ExA-Arcadia - The New Neo Geo MVS

[Shaggy the Atarian]

I know most of the talk around here is about retro/classic arcade stuff, but there are still happenings in the world of coin-op. Figured it would be good to spread the word about a new company out of Japan called 'exA-Arcadia,' and what they are doing. In full disclosure, I don't work for them and don't get paid by them in any way. I do own a unit and have it at one of my arcades (I had a custom cabinet made for it).

 

 

The basic idea behind it is to provide an offline, cartridge-based platform that can run games in an arcade setting. It's essentially a new-age version of SNK's old Neo Geo MVS. There is only one configuration at present, which allows you to insert up to four cartridges at once; it is compatible with the JVS wiring standard which is extremely common in Japan (found in NAOMI cabinets over here mostly - you can use a JAMMA harness, but need a JVS adapter). It outputs video using either DVI-D or HDMI, and has been touted to be as powerful as the new generation of consoles, although admittedly there is nothing on it yet that really seems to push the limits of the hardware. It does handle the games up to 4k and 60fps though; the launch title Aka & Blue Type-R apparently holds a record for number of bullets on the screen all at once, and it doesn't slow down. The carts themselves are small, and the company has produced them in different colors depending on the game.

 

 

They have also spent a lot of development focus on security, ensuring low input lag, and fast loading times. A firmware update came out last month that improved loading times even more so it's almost on-par with how fast MVS games used to load. Speaking of the MVS, the former US president of SNK, Paul Jacobs, recently joined the company. Paul is the one who was in charge of launching the MVS to the US back in 1990 and that was one of the most successful video platforms of the decade. 

 

The big thing of course are the games. For the most part, the selection so far has pulled titles from PC and mobile gaming, and updated them with new features to take advantage of the hardware; Or to re-balance the game so that it works appropriately for the needs of the arcade market. A lot of the content has been made for the Japan arcade market (hence the massive focus on shooters), but all of these games are available worldwide and have multiple language options.

 

Per their guidelines, all games that are ports from another platform must include some exclusive content - new characters, stages, bosses, music, etc. so that people find a reason to go to the arcade for it. This has often meant updated graphics or completely redesigned levels. As of this moment, there are nine titles available for it, although by the end of this month that will reach twelve. The released games:

 

• Aka & Blue Type-R. A vertical shoot 'em up (what do people prefer around here...STG or shmup?) in the vein of CAVE shooters. Here's a direct capture I took of this one, but I suck at the game and die a few times
• The Kung Fu Vs. Karate Champ. Conversion of Shaolin Vs. Wutang on PC, and pretty much the first 1v1 fighter we've seen in US arcades since Tekken 6. This comes with various balancing & difficulty changes, much reduced input lag on moves and features a unique character, "Best Karate." I have a full playthrough of that character here; The game is essentially a love letter to kung fu movies, allowing you to play as various likenesses of martial artists through the ages.   
• Strania EX: The Stella Machine. One of the better known names on the list, this is pretty much the final director's cut of this shmup that has graced platforms like the Xbox 360. I believe this had a special "Hell Mode" difficulty added to it for seasoned players
• Akyrios EXA. Another vertical shoot 'em up, but I haven't tried it yet.
• Chaos Code -Exact Xeno Attack-. Essentially the ultimate director's cut version of this 1v1 fighter that originally launched in JP arcades back in 2008, but has received several updates to it over the years and a PS4 conversion. This was the last game that FK Digital made before shutting their doors forever.
• Infinos EXA. Conversion of Infinos on PC, a horizontal shmup that is a spiritual recreation of Thunder Force. The TF composer produced new music for this one, and it has a special EXA game mode
• Lightning Knights. Conversion of Iron Crypticle; renamed as the arcade version has a bunch of gameplay changes to make it streamlined for arcade-play. It's essentially Gauntlet meets Smash TV, but would play better with twin sticks instead of one. I made a how-to video for this one.
• Shikhondo Red Purgatory. A vertical shmup from Korea that has some horror elements to it.
• Vritra Hexa. Think Dragon Spirt but sideways. The directors cut of this horizontal shmup that includes remastered graphics for 4K, new weapon & level select systems, a new sound track, new online score mode, & a new boss. I ordered this one and hope to have it in hand next week. Per what I've been told of the game's performance in Japan, it does really well among shmup fans and has been outearning some other games with bigger names. 

 

 

 

For upcoming games, they do have some big names in the works; Right now the one that has garnered the most attention in Japan is a new remaster of CAVE's DoDonPachi Saidaioujou. This one has been topping the earnings reports at test locations and will be out by the end of the month - a lot of locations in Japan have been chomping at the bit for it, as it's been reportedly making more money than stuff like the latest Gundam (which is usually at the top of the charts). 

 

Some of the other announced games that I'm personally interested in include the exclusive HD remaster of Mr. Gimmick (I already pre-ordered that one, it should arrive by the end of the month); the Contra-like Blazing Chrome AC, and the Ghosts 'N' Goblins like game Super Battle Princess Madelyn (which is going to be completely different from the console version, as it has no text boxes to read through, fully redesigned levels. 

 

There are several really big name titles in the works for it that I have been told about, but am not at liberty to discuss in detail - I just say that as a way to assure anyone wondering that yes, the platform is going to get some very recognizable titles on it come 2021. They are doing exceptionally well on the JP market, so that is drawing the attention of some developers over there.

 

If anyone is wondering "why is this needed?," there are a few reasons. The average cost of a brand-new arcade machine these days is about $8000. If you've seen stuff like Space Invaders Frenzy or Halo: Fireteam Raven, then those are $12k (a little over $30k for the Halo 4-player/2 screen version). The Exa is significantly under that for the hardware and even if you get a cabinet made for it, you are still well under all that. Right now, arcade ops like myself need to save money, but buying used only gets you so far. This platform also allows me to grab several brand new games a year, while normally I'm lucky to afford one or two. 

 

This is also a way to get more hardcore games to the market than before. One huge complaint a lot of people have about today's arcade games is that they are dumbed down, too much like ticket redemption (or straight up are redemption games), and only focus on a couple of genres (gun shooter, racer). This platform is bringing back forgotten genres, so the potential there is huge in my view, especially with 1v1 fighting games. I've had to rely on 20-30 year old games in that genre up until now, and people want something new, so this can do it. 

 

 

In Japan this could really save their bacon, and not just from the COVID troubles. One thing most people don't know about is the way that the JP business model works. Until the Exa came along, the last time that you could buy an offline game was CAVE's Akai Katana from 2009. Over the past decade, every game has required an online connection, which also requires a "revenue share." This means that for every 100 yen that is put into a game, the developer/manufacturer of the game gets a cut of that, leaving less for the operator. At the beginning of this year, Japan also started taxing arcades, so the amount of capital/profit that operators could have kept dwindling. To further add injury to the process, operators have to purchase the hardware for thousands of dollars, and still pay a cut (I was recently informed that for the upcoming Gundam battle pod sequel, it's going to cost $150,000 for a pair of units and Namco is charging a 20% rev share per play; You can also opt to buy them for $70,000 but then you're in for a 45% rev share). We don't really have this crazy model in the US and I'm glad, as it's hard enough to cover your costs. With the exA, you buy it once and you're done, just like in the good ol' days. 

 

So that's that for now. If you want one near you, check with a local arcade business and let them know about it. I think more locations here will become interested in it once the popular IP titles find their way to it. What do you think about it?

Edited November 13, 2020 by Shaggy the Atarian
Added MVS to title

[Shaggy the Atarian]

I just received one of the games mentioned above - here's a quick unboxing and First Play of Vritra Hexa. This feels a lot like Dariusburst Another Chronicle, with Dragon Spirit thrown in (if you squint real hard on the left in this video, you might catch a glimpse of my Dragon Saber...I should have had that on  ):

 

 

Also, exA-Arcadia has released Super Battle Princess Madelyn, bringing the total number of released games on the platform to 13. This game is significantly different than the version released to console, playing like a "better Ghouls 'N Ghosts." Trailer:

 

 

 

[Battlefish]

Think I've heard about this before. I'm glad the company is doing well so far!

[Shaggy the Atarian]

Perhaps the highest profile "bullet hell shooter" ever released, DoDonPachi is back in arcades with CAVE's DODONPACHI TRUE DEATH EXA LABEL now available exclusively on the exA.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

For Christmas, exA-Arcadia announced their last two game shipments for 2020: Gimmick! EXACT MIX and Psyvariar Delta AC. 

 

I think that Super Battle Princess Madelyn technically beats Gimmick out for the first 2D platformer to grace the coin-op scene in decades, although they're still different games. SBPM is like Ghosts N' Goblins while Gimmick is an NES platformer that's...I don't know how best to compare it, maybe SMB2 and Bonk's Adventure? That's probably way off. Either way, Gimmick! was fully developed by Exa and is exclusive to the system/arcades, they made it very clear that there is no console port coming.

 

 

Psyvariar Delta AC is based on the console shmup of the same name, with some additions like a new soundtrack. The platform has a lot of shmups already, and this follows the release of the better known DoDonPachi TDEXA, but I'm sure it'll do great in Japan:

 

 

Some more details on the link up at top, but the company has a lot more coming next year, so should be interesting to see how it reshapes the industry.

[BDW]

Excellent coverage and analysis. The system has a lot of potential.

 

I've been thinking very strongly about picking one of these systems up. Looking at the prices however it's clear the intended audience does not include home arcade enthusiasts. Over 1.5k for a single cartridge is too rich for my blood, even if I am already used to dropping thousands on a single arcade/pinball machine. I'm sure systems like this are the shot in the arm arcades will need in order to remain solvent in the covid economy but I'll be sticking to the PC games a lot of these were ported from  

[Shaggy the Atarian]

15 minutes ago, BDW said:

Excellent coverage and analysis. The system has a lot of potential.

 

I've been thinking very strongly about picking one of these systems up. Looking at the prices however it's clear the intended audience does not include home arcade enthusiasts. Over 1.5k for a single cartridge is too rich for my blood, even if I am already used to dropping thousands on a single arcade/pinball machine. I'm sure systems like this are the shot in the arm arcades will need in order to remain solvent in the covid economy but I'll be sticking to the PC games a lot of these were ported from  

Thanks. It's definitely not a collector's system yet...it might be down the road like the NeoGeo MVS, which wasn't a collector's item for a long time either. It was primarily made for the Japanese arcade market, addressing a variety of issues there (mainly the revenue share problem, where an op has to buy a game cabinet, then pay a share of revenues to the developer for the life of the game's operation). Adapting a lot of ports makes financial sense - If anyone tried to launch a platform like this with nothing but built-from-the-ground-up titles, they'd already have to be extremely loaded to afford more than a few titles (brand new arcade game development costs between $2-4 million, at least for the level of titles that Sega/Raw Thrills make). Someone did try to launch a new kit platform back in 2015~17 called the Airframe, but they only managed to get two games made for it. 

 

There is a retail store in Japan that has a consolized exA, if that ever becomes a price option.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

Nippon Marathon Turbo Hyper=Running and Blazing Chrome AC are now available for pre-order. The latter game is like Contra III, even has new music from the Super Contra composer. 

 

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

It's way past time that I updated this thread

 

A couple of weeks ago in Las Vegas, exA-Arcadia made their official US debut at the Amusement Expo 2021 show. They brought two of their new dedicated cabinet designs, a 4-player and a 2-player model; They also have a vertical screen model that wasn't able to be there due to space restrictions.

 

The post linked to above provides a lot more detail, including stuff that I missed out on filming, but here are a few of the vids I did capture if y'all don't mind:

 

 

 

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

On 12/29/2020 at 8:49 PM, Shaggy the Atarian said:

Nippon Marathon Turbo Hyper=Running and Blazing Chrome AC are now available for pre-order. The latter game is like Contra III, even has new music from the Super Contra composer. 

 

 

Quoting myself to point out that I picked up Blazing Chrome a little while ago. It's a tough game, but a ton of fun:

 

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

The Twinkle Star Sprites-like shmup rival Megagun XE is now available for pre-order

[Shaggy the Atarian]

Received my latest game, Chaos Code Exact Xeno Attack last week and recorded a full-play. Fun game, much easier to handle than Kung Fu Vs. Karate Champ:

 

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

CAVE is releasing a 2nd game from their classic library exclusively to the exA-Arcadia later this year, the scrolling shooter Akai Katana.

 

This follows last year's release of DoDonPachi EXA and will be similar, combining all of the game modes from previous releases and adding a new EXA Mode for beginner players.

[DragonGrafx-16]

How have I not heard of this system? So many shmups! Pretty sure I couldn't afford it anyway.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

On 7/31/2021 at 1:52 PM, DragonGrafx-16 said:

How have I not heard of this system? So many shmups! Pretty sure I couldn't afford it anyway.

There are a number of STG collectors that have picked one up, but at the end of the day, they're making this first for operators instead of trying to do a high end console. While that can suck for collectors who don't want to spend a few/several grand, they're trying to bring hardcore gaming back to the arcade, and more places are picking one up now that it has a cabinet for it. With time, hopefully you could find one near you! Currently I know of exA's in Utah (my own  ), Wisconsin, New York, Florida, Texas and California. That'll certainly grow as more titles are announced.

 

On shmups though, it hasn't done too great with those at my location. Most players are so casual these days, expecting the ease of a single-button ticket game, that the thought of a bullet hell shooter throws them for a loop. It sucks as I've had people approach the machine with interest, but they don't give it a chance or realize how awesome the games are

 

My personal favorite on it is Vritra. This one just got a major software update, I'm just waiting on it's return in the mail to check it out, but here's a playthrough I did of it a while back.

 

 

[DragonGrafx-16]

1 hour ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

There are a number of STG collectors that have picked one up, but at the end of the day, they're making this first for operators instead of trying to do a high end console. While that can suck for collectors who don't want to spend a few/several grand, they're trying to bring hardcore gaming back to the arcade, and more places are picking one up now that it has a cabinet for it. With time, hopefully you could find one near you! Currently I know of exA's in Utah (my own  ), Wisconsin, New York, Florida, Texas and California. That'll certainly grow as more titles are announced.

 

On shmups though, it hasn't done too great with those at my location. Most players are so casual these days, expecting the ease of a single-button ticket game, that the thought of a bullet hell shooter throws them for a loop. It sucks as I've had people approach the machine with interest, but they don't give it a chance or realize how awesome the games are

 

My personal favorite on it is Vritra. This one just got a major software update, I'm just waiting on it's return in the mail to check it out, but here's a playthrough I did of it a while back.

 

 

It's sad really that people just want stupid ticket games. Reminds me of the time I was stuck in a Chuck-E-Cheese's playing Galaga while my sister was at her friend's birthday party. Video games need to come back to arcades! But if any of these games ever get ported to PC or Switch I'll buy them. Just got off from playing some Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+ before posting here.

 

And I just realized the game video you shared me has a dragon as the player! I WANT IT SO BAD!

Edited August 2, 2021 by DragonGrafx-16

[Keatah]

7 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

On shmups though, it hasn't done too great with those at my location. Most players are so casual these days, expecting the ease of a single-button ticket game, that the thought of a bullet hell shooter throws them for a loop. It sucks as I've had people approach the machine with interest, but they don't give it a chance or realize how awesome the games are

IDK but I think that's a symptom of having to think too much. The internet has dumbed down a lot of entertainment options to mindless clicking.

[Keatah]

I'm way out of touch with the latest shmups. At the arcade, at home, on PC, or anywhere. Hopefully that will change in good time. At least on PC & emulation.

 

6 hours ago, DragonGrafx-16 said:

It's sad really that people just want stupid ticket games. Reminds me of the time I was stuck in a Chuck-E-Cheese's playing Galaga while my sister was at her friend's birthday party. Video games need to come back to arcades! But if any of these games ever get ported to PC or Switch I'll buy them. Just got off from playing some Dariusburst Another Chronicle EX+ before posting here.

It's a reason I don't frequent arcades like I did in the 80's. Stopped going in the mid-90's with the advent of fighting games. Then the ticket dispensers took over and have been pretty successful at keeping me away.

 

The magic of the new electronic artform has been elusive since.

 

[Shaggy the Atarian]

On 8/1/2021 at 7:04 PM, DragonGrafx-16 said:

And I just realized the game video you shared me has a dragon as the player! I WANT IT SO BAD!

Vritra is available on Steam, but the exA version is the best/ultimate director's cut. It's a fantastic game - has many elements of Dariusburst, looks awesome and plays well.

 

On 8/2/2021 at 2:22 AM, Keatah said:

It's a reason I don't frequent arcades like I did in the 80's. Stopped going in the mid-90's with the advent of fighting games. Then the ticket dispensers took over and have been pretty successful at keeping me away.

 

Since a big majority of the serious gamers stopped going to arcades around the end of the 90s, this threw them into what we have now. ? If no one played the ticket games, then it would be a different world. Unfortunately, something like the Big Bass Wheel still makes $2000/wk+ in the right location, while video games are lucky to make $700/wk at the same location. That makes for a no-brainer to the arcade owner.

 

What excites me about the exA is that it is really the only shot we have going on right now to bring so many genres back to arcades, but it'll take gamers coming out and playing the games when they find them to 

 

[SlidellMan]

ExA's Platform looks very promising, though I bet it is just as expensive to develop for as it is to purchase.

[DragonGrafx-16]

14 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

Vritra is available on Steam, but the exA version is the best/ultimate director's cut. It's a fantastic game - has many elements of Dariusburst, looks awesome and plays well.

 

Since a big majority of the serious gamers stopped going to arcades around the end of the 90s, this threw them into what we have now. ? If no one played the ticket games, then it would be a different world. Unfortunately, something like the Big Bass Wheel still makes $2000/wk+ in the right location, while video games are lucky to make $700/wk at the same location. That makes for a no-brainer to the arcade owner.

 

What excites me about the exA is that it is really the only shot we have going on right now to bring so many genres back to arcades, but it'll take gamers coming out and playing the games when they find them to 

 

Ah thanks for mentioning there's a Steam version. I'll be sure to check it out!

[Keatah]

Compared to a 100% virtual game where you get nothing, a ticket dispenser creates the illusion you are getting something. I always wanted to see a videogame that would dispense a high-quality card or certificate of some sort if you made certain achievements. Something memorable.

 

Today. Now. I'm not likely to play any arcade videogame. Certainly not like I did in the 80's. Many things have changed. There's so much top-notch stuff at home on the PC and other consoles I'll never have time to do it all! But it wasn't always like that.

 

I got into the 80's arcade scene at the beginning. First it was Pong at Pizza Hut in like 1976-1977. Performing the pee-pee dance to get money from the parents. Then the bigger arcades where the first games were B/W. Then of course later Atari/Bally/Midway/Williams and other stuff. Right on through to the 90's.

 

Some insight as to why I stopped frequenting arcade establishments. Whether they're useful or make sense IDK. But here's what happened.

 

1- The difficulty. Games seemed to be set too high and I always sucked at them. I'd marvel at the savant-like abilities of the "cool kids". Never quite attaining godhood myself except for maybe 2 or 3 games at best. It became rather depressing never making the hi-scores.

 

It made the activity feel more like work rather than play. Some arcades would start at the easy levels and then raise them after a few weeks. To me, it seemed anti-business and discouraged customers. Machines seemed to be in attract mode more than play mode.

 

But it wasn't only in the 90's that I preferred some console games over their arcade counterparts. Things like Space Invaders, Asteroids, Defender, and Missile Command, Pole Position were eminently more playable on the VCS or Atari 8-bit systems at home. Easier controls and more colorful graphics. Real arcade games were too short - done in a few minutes.

 

So come the late 80's I became more judicious with my quarters and where they went. Gone was the willy-nilly carefree spending and even trying out new games. I'd only play the stuff I was familiar with. And that in and of itself became boring. Which leads in to the next point.

 

2- The PC was coming of age as a game machine with the advent of the 486. Games were beginning to exceed what was available at the arcade in terms of action and depth. And consoles were becoming more advanced as well. This allowed for in-depth and complex, rich, satisfying games that challenged me in a fun way at my own pace. On my own time. Whenever. I didn't have to get into the car and spend gas money to go play a favorite. And now with emulation all the vintage classics I grew up with are instantly available.

 

3- Socializing was important when we went as a group. But that became less frequent as we got jobs and other grup responsibilities. Now we socialize at home and the country club and other outings. Places not likely to have the latest arcade cab.

 

All in all I suppose it's a matter of maturation and changing times and convenience.

[Shaggy the Atarian]

On 8/4/2021 at 10:16 AM, SlidellMan said:

ExA's Platform looks very promising, though I bet it is just as expensive to develop for as it is to purchase.

It's no more expensive to develop for than any other PC platform. From their System page:

 

21 hours ago, Keatah said:

Compared to a 100% virtual game where you get nothing, a ticket dispenser creates the illusion you are getting something. I always wanted to see a videogame that would dispense a high-quality card or certificate of some sort if you made certain achievements. Something memorable.

 

Funny you mention that; While such a thing has been a big deal in Japan for many years, the US is now getting into that. Injustice Arcade and Minecraft Dungeons Arcade both offer such a thing. Here's my Minecraft that I just got a month ago; shows the cards starting at 2:50; shows them being dispensed at 10:09. The cards are used to place equipment into the game. An achievements card like you mention would be a great idea though.

 

 

Quote

1- The difficulty. Games seemed to be set too high and I always sucked at them. I'd marvel at the savant-like abilities of the "cool kids". Never quite attaining godhood myself except for maybe 2 or 3 games at best. It became rather depressing never making the hi-scores.

I'll also comment on your other points here.

 

Part of the problem with difficulty is figuring out what customers want. In the early 80's, Atari found that if games were too easy, then people wouldn't play them. But then they made stuff like Gravitar which was balls-to-the-wall hard and for whatever reason some of that difficulty stuff stuck for a long time.

 

Modern arcades though follow the mantra "skill kills." I've heard them say that multiple times, including Eugene Jarvis. This has made almost every modern game much more casualized than they used to be. One exception is the exA, where you have to have some skill to enjoy a lot of the games. The Minecraft game above isn't very tough, although it doesn't have the depth of Gauntlet or Gauntlet Legends either. 

 

On emulation and consoles, there's this notion that retro gaming is super hot right now, but not at arcades, just at home. Most of my classics only make a few bucks a week. The worst ones manage to rake in less than $50 a year. The only stuff that does ok is Ms. Pac-Man or Street Fighter II. I can't pay my bills with the classics - they're just filler, sadly. This is because you can play all that stuff quite easily on just about anything with a screen these days, and it's not like everyone is always playing Space Invaders on a daily basis anyways.

 

No, arcades don't compete in graphics, but despite "the gamer thing to say" which is "graphics don't matter," I've found that they really do, at least in an arcade setting. I've picked up a number of indie games over the years - these are almost always duds that barely get played. They're very fun games, but because they look old, 95% of players pass them up. Of course, then they tend to require a little more skill than an endless runner, so those that do play them don't take the time to learn how the game plays and come back for more. Two examples of this for me are Cosmotrons and Deathstalker.

 

So where can they compete? If not cards, then by using the cabinets & controls. A light-gun game or a racer make up the top 3 games I see every week. The racers in particular draw a lot of attention, thanks to the realistic controls, licensed cars, etc. Some light-gun games like The Walking Dead give you crossbows to use. Pinball is just...pinball. That almost never does well when setup as a virtual pin in an arcade environment. 

 

For socializing - sure, when life changes so does your social network. As a married adult, I've maybe seen my friends from school days once or twice a year. But do I still get kids & teens socializing at my arcades? Yup, every day. Adults, they're usually on a date, or with their kids or grandkids depending. This can keep things plenty busy, although I wouldn't complain about it being busier.

[Keatah]

Thing with Gravitar is the annoying gravity itself. It's not ASMR in any way, shape, or form. It's like driving a car that has bad alignment. A constant nagging battle to stay on course. Not what I signed up for.

 

Thing with Defender is not the complex-looking controls but the tediousness of positioning your ship to shoot just about anything. Last time I checked I'm not a CRT beam a-flying left'n'right. So in order to shoot anything you need to precisely line up every dame single time. Work. Not ASMR.

 

Good SHMUPS, however, let you spray bullets and lasers and plasma discharges everywhere. And you're going to hit something and score points straight away by default. You can almost set the level of challenge in-game, on-the-fly. Try to hit every single target. Catch every power-up. Spray a bullet shower everywhere. Like watering the lawn on Sunday morning! I don't think I've met a shooter that was too overwhelming.

[Keatah]

7 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

On emulation and consoles, there's this notion that retro gaming is super hot right now, but not at arcades, just at home. Most of my classics only make a few bucks a week. The worst ones manage to rake in less than $50 a year. The only stuff that does ok is Ms. Pac-Man or Street Fighter II. I can't pay my bills with the classics - they're just filler, sadly. This is because you can play all that stuff quite easily on just about anything with a screen these days, and it's not like everyone is always playing Space Invaders on a daily basis anyways.

I don't know how widespread the classics (using exact vintage original code) are. I would think a lot of what's available is re-writes and simulations. IDK. To me the only way to properly do this is something like MAME or MiSTer or other emulation with original code.

 

7 hours ago, Shaggy the Atarian said:

No, arcades don't compete in graphics, but despite "the gamer thing to say" which is "graphics don't matter," I've found that they really do, at least in an arcade setting.

It did to us kids back in the day. I'd like to say graphics were everything, but of course gameplay and sound and ambience scored points too. We were constantly comparing arcade graphics to home system graphics. Always impressed by the arcade version. The unreachable, unobtainable version. Thankfully all that started changing in the mid 90's with both classic emulation and totally new material.

 

And another thing, if gamers claim that graphics don't matter, then what's the big stink over RTX 3090 graphics cards? Cards costing $2500 in today's scalper-controlled marketplace.