How tall is your game room? Is located under a staircase or in some sort of crawl space?
SF2, Asteroids, Final Fight, Gauntlet, Centipede & more multi-game arcade cabinets for $299
- Thread starter Darknight
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How tall is your game room? Is located under a staircase or in some sort of crawl space?
$300-$400 for emulation is way too much, unless you're getting something really special (e.g. Simpsons).
I'd rather put that money towards a real cab.
I'd rather put that money towards a real cab.
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People, the risers are gonna be "under $50" according to their twitter. Will be available at Wal Mart they said.
Makes the whole deal a lot more reasonable IMO since IMO the risers are a must.
I just wish they had kept the SF2/Ghosts/Strider/Final Fight cab. I fear I'll play my 400th millionth lifetime game of tired old Streetfighter on the thing, which you can play on a calculator at this point, and walk away knowing I blew 300 bucks...
Also for returns IMO they're a non starter on this unless they're defective due to the Ikea furniture style presentation. You aren't going to unscrew the whole damn thing and painstakingly try to fit it back in the box, and you arent going to lug the whole put together thing to your wal mart return desk. So think about that before you buy...
Makes the whole deal a lot more reasonable IMO since IMO the risers are a must.
I just wish they had kept the SF2/Ghosts/Strider/Final Fight cab. I fear I'll play my 400th millionth lifetime game of tired old Streetfighter on the thing, which you can play on a calculator at this point, and walk away knowing I blew 300 bucks...
Also for returns IMO they're a non starter on this unless they're defective due to the Ikea furniture style presentation. You aren't going to unscrew the whole damn thing and painstakingly try to fit it back in the box, and you arent going to lug the whole put together thing to your wal mart return desk. So think about that before you buy...
We only have crt-filter information. Nothing on scanlines.
But the website team seems clueless and probably thinks crt-filter means a crt-monitor
I'll be interested to see how everything is wired underneath that black box cover in the assembly video. Depending on how the LCD is connected, at worst you could toss the original PCB and install a Pi or Pandora or something else.
Real cabs cost thousands of dollars.
Lets be honest, for 300$ you won't get a good cab. At most an used cab, which may require repairs or at worst have a busted board. If you're fine with emulation your can mount your own, but these come with official license and have several games.
Bought the Rampage cab from Walmart. I'm all in on that Mortal Kombat one when it's available too
Well, I probably got lucky but I managed to get a 4slot neogeo with some light cosmetic damage(used of course) for $500 with metal slug, samurai showdown, areofighters and 1945 all in working condition
What do you mean by kept that cab? I thought it was just delayed? It's still featured prominently on their website: https://www.arcade1up.com/final-fight
well even brand new, people should be aware that this isn't the first of this type of kit.
FWIW I helped a buddy put together one of these a couple of years ago:
Link!
It's a kit (and also was available from walmart online, though they no longer stock them) that you assemble. Similar price, but the big difference is that this is a full-sized tabletop unit. My friend was showing his game off to investors and figured showing it in a real arcade cabinet would help (and it definitely did). Big downside to this kit is it doesn't come with the monitor, though, nor the licenses. But truthfully, the smartest thing to do if you're building one of these faux-cades? Stick a PC in there and run steam. You can get licenses to lots of arcade games on steam, it works well. For example, the mortal kombat collection.
There was also a full-sized kit from X-arcade that I believe they still offer on their website.
Yes, there are alternatives. None of those alternatives are perfect alternatives or more accurately are exactly what these provide at that price.
Likewise, the same applies in reverse. with this kit, at this price, you're not getting a full cabinet.
The point is that no, a new cabinet does not cost thousands of dollars. You can get one at about this price, meaning this isn't the only option.
case in point, a full-sized cabinet kit from etsy for $250: https://www.etsy.com/listing/595222386/easy-to-assemble-2-player-cabaret-arcade
That is true. However, I think what people want for that money are great condition real cabs with a PCB, probably candy cabs. I think the issue with the MDF build em yourself alternatives are that they need a lot of work. They are usually unfinished, need controls, monitor (ideally a 4:3 monitor, many of them are designed for widescreen), etc.
Then there are those bartop ones that have some appeal but again have some compromises. Not exactly what these are going for.
The appeal to these are the correct controls for the games, the authentic art and marquee, quick setup, efficient build design and the 4:3 monitor.
I mean that much is obvious, sure. I think you can make a compelling argument for or against these units but I guess my issue is that people acting like these units have no value because you can do more by investing your money for a more holistic solution are missing the point.
Some folks have no interest in piecemealing together a full cabinet with a Pie or PC. These things are lightweight, easy to assemble and feature a small but worthwhile (to some) selection of titles for $299. I balked at first when the suggested price was $399 but for $299? They are purely boutique units meant to appeal to nostalgia and well it works. My kids will love these things (and I'll enjoy playing with them) and its a pretty "low effort" solution at an impulse buy price.
Everything I've posted is in the $300 range, specifically the same price as the unit being discussed in the OP.
And the tabletop unit I posted comes with the controls, the wiring, everything sans the monitor.
The appeal to these are the correct controls for the games,
The art and marquees are NOT authentic. The marquee, for example, is opaque and doesn't light.
...that is not what I'm saying at all. I am saying full cabinets don't cost thousands of dollars, which is what I replied to. I never once tried to tell people these things are worthless or whatever. I'm just dispelling the misconception that this is all you can get for $300. There are options, and each of them, including these, have trade offs. Get what makes you happy, but you should also be aware of the alternatives just in case.
Fair enough. To be clear, the statement wasn't entirely directed at just you either.
Yeah but that's a tabletop, and it's not going to have a trackball or centipede art on the cab. You're providing alternatives, not arguing that- but they are not 1:1 alternatives that lessen the appeal of Arcade1Up cabs. They're just alternatives.
They're smaller marquees than real arcade cabs, too. I didn't mean they are exact to the originals in every way, just that they have the authentic arcade art for those games, which is pretty cool.
Just to clarify, I've been a member of BYOAC since like 1999. I've seen all sorts of solutions. Anything that gets people playing arcade cabinets is a cool thing to me. I genuinely love my arcade cabinet, it probably gets more play than any console or PC I own. There is something that just feels good about standing up at a cabinet and playing that way.
I really, really recommend throwing a PC in a cabinet, though, even one of these. Not for emulation (I don't deal with that stuff really) but because steam is great for arcade machines. There are a lot of new, modern games that are perfect for arcade machine. Cursed Castle EX, for example, or, as mentioned, Dragon Ball Fighter Z. These are games that feel right at home on an arcade cabinet, more so than any other place IMO.
I've had my eye on this cocktail cabinet, I can see customizing the glass decal and putting a nice retropie frontend in there. Anyone have experience with this company? Looks nice.
https://www.recroommasters.com/Xtension-Classic-Arcade-Cocktail-Cabinet-p/rm-xt-tab.htm
https://www.recroommasters.com/Xtension-Classic-Arcade-Cocktail-Cabinet-p/rm-xt-tab.htm
I meant one of their original cabs shown in media had like SF2 turbo, Final Fight, Ghosts N Goblins, and Strider in the same cab
That would have been much more tempting to me than their current offerings. I dont need 4 slightly different versions of streetfighter in the same cab.
I dont offhand know the exact lineups but in their final hardware they split off streetfighter and the other games. Now if you want both Final Fight and Streetfighter you'd need 2 cabs, etc.
I've had my eye on this cocktail cabinet, I can see customizing the glass decal and putting a nice retropie frontend in there. Anyone have experience with this company? Looks nice.
https://www.recroommasters.com/Xtension-Classic-Arcade-Cocktail-Cabinet-p/rm-xt-tab.htm
no experience with this particular tabletop, but damn that looks amazing
Some people dont have the time to do this stuff.
Let them enjoy this. I know that, for me, this is an ideal compromise: A cabinet, a screen, buttons and sticks for two players, and street fighter 2, and all of it can be fully assembled within an hour and at a reasonable cost.
I hope that I can mod it to add a ton more games, but even if i can't mod the onboard hardware, it shouldn't be too difficult to mod in a Pi. This is a great compromise for me, and while i applaud you for having the time, money, and tenacity to make for yourself and help others with their very nice setups, for a lot of people this will more than do.
For those that like these cabinets, maybe they'll move on to bigger, better setups. And for those like myself, we'll be happy with a decent little thing. It's a nice win for everyone.
Adding to the list of modern Steam games that make really cool arcade games -- Crawl even presents itself as an arcade game and is really cool.
who is not letting them enjoy this?
Bro, I bought my cabinet for $25 and total spent maybe $150 on it excluding PC.
the guy who is coming in here and crapping on these machines because they don't meet his person standards and then pushing that onto people. Chill, enjoy your setup(s) and let those interested in this enjoy looking forward to these machines.
I have.
Please stop cherry picking parts of my posts and only selectively replying. You've just come in here to stir shit and crap on those who are looking forward to these machines. Take your high horse elsewhere
stop being a drama queen, I did literally none of this. I LIKE these machines. You have misread everything I posted.
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Just saw another video that has been floating around for months. Amazing how nobody knew about these things until recently. This one shows some more up close shots of the panels, but it's also interesting to see how the game combos differed compared to what's being released now. The one concern is the light bleed on those monitors look bad.
fine, let's just move on then. it's just annoying when people try to push the bubub make it yourself instead! angle when the reason this appeals to many is precisely that you just throw this thing together and youre done. It gets old, but i'll just let it drop for sake of not shitting up the thread further
Hit the nail on the head for me. For me, I'm not gonna spends hours at a time playing SF, it's more of a conversation piece/"waiting for some body to get ready to go out lets play a match of SF". None of my casual friends are gonna care about the mono/stereo sound or the CRT Scanlines/Filter.
A lot of the DIY cabs are also like $100 in shipping including the linked one on https://www.etsy.com/listing/595222386/easy-to-assemble-2-player-cabaret-arcade (at least for me to NV). I think the Arcade1Ups are always going to be at $300 (Gamestop lowered their price) and be brought down even lower during Black Friday, I don't see any signs of these selling out unless it takes a while for these batches to come in.
Also, these Arcade1Up cabs have very similar stickers from the era unlike the DIYs. And i'm not sure how hard it is to make custom sticker art that replicates the stickers the Arcade1up ones have, but I would think it be pretty hard to and also costly?
I haven't advocated "make it yourself" in this topic at all. In fact, everything I posted is a kit, just like this. In fact, the first one I posted was sold at walmart, just like this. And I haven't even disparaged this kit.
I only posted to correct the claim that cabinets cost thousands of dollars. Any place charging you thousands of dollars for a cabinet is really ripping you off. Even in terms of lumber or MDF, even in terms of hours of work, they are not worth a thousand dollars. There are cheaper alternatives all over, including this.
I've been building arcades lately and have no room for something like this, but I think these could be really cool as long as there are no major flaws.
I'd be interested in trying one out at gamestop or something.
I'd be interested in trying one out at gamestop or something.
custom side art for cabinets tend to be about $50, depending on service. BYOAC has a big list of places that'll make them for you. Big bonus tip -- go to an architectural printing place (there should be one in any major city) and get a large print without lamination, and you can get side art for like $20. Just apply roll-on adhesive on the back and you're good to go. The hardest part is putting them on without making bubbles.
There are a few guys out there who will CNC cut you a 1:1 authentic arcade cab, if you're looking for commercial grade materials that are also brand new. It's not inexpensive, but still cheaper than dealer prices for something refurbished.
If you're in Houston, Tx, TXRX labs will do this for you for about $100. EDIT: That doesn't include the cost of lumber, though, although they will sell you the lumber there too if you need.
But a much, much cheaper alternative is to buy a gutted cabinet from Houston Arcade Game Repair Center in the heights:
That warehouse is full of gutted cabinets. They sold me mine for $25 back in 2001.
My biggest problem with BYOAC is a personal problem with actually finishing projects.. lol
Still need to get art printed for my bartop.. Still need to take apart and paint/stain my coffee table arcade.
Everything is like 80% finished and in a working state and put on the shelf.
Still need to get art printed for my bartop.. Still need to take apart and paint/stain my coffee table arcade.
Everything is like 80% finished and in a working state and put on the shelf.
Oh ya, finding the time to work on it is tough. Total man hours I put into my cabinet could probably fit into a couple of weekends if i worked from morning to evening, but those got spread out over years. I bought my gutted cabinet in 2001, and it wasn't really playable until about 2009, and it wasn't what I'd consider "finished" until just after Hurricane Harvey lol. So I've worked on it, off and on, for about 17 years now. It's my baby.
Upside of a custom cabinet, though? I threw all sorts of wacky shit into it. It has a 3D monitor, for example. It has an integrated PC, a pretty powerful one too with a GTX 980 inside. It has a dedicated VR headset, so I can boot up retro arcade neon and "skin" the room to make me feel like the cabinet is any other cabinet, in any arcade. It also has full JAMMA+ wiring, so I can play real arcade boards on it. And I got a pair of AIMTracks for light gun games, and a spinner with a custom steering wheel mount for games like Outrun or Tempest.
That's certainly an option, although the truly accurate CNC files are closely guarded by the few who have invested the time reverse engineering them, unless they've been leaked or freely distributed recently (I haven't been keeping up with that scene in a while).
That seems to be a very regional thing, at least if you're not really hustling for a deal. Most people are going to have to drive a couple hours to find a place like this.But a much, much cheaper alternative is to buy a gutted cabinet from Houston Arcade Game Repair Center in the heights:
That warehouse is full of gutted cabinets. They sold me mine for $25 back in 2001.
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Not to mention that arcade cabinets and boards have gone up significantly since 2001. In 2001 it was easy to get things for cheap, but a lot of that stuff has dried up and the value sky rocket with more retro collectors out there. I remember when you could get most classic games for $20 to $40 for the boards and it was rare for me to have to pay over $100 for a board. Not so anymore.
Yeah you'd have a hard time finding specific CNC files for actual cabinet types, but there are some generic open source CNC projects out there.
I sent someone there last year from austin, and he walked away with a gutted cabinet for $50.
I'm not sure why you're mentioning boards, though, since none of this thus far has involved jamma boards. These kits use raspberry pis or something, and it's much smarter to put a PC or something in a cabinet. We're talking about the cabinet here, not the arcade hardware (which is more like the realm of retrogame collecting where costs are crazy). Cabinets just aren't in high demand, they remain cheap.
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I'm saying what was cheap when it came to arcade parts and hardware in 2001 isn't the case today as just about everything around this hobby has gone up significantly with more retro collectors drying up the supply. I just used boards as an example. I know for a fact I could not buy my cabinet at anywhere close to the price that I got it back around that time. Unless they're current modern parts like sticks and buttons, getting a lot of the older stuff to even restore a cabinet has gone up in value a lot in general. I've seen gutted cabinets go for a couple hundred alone.