people will only play them a few times, and stick them on a shelf.

 

I've said many times that most of these units aren't meant for playing for real.

 

Yes, the numbskull and replicade ones might have OK controls, but i would never play them,

because playing for hours on a cramped miniature cabinet is bad for your hands and fingers.

 

later

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[Tanooki]

At this point in time, I would and could not care less about playing that two player.  It would be a fun desk toy distraction and that's it.  So if SF2 was a solid version, arcade, snes, pce, whatever and it didn't have some gummy wonky control.  I've got that Neo Geo Mini Int'l though you can get those USB game pads for it and use that on a TV.  The stick it has and size of the buttons while on the smaller side are fantastic and don't skip a move so it's good for play.  I know these Basic Fun units are a step smaller I've touched the MK1 Genesis-ish port thing and its getting down there to uncomfortable boxy controller/game pad size.  I had at one point considered that $200 1/4 size street fighter where the 2nd controller hides in a cabinet in the back and attaches via USB but I just can't justify it.

[negative1]

2 hours ago, Tanooki said:

At this point in time, I would and could not care less about playing that two player.  It would be a fun desk toy distraction and that's it.  So if SF2 was a solid version, arcade, snes, pce, whatever and it didn't have some gummy wonky control.  I've got that Neo Geo Mini Int'l though you can get those USB game pads for it and use that on a TV.  The stick it has and size of the buttons while on the smaller side are fantastic and don't skip a move so it's good for play.  I know these Basic Fun units are a step smaller I've touched the MK1 Genesis-ish port thing and its getting down there to uncomfortable boxy controller/game pad size.  I had at one point considered that $200 1/4 size street fighter where the 2nd controller hides in a cabinet in the back and attaches via USB but I just can't justify it.

I still have to write a serious review of the myarcade Namco multigame system.

 

It has terrible controls like all their other machines. And even though i can play some of the games

for hours one one credit, I just can't get used to the miniature joystick crammed up to the left hand side.

 

The gameplay is arcade accurate for most of the games.

 

But i don't see myself hitting killscreens on galaga (the no shoot bug doesn't work), or pac-man or dig dug either.

I could probably hit 1,000,000 but even that's a stretch.

 

later

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[Tanooki]

Honestly with all the delays and them asking a premium over the Data East one I forgot that Namco tabletop even existed until you brought it up.  I didn't mind the control on the other one, but then again I don't just hyper focus on like a half dozen games and get roll over and break the game/score table level of accurate with it to see such little things.  I was thinking of how My Arcade would either hack something or port something for their SF2 mini tabletop unit like they did that asinine hatchet job on Mortal Kombat removing everything 'mortal' about it including every fatality.

[deckardbr]

On 1/12/2020 at 3:22 PM, negative1 said:

I still have to write a serious review of the myarcade Namco multigame system.

 

It has terrible controls like all their other machines. And even though i can play some of the games

for hours one one credit, I just can't get used to the miniature joystick crammed up to the left hand side.

 

The gameplay is arcade accurate for most of the games.

 

But i don't see myself hitting killscreens on galaga (the no shoot bug doesn't work), or pac-man or dig dug either.

I could probably hit 1,000,000 but even that's a stretch.

 

later

-1

 

Wait you play the myarcades for hours on one credit but speak against the Replicades and Numskulls (which are far superior with amazing controls) because they are small and will cramp your hand?  Ok then.  They are literally almost the same size.  The quality on Numbskulls are even superior to Arcade1up.  So your willing to pay for a somewhat accurate but not really Galaga Arcade1up but speak against the smaller more accurate versions from other companies?

 

[negative1]

3 hours ago, deckardbr said:

 

Wait you play the myarcades for hours on one credit but speak against the Replicades and Numskulls (which are far superior with amazing controls) because they are small and will cramp your hand?  Ok then.  They are literally almost the same size.  The quality on Numbskulls are even superior to Arcade1up.  So your willing to pay for a somewhat accurate but not really Galaga Arcade1up but speak against the smaller more accurate versions from other companies?

 

yes, exactly. i would never recommend the numbskull and replicade versions to anyone except collectors

that will put them on a shelf.

 

i haven't tried one in person, but i can tell just from the videos and reviews that they would

be terrible to play with, pac-man, centipede, and tempest require much more precision than those.

 

at least the myarcade control is big enough for most of the games, and has a much wider selection currently

for a fraction of the price.

 

and what do you mean they aren't accurate. i have yet to notice any difference on the arcade 1up galaga

standup version.

 

 

later

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Edited January 14, 2020 by negative1

[deckardbr]

20 hours ago, negative1 said:

yes, exactly. i would never recommend the numbskull and replicade versions to anyone except collectors

that will put them on a shelf.

 

i haven't tried one in person, but i can tell just from the videos and reviews that they would

be terrible to play with, pac-man, centipede, and tempest require much more precision than those.

 

at least the myarcade control is big enough for most of the games, and has a much wider selection currently

for a fraction of the price.

 

and what do you mean they aren't accurate. i have yet to notice any difference on the arcade 1up galaga

standup version.

 

 

later

-1

 

Understandable.  I didn't mean to come off too snarky but I have all the Numbskulls they've made so far and really enjoy them.  I also have the Replicades.  I think you should give one a try if you find them for a good price.  I enjoy reading your reviews and I'm a big mini arcade, tabletop fan.

 

 

[Andromeda Stardust]

I got a question for you gurus. I bought the Pacman edition Numbskull Quarter arcade from geekstore.us (yes, it is still in stock there), number 06731/10000. Out of the box, it had the 5 lives / 15000 pts variant 1.30_5 firmware. Apparently they did update it before it shipped. I have played it considerably over the past week or so. Recently as of this evening, I installed the 1.30_3 firmware on it, and the numbskull logo splash screen does not appear on the screen when I boot it. This is in line with one of the reviewers who did an extensive review and also noted the splash screen was absent after upgrading the v1.30_3 firmware.

 

I have encountered an odd bug as well, about a half dozen times so far, typically it appears on the cherry or strawberry stage during play but could presumably happen anywhere. The controls seize up and do not respond intermittently for about 5 seconds or so. This is more than enough to kill a run.

 

I have been practicing getting a perfect pattern on the Cherry stage using a pattern, and execution can be a bit tricky. So far I've got about half of the board memorized, but I've been hit by the mysterious input bug about 3 or 4 times now and it ruins me every time. I may revert to the 5 lives version (which was already preinstalled) if this bug keeps surfacing.

 

@negative1, you have made it abundantly clear that you do not find any merit besides shelf collectiblity on these mini arcade machines, and that is fine. Is it necessary to voice this opinion on every single post in the thread? I have played my replicate centipede and Tempest more times than you could count. Ditto for the Knumbskull Pacman and Ms Pacman (and Gagaga whenever it decides to get here). If the machine is accurate enough that I can run patterns (input bugs aside), that gets a pass in my book...

[negative1]

30 minutes ago, Kosmic Stardust said:

@negative1, you have made it abundantly clear that you do not find any merit besides shelf collectiblity on these mini arcade machines, and that is fine. Is it necessary to voice this opinion on every single post in the thread? I have played my replicate centipede and Tempest more times than you could count. Ditto for the Knumbskull Pacman and Ms Pacman (and Gagaga whenever it decides to get here). If the machine is accurate enough that I can run patterns (input bugs aside), that gets a pass in my book...

hello kosmic,

 

yes, it is necessary to constantly remind people that these expensive machines are for collectors,

and not for people that are serious about playing.

 

i don't care how accurate it is, if it's not ergonomically built, then forget it.

that's why i'm not going to buy any tiny impulse cocktail or cabinets for serious play.

 

i did play the tiny impulse pac-man for half an hour to get to 100k as a challenge, and it was torture.

i can't imagine how much worse it will also be on the numbskull machine.

 

i noticed that tempest has 2 different size spinners. 1 for 'play', and 1 for 'show', which means neither

one will be accurate. when you shrink machines down too much, the physical aspects of the controls

start showing, and with these machines, while very nice looking, suffer from playback. if you start

making them bigger, like arcade 1up countercade/wallcade size, then you can actually play them.

and now with arcade countercade v2 starting at $99, its actually a much better value, and each

machine also has 2-3 games on them.

 

the basic fun, and myarcade units aren't really any better, but at least they are so cheap,

most people don't care if they aren't arcade accurate.

 

if you can only last for about 5 minutes, then by all means, please push these overpriced desk ornaments

on people. my attention lasts longer than that.

 

if i ever see some expert gameplay on any replicade or numbskull machine, maybe that

would be impressive. but i doubt i'll ever see anyone even try.

 

later

-1

Edited January 15, 2020 by negative1