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


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If you missed out on the pre-orders and want a Centipede, Asteroids, or SF2, Gamestop is now showing these as available and ready to ship in 24 hrs...

 

Rampage is still showing a 10/20 release date.

 

Rampage seems to be the in demand game - of the places that you can buy cabs now, Rampage is still delayed until next month (like you pointed out at GameStop).

 

This could be for any number of reasons.

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Sweet, where did you score it at?

 

You may be the first guy in this never ending thread to actually have one. icon_smile.gif

 

ThinkGeek - had no idea they had physical stores.

 

Now I know.

 

Will have to go back and really check the store out - it was like stepping into a holodeck version of their web site, and I really dig the stuff they sell. I was pressed for time so the cab was my only reason for going and I had to leave once it was paid for.

 

Its close enough to me to take a trip back and bring the family, there is definitely something for everyone.

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ThinkGeek - had no idea they had physical stores.

 

Now I know.

 

Will have to go back and really check the store out - it was like stepping into a holodeck version of their web site, and I really dig the stuff they sell. I was pressed for time so the cab was my only reason for going and I had to leave once it was paid for.

 

Its close enough to me to take a trip back and bring the family, there is definitely something for everyone.

 

Aren't they a part of Gamestop? That would make sense they had one.

 

At any rate, I just checked out their website and no store anywhere near me. Too bad, looks cool, my son would love going there. Enjoy the new Centipede, looking forward to your thoughts on it when you get it up and running.

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Got my Centipede unit earlier this week. Pre-ordered from Gamestop on September 6. Love it. I wasn't too interested in the others but I had to have Centipede. You can play most of the games on the other Arcade 1up cabinets reasonably well on numerous platforms nowadays. But to properly play Centipede and Millipede you really need a trackball and a vertical screen. So when this came along for $300 I was sold.

 

First let's address the size. I don't have the riser yet but it will add one foot to the height. This will almost exactly match the height of a cabaret cabinet. If you're ok with playing on a cabaret then you should have no complaints about the size of these Arcade 1up units. Without the riser it is strictly a sit down affair. I thought this would be awkward but it's a lot like playing on a cocktail unit, but with an upright screen.

 

It took me about an hour to assemble with a screwdriver in one hand and a beer in the other. A second person would have been helpful for a couple of steps but I managed alone. Build quality is ok for home use. It's particle board, you have to be careful not to over-tighten the screws or you'll strip the wood. It's not built as stout as a real arcade cabinet but it's also not $2000. The art work is bright and glossy. I had no issues with chips or scratches as some others have reported. I didn't notice any dead pixels either, though the games on this cabinet have mostly black backgrounds so I probably wouldn't notice anyway.

 

The games play spot on, sound great and look as good as you can expect on an LCD screen.

 

My only issue was initially the trackball didn't spin very smoothly. I thought I might have to take it apart and lubricate the rollers. But after I removed the trackball assembly from the control panel I noticed that it spun perfectly. Something in the fit between the trackball and the control panel was causing drag. My solution was to re-install the trackball assembly with washers between it and the control panel to act as spacers. This extra 1 or 2 millimeters did the trick. So try that if you have the same problem.

 

Should you buy it? Well for me it filled a niche. It's an inexpensive way to properly play Centipede and Millipede and the cabinet looks great. It'll never be the centerpiece of anyone's gameroom. But if you have some extra space in your gameroom then this unit will fill that space nicely and inexpensively.

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thanks for the review.

 

1) it's been said, only the top 3 scores save in centipede, do they save in any of the other games

 

2) do you think you can replace the trackball with a better one, is it a standard size

 

later

-1

The entire high score table in Centipede remains saved after powering down. Surprisingly, Missile Command high scores are lost after powering down. Not sure about Crystal Castles, I haven't been playing that game. Millipede came pre-loaded with a high score table with scores so high I haven't been able to post a high score yet, so can't comment on how it handles the scores.

 

I'm not up to speed on what a standard sized trackball is. But this trackball looks about the size of a billiard ball, if that helps.

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Yeah I think I'm pretty set on the trackball cab. My only question is which one.. the nicer looking Centipede one with the vertical monitor. Or the Deluxe Edition at Best Buy with more games, including the spinner ones, but with the wide monitor, ugly control panel graphics, and arguably less-desirable "multi-cab" style graphics/stickers.

 

I don't know yet. I'm starting to think I'll have to see them right there in front of my face and play each one before deciding.

Edited by NE146
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Got my Centipede unit earlier this week. Pre-ordered from Gamestop on September 6. Love it. I wasn't too interested in the others but I had to have Centipede. You can play most of the games on the other Arcade 1up cabinets reasonably well on numerous platforms nowadays. But to properly play Centipede and Millipede you really need a trackball and a vertical screen. So when this came along for $300 I was sold.

 

First let's address the size. I don't have the riser yet but it will add one foot to the height. This will almost exactly match the height of a cabaret cabinet. If you're ok with playing on a cabaret then you should have no complaints about the size of these Arcade 1up units. Without the riser it is strictly a sit down affair. I thought this would be awkward but it's a lot like playing on a cocktail unit, but with an upright screen.

 

It took me about an hour to assemble with a screwdriver in one hand and a beer in the other. A second person would have been helpful for a couple of steps but I managed alone. Build quality is ok for home use. It's particle board, you have to be careful not to over-tighten the screws or you'll strip the wood. It's not built as stout as a real arcade cabinet but it's also not $2000. The art work is bright and glossy. I had no issues with chips or scratches as some others have reported. I didn't notice any dead pixels either, though the games on this cabinet have mostly black backgrounds so I probably wouldn't notice anyway.

 

The games play spot on, sound great and look as good as you can expect on an LCD screen.

 

My only issue was initially the trackball didn't spin very smoothly. I thought I might have to take it apart and lubricate the rollers. But after I removed the trackball assembly from the control panel I noticed that it spun perfectly. Something in the fit between the trackball and the control panel was causing drag. My solution was to re-install the trackball assembly with washers between it and the control panel to act as spacers. This extra 1 or 2 millimeters did the trick. So try that if you have the same problem.

 

Should you buy it? Well for me it filled a niche. It's an inexpensive way to properly play Centipede and Millipede and the cabinet looks great. It'll never be the centerpiece of anyone's gameroom. But if you have some extra space in your gameroom then this unit will fill that space nicely and inexpensively.

Thanks for this. The Centipede cab is the only one I'm interested in, and it sounds decent.

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thanks for the review.

 

1) it's been said, only the top 3 scores save in centipede, do they save in any of the other games

 

2) do you think you can replace the trackball with a better one, is it a standard size

 

later

-1

You know, I just double checked and you might be right about only the top three scores remaining saved after powering off. Weird.

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I seriously considered the Best Buy Deluxe Edition but decided on the Centipede. Main reason was I wanted the vertical monitor. Secondary reason was the mashed up cabinet art makes the Deluxe look like just another multi-cab.

 

That's pretty much why I canceled my Best Buy pre-order. If they had dressed up the artwork on the control panel in something other than drab grey I might have reconsidered. To me that control panel on the Atari Deluxe is very Nintendo looking and not a good look for that cabinet.

 

As long as it works and is playable, I'm not as concerned with the trackball. I've got a Tankstick and a nice Mame/Launchbox setup with bezels, etc., that has a nice trackball for all the games that use it for control. What I'm looking for is something that captures the look of an authentic cab and I think the Centipede and the upcoming Space Invaders and Pac-Man do that the best. Galaga does that to but good luck getting WallyWorld to sell you one. icon_smile.gif

 

Thanks for the detailed review.

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My only issue was initially the trackball didn't spin very smoothly. I thought I might have to take it apart and lubricate the rollers. But after I removed the trackball assembly from the control panel I noticed that it spun perfectly. Something in the fit between the trackball and the control panel was causing drag. My solution was to re-install the trackball assembly with washers between it and the control panel to act as spacers. This extra 1 or 2 millimeters did the trick. So try that if you have the same problem.

i've read several complaints about the trackball on facebook, and youtube videos:

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

- a few people had non working ones

- a few people had ones that work only in certain directions

 

- some people thinks it only works properly in some games

- a few people had the same problem you did, the trackball seemed to drag at times

 

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

 

i would say, only the people that thought it wasn't working in some games, like

in crystal castles, it was slow or laggy, might have a point.

 

 

1) i suspect that some people aren't familiar with these games, and don't know how to play them in the first place

so they don't know how they should be, but what they think it should be

 

 

2) each one of the games has a different calibration, and sensitivity, and i wonder if thats accounted for.

 

- centipede / millipede - you should be able to move the trackball slowly and quickly and have the trackball follow the speed and direction,

and not just have a linear tracking.

 

the screen is not that wide, as is millipede, so since the distance is less to cover, most people don't notice it, especially

in the vertical direction

 

- missile command - had a much larger trackball, so the force used for moving it was much more (there were also slow and fast tracking options).

also, you have to cover the entire screen, so i wonder how the tracking is for this game

 

- crystal castles - you need to be able to track speed and direction across a much larger area of the board also..

 

 

for crystal castles, centipede that trackball is 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 inches in diameter

missile command used the 4 1/2 inch ones, (just like the original atari football game)

 

millipede has a 3 inch black trackball

 

more info here :https://arcadeblogger.com/2016/07/29/the-secret-history-of-the-arcade-trackball/

 

also, the weight of the trackball is important, and having a weighted ball compared to a lighter one

impacts it also.

 

that's why i would want to replace it.

 

later

-1

Edited by negative1
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i've read several complaints about the trackball on facebook, and youtube videos:

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

- a few people had non working ones

- a few people had ones that work only in certain directions

 

- some people thinks it only works properly in some games

- a few people had the same problem you did, the trackball seemed to drag at times

 

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

 

i would say, only the people that thought it wasn't working in some games, like

in crystal castles, it was slow or laggy, might have a point.

 

 

1) i suspect that some people aren't familiar with these games, and don't know how to play them in the first place

so they don't know how they should be, but what they think it should be

 

 

2) each one of the games has a different calibration, and sensitivity, and i wonder if thats accounted for.

 

- centipede / millipede - you should be able to move the trackball slowly and quickly and have the trackball follow the speed and direction,

and not just have a linear tracking.

 

the screen is not that wide, as is millipede, so since the distance is less to cover, most people don't notice it, especially

in the vertical direction

 

- missile command - had a much larger trackball, so the force used for moving it was much more (there were also slow and fast tracking options).

also, you have to cover the entire screen, so i wonder how the tracking is for this game

 

- crystal castles - you need to be able to track speed and direction across a much larger area of the board also..

 

 

for crystal castles, centipede that trackball is 2 1/4 or 2 1/2 inches in diameter

missile command used the 4 1/2 inch ones, (just like the original atari football game)

 

millipede has a 3 inch black trackball

 

more info here :https://arcadeblogger.com/2016/07/29/the-secret-history-of-the-arcade-trackball/

 

also, the weight of the trackball is important, and having a weighted ball compared to a lighter one

impacts it also.

 

that's why i would want to replace it.

 

later

-1

Missile command cocktail and cabaret version used smaller trackballs. The purpose of the dipswitch setting is to compensate for the smaller trackball, not speedup the larger trackball. Still looking to hear knowledgeable feedback on missile command.

 

So I've heard similar things with both the trackball and spinner on the asteroids machine. That there's some physical interference with the panel and that people were able to correct it themselves.

Edited by mr_me
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Whacked out screen on Rampage...

 

Yeah - I was figuring we'd see some of these.

 

First thing I thought when the first tear-down videos were posted and you could see that the Mobo was mounted directly to the back of the LCD panel, in a sheilded box, with no venting or fans of any kind - those suckers are gonna overheat and glitch out quick. Shoulda mounted the mobo to a side or top panel away from the LCD screen, or kept it in the controller case.

Edited by John Stamos Mullet
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Dump the electronics, dump the stock controller hardware, and put more money into a Retro Pi setup and new buttons/sticks, and it's not too bad! :lol:

i'm going to repost my comments about this here:

 

this is basically an entry level machine, so people can barely figure

out how to replace the sticks and buttons.

 

this is the next step.

 

at this point, people will either decide to buy/build their own blank cabinet,

and take the next step from their to full featured or larger size ones.

 

i'm interested, (but not with a pi, but a pc), because it saves me a lot of steps

that i can't do otherwise, and although it might not be much cheaper,

its a lot less hassles.

 

obviously, to people on this board, it will be trivial.

 

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

 

this is in a way a good thing for the community i think, because it is bringing retro and classic gaming

back into the public view, in a much better way than - micro, mini, and toy consoles. they all

have their place with budget gamers.

 

this is cashing on the sentimental and nostalgia factor, but i do see a lot of questions, and possibilities of

people looking into better alternatives, building their own cabinets, buying used ones, and figuring out

different price points they are comfortable with.

 

i live in a house, so i have tons of space for arcade machines (i own 1 standup already), but i have no

desire for anymore. i would rather have some mini ones, with a few select games on them.

 

this possibility allows for that, although the recroommasters 3/4 cabinet is also a better possibility,

but with less features, as you have to supply more to get it up and running.

 

 

i look forward to seeing future enhancements that people do.

 

later

-1

Edited by negative1
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There really is no one-size-fits-all for trackball, because the different sizes definitely all have their own feel.



Try playing Centipede on an original cabinet, followed by an upright Missile Command, and the MC trackball will feel like a bowling ball. The inertia really changes the feel.



For a home-use multi-game setup, I think you just accept that it will be different from the original feel on some games; the important thing is that the ball spins smoothly and the directions register properly (i.e., no bias toward certain directions, etc.)



I've got a 3" Ultimarc U-Trak on my my MAME cabinet and it is a smooth spinning quality product, going on 8 years in service with regular use. It's also a really nice happy medium between the various trackball sizes on classic games. It wasn't cheap though (over $100 if I recall).

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Yeah - I was figuring we'd see some of these.

 

First thing I thought when the first tear-down videos were posted and you could see that the Mobo was mounted directly to the back of the LCD panel, in a sheilded box, with no venting or fans of any kind - those suckers are gonna overheat and glitch out quick. Shoulda mounted the mobo to a side or top panel away from the LCD screen, or kept it in the controller case.

Because the crash happened during a level change, it seems like maybe a software glitch.
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Arcade1up SF2 cab modded and running RetroPie...

 

 

Interesting, but if I was going to go that route I'd rather use an actual arcade cab and make it my own. I don't see the point in spending $300 only to only keep the shell and the screen.

 

I want these to work out of the box, without me having to put any work into it other than assembly (and no, I did not have time to assemble the Centipede cab I got this weekend).

 

Its the same reason I moved from PC gaming to console gaming, less work on my end.

 

But to each his own.

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Interesting, but if I was going to go that route I'd rather use an actual arcade cab and make it my own. I don't see the point in spending $300 only to only keep the shell and the screen.

 

I want these to work out of the box, without me having to put any work into it other than assembly (and no, I did not have time to assemble the Centipede cab I got this weekend).

 

Its the same reason I moved from PC gaming to console gaming, less work on my end.

 

But to each his own.

The issue there being finding a used cabinet for under $300. It's doable, but more of a snipe hunt. These are plentiful in stores, versus dealing with sketchy Craigslist or eBay characters.

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