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


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As reported by Polygon, Tastemakers is releasing a new Arcade1Up series of 4 foot tall home arcade machines for just $399 each. Set to come out this fall, the only catch is that these 3/4 scale arcade machines have to be self assembled, although Tastemakers is promising that the process is a simple one.

 

The Centipede headline cabinet also comes with Breakout, Millipede, and Missile Command, and features a trackball, which is good for everything but Breakout, which really needs a spinner. The Asteroids Deluxe headline cabinet also comes with Asteroids, Major Havoc, and Tempest, and features the classic Asteroids-style button configuration, as well as a spinner, which is needed for both Tempest and Major Havoc. The Capcom machine appears to just have Street Fighter 2.

 

All of these cabinets feature a 17" LCD screen. While that rules out a true vector display for the Asteroids Deluxe machine, I have to say that that one is the most appealing to me because of the more authentic controls. Of course, the Centipede machine does have a certain appeal, even if I can't see myself enjoying Breakout with a trackball. Hopefully the Tastemakers custom emulator is up to snuff and the build quality is reasonable considering the amazingly low price.

 

arcade1up_asteroids_centipede_3000.jpg

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4' sounds little ... too small for authenticity and comfort, too big for a room without moving stuff around to compromise.

 

Remember the paperboard Midway Mini-arcades that were sold in Target stores around 2005 or so? They had 13" CRTs and wimpy control panels. These new offerings sound a lot better, but I wonder if the market can bear $400 dedicated units when you can get a Pandora box (with many more games) for less than $200.

 

I note that commenters on Polygon are already whining about not getting a CRT. ;-)

 

Does anyone know where/how these will be sold? I would love to try one out in person. Build quality is everything.

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As reported by Polygon, Tastemakers is releasing a new Arcade1Up series of 4 foot tall home arcade machines for just $399 each. Set to come out this fall, the only catch is that these 3/4 scale arcade machines have to be self assembled, although Tastemakers is promising that the process is a simple one.

 

The Centipede headline cabinet also comes with Breakout, Millipede, and Missile Command, and features a trackball, which is good for everything but Breakout, which really needs a spinner. The Asteroids Deluxe headline cabinet also comes with Asteroids, Major Havoc, and Tempest, and features the classic Asteroids-style button configuration, as well as a spinner, which is needed for both Tempest and Major Havoc. The Capcom machine appears to just have Street Fighter 2.

 

All of these cabinets feature a 17" LCD screen. While that rules out a true vector display for the Asteroids Deluxe machine, I have to say that that one is the most appealing to me because of the more authentic controls. Of course, the Centipede machine does have a certain appeal, even if I can't see myself enjoying Breakout with a trackball. Hopefully the Tastemakers custom emulator is up to snuff and the build quality is reasonable considering the amazingly low price.

 

arcade1up_asteroids_centipede_3000.jpg

 

Thanks Bill, they seem cool enough but does Tastemakers have any kind of history with making something this size? Seems from their website all they make are little rinky dink miniatures of other companies products.

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4' sounds little ... too small for authenticity and comfort, too big for a room without moving stuff around to compromise.

 

Remember the paperboard Midway Mini-arcades that were sold in Target stores around 2005 or so? They had 13" CRTs and wimpy control panels. These new offerings sound a lot better, but I wonder if the market can bear $400 dedicated units when you can get a Pandora box (with many more games) for less than $200.

 

I note that commenters on Polygon are already whining about not getting a CRT. ;-)

 

 

I think 3/4's size is actually a reasonable compromise for something on the casual side, especially considering the price, and especially considering how people don't seem to mind buying the mini tabletop arcades that kind of drive me a bit nuts these days (just too small for my tastes). It's definitely going to be a seated experience for most adults I would think, though.

 

I too remember the Midway mini arcade cabinets. Pure junk. Bad TVs inside and the games didn't even fit on the screen properly (some type of overscan issue). It was essentially a cheap plug and play joystick melded into a mini arcade cabinet. The idea was sound, but the execution was obviously poor. Superficially, this upcoming release, which I imagine will make it into at least some big box stores like Target considering the reach the company has with their toy lines, seems to be similar in concept, but a big step up in relative quality. We'll see, of course.

 

And yeah, I saw all the CRT comments too. No doubt we'll see infinite "just get a Pi" comments as well. Some people lack imagination of why certain products might be a certain way for certain reasons and for certain people that are not them.

 

As part of my collection sell off, I'm getting rid of my custom 27" Wells Gardner CRT-centered arcade machine (powered by an internal PC, of course). I have no interest in having another beast in my house again, so something like these smaller, more casual - and more importantly, cheap - cabinets have some appeal.

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Thanks Bill, they seem cool enough but does Tastemakers have any kind of history with making something this size? Seems from their website all they make are little rinky dink miniatures of other companies products.

 

I have no "inside" info as of yet. It seems like SOMEONE there knows what they're doing, though, based on the game selection and matching controls. Usually a company not-that-with-it would stick a joystick on one of these and be done with it.

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I'm intrigued, but also quizzical about the 4' height. If the stock photos are to scale, that puts the controls roughly 2' off the floor. Even a child would have difficulty using the machine comfortably, maybe unless seated. Why not ape the size and profile of vintage cabaret machines instead?

 

Nevertheless, an IKEA build-it-yourself arcade cab certainly isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

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I'm intrigued, but also quizzical about the 4' height. If the stock photos are to scale, that puts the controls roughly 2' off the floor. Even a child would have difficulty using the machine comfortably, maybe unless seated. Why not ape the size and profile of vintage cabaret machines instead?

 

Nevertheless, an IKEA build-it-yourself arcade cab certainly isn't the worst idea I've ever heard.

 

I can only guess that maybe it's because to the average person THIS is what an arcade machine looks like.

 

I too would prefer something with less of a compromise in terms of height (even if it was on a pedestal type thing), but I'm willing to keep an open mind and hope that it works when seated (just get a good adjustable bar stool).

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I built my mini so you could put it in front of your couch and sit to play it...the controls are maybe 2 feet up. It's made from two black walmart bookstands.

 

tkQiEc4.jpg

 

OTOH it cost me like 200-300 in parts for the TV, x arcade, marquee, and it took me a few hours to put it together. Maybe 400 ain't awful for a premade kit. I'd buy one...once they go on sale.

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I have no "inside" info as of yet. It seems like SOMEONE there knows what they're doing, though, based on the game selection and matching controls. Usually a company not-that-with-it would stick a joystick on one of these and be done with it.

That's a good point -- Atari themselves have done that often enough to make us very cynical.

 

I would think that high quality microswitches could be built in at this price nowadays. Here's hoping.

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4' sounds little ... too small for authenticity and comfort, too big for a room without moving stuff around to compromise.

 

Remember the paperboard Midway Mini-arcades that were sold in Target stores around 2005 or so? They had 13" CRTs and wimpy control panels. These new offerings sound a lot better, but I wonder if the market can bear $400 dedicated units when you can get a Pandora box (with many more games) for less than $200.

 

I note that commenters on Polygon are already whining about not getting a CRT. ;-)

 

Does anyone know where/how these will be sold? I would love to try one out in person. Build quality is everything.

 

Not entirely. Ever play a caberet arcade? They're about the same 3/4 size all around. I've played on a few over the years with varying display types from a SF2 unit to Klax and others. It works fine. You either annoyingly hunch over, or treat it kind of like a taller cocktail and just get a stool and it's fine. I doubt they'll be too far down the crap scale as the Midway atrocity. Perhaps similar with the wrap style and some particle board frame but with a 17" screen and a pair of decent arcade style speakers it should be fine. A good part of the cost is negated having it IKEA style.

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I can only guess that maybe it's because to the average person THIS is what an arcade machine looks like.

 

That was my thought as well. But given the proportions of the thing relative to its size, I can't help but wonder who this is being designed for. Most people would have to place it on a riser of some kind for it to be usable. Unless, as you alluded to, there was a separate base or stand made available for it.

 

I'm not going to piss too much into the cornflakes, though--it's still early and we don't have many details yet. We'll see what happens with this. :)

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That was my thought as well. But given the proportions of the thing relative to its size, I can't help but wonder who this is being designed for. Most people would have to place it on a riser of some kind for it to be usable. Unless, as you alluded to, there was a separate base or stand made available for it.

 

I'm not going to piss too much into the cornflakes, though--it's still early and we don't have many details yet. We'll see what happens with this. :)

 

Well, what did people do with those crummy Midway cabs? I know that when used in store displays, they were often placed on palettes to raise them up. So yeah, I would think it's either that, or, if you're of reasonable height, probably sit and play. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

 

As for who it's designed for, I'm sure the design is of a practical nature. Any bigger and it might not fit properly in a big box setting, or it might seem too big to place in a home, etc. Probably lots of reasons. I know I'm not at all against the idea of a smaller cabinet, but I readily admit that's because I recently went on a big downsizing-of-stuff kick. I could see myself potentially putting this in my basement and not really cluttering the place up with too bulk like I had done previously. We'll see, I guess.

 

Really, for me, I'm not really too worried about the size. It's more the controls, emulation, and display quality. As long as those are up to snuff, I don't mind spending another $50 - $100 on either a solution to raise it higher (unlikely) or a good adjustable stool (likely, particularly since that's what I had for my previous arcade cabinet and Zizzle pinball machines). In fact, because this is strictly one player at a time, I would only need the one stool, saving even more space.

 

Of course, I've also been the guy recently whining about all those tiny arcades that are all the rage these days, hoping for more, fuller-sized tabletop creations (that again, are not DIY, since I already did that and found myself not as satisfied as a turnkey solution). So probably mentally I've been prepared for something like this more than I might have been normally.

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A couple things that are no doubt being considered, size-wise: the build-it-yourself component, and the price point. Even as small as it is, that's going to be one heavy box (or boxes). Making it any taller--and heavier, and more expensive--negates a lot of the convenience and price point appeal and sort of undercuts the whole point of the thing.

 

I don't have anything against small cabs--I love cabarets--but a scaled-down full-size cab isn't the way I'd have gone with something like this, although I can understand why they did.

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I like the idea, but $400 US seems a tad high for what you get.

 

Can you clarify? It seems like a reasonable value for a cabinet, controls, monitor, and licensed games in a turnkey package. I would frankly be even more skeptical if it were any cheaper.

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I think it's a really cool idea, and $400 doesn't seem at all bad for a brand new arcade cabinet. Even a bartop sized multicade cab tends to cost $500 to $600 to build yourself, so as long as the emulation on whatever software it's running is 100% accurate then it seems like a solid deal for the price. I love the aesthetics of the Centipede one too, it reminds me a lot of the classic Centipede cabaret cabinet.

 

 

xWLwHRO.jpg

Edited by Jin
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