New Arcade1up leaks from CES 2020

[TDIRunner | 2,721]

7 minutes ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

I guess I will have to check into it. The electronics section is pretty sparse, so I don't know if they have these, but it's worth a look. I wanted one of those Namco Pac-Man/Galaga anniversary machines a few years back but the shipping alone was a fortune.

Wal-Mart seems to be the biggest distributor of these, and I think they learned a good lesson after the first Christmas season when they were stuck with a large supply of unsold cabinets.  Now they seem to stock them in much smaller numbers.  It seems like they tend to stock them just short of demand.  It's a smart move on their part, but that means that sometimes it can be hard to find the model you are looking for.  It seems like the days of snatching one for under $100 is behind us now.  

[TDIRunner | 2,721]

5 minutes ago, ErickRPG said:

I remember when street fighter was on sale for $250 WITH riser.  Supposedly you can hack that one and use it as a mame machine.

Some one get my hopes up.  Do you think the community will eventually show us how to rig the arcade1up pinball to use it as a visual pinball machine?  That is my hope!!

The modding community for the Arcade 1Up cabinets is HUGE.  There are a few Facebook groups and I've been pretty amazed by what some of these people have done.  Any of the cabinets that have been released so far can be modded to do just about anything, so I have no reason to believe that the new ones won't be the same way.  

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by TDIRunner

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

7 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

Wal-Mart seems to be the biggest distributor of these, and I think they learned a good lesson after the first Christmas season when they were stuck with a large supply of unsold cabinets.  Now they seem to stock them in much smaller numbers.  It seems like they tend to stock them just short of demand.  It's a smart move on their part, but that means that sometimes it can be hard to find the model you are looking for.  It seems like the days of snatching one for under $100 is behind us now.  

The only time I saw one of these was at a FYE in the mall and it was a SF II cabinet and I think it was something like $300+, but that store is overpriced in general. I guess I need to look around tomorrow if I pass Wal-Mart. I've got two in the area and one is a Super Wal-Mart so maybe I will have better luck there.

[TDIRunner | 2,721]

1 minute ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

The only time I saw one of these was at a FYE in the mall and it was a SF II cabinet and I think it was something like $300+, but that store is overpriced in general. I guess I need to look around tomorrow if I pass Wal-Mart. I've got two in the area and one is a Super Wal-Mart so maybe I will have better luck there.

Many Wal-Marts keep them in the back because they don't really fit on the shelves very well and they don't always have a spot for a pallet.  So it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.  

Also, for some reason, they don't always update the prices.  The cabinet I bought for $70 was priced at $299 in the store.  I only knew about the discount simply because I asked them to double check and it rang up at the register for $70.  That's why I always say that you should ask if you aren't seeing what you are looking for.  

[ErickRPG | 42]

12 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

The modding community for the Arcade 1Up cabinets is HUGE.  There are a few Facebook groups and I've been pretty amazed by what some of these people have done.  Any of the cabinets that have been released so far can be modded to do just about anything, so I have no reason to believe that the new ones won't be the same way.  

 

 

Thanks man I'll definitely have to keep an aye on that.  Some of these cabs look amazing even if you don't mod them.  Like the golf game with the bowling game as an addon, or the golden axe cab.  I might have to seriously clear some space and get a few of these cabs!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

3 minutes ago, TDIRunner said:

Many Wal-Marts keep them in the back because they don't really fit on the shelves very well and they don't always have a spot for a pallet.  So it certainly doesn't hurt to ask.  

Also, for some reason, they don't always update the prices.  The cabinet I bought for $70 was priced at $299 in the store.  I only knew about the discount simply because I asked them to double check and it rang up at the register for $70.  That's why I always say that you should ask if you aren't seeing what you are looking for.  

Well I will try to check in the next few days. I know I never saw them on the floor. If they have them for $70 each I would be renting a U Haul from down the street and filling it up.

[trj22487 | 350]

Not all Walmart electronics departments are alike. Some stores usually have 50-75 on hand, my closest Walmart usually only have 3-5 tops. The Supercenters are definitely your best bet.
Always check Brickseek.com too, it will let you know about unadvertised sales and discounts. Just show the employee and they will price match it. Last Black Friday you could definitely get many of the cabinets for $75, even newer ones like Final Fight.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,104]

1 minute ago, trj22487 said:

Not all Walmart electronics departments are alike. Some stores usually have 50-75 on hand, my closest Walmart usually only have 3-5 tops. The Supercenters are definitely your best bet.
Always check Brickseek.com too, it will let you know about unadvertised sales and discounts. Just show the employee and they will price match it. Last Black Friday you could definitely get many of the cabinets for $75, even newer ones like Final Fight.

I've got a regular Wal-Mart and a Super Center within 10 minutes of each other if I'm down that way. I'm sure I will be sometime this week, so I can check it out.

[trj22487 | 350]

Here are a few screen captures from the Retro Ralph trip



The white button directly in the center of NBA Jam is the Online-Play button

If you look closely you can see Charles Barkley is in, these are definitely the unaltered ROMs!

SFII with stereo sound, new screen, lit marquee, lit buttons

Only 3,000 Burgertime being produced apparently. 40th Anniversary Pac-Man to the Left



First SEGA cabinet!  Seems this one runs five game, OG Golden Axe is definitely in there too.

First look at Frogger

 

Edited January 7, 2020 by trj22487

[ErickRPG | 42]

I don't have any arcade1ups.  But after that stream I'm gonna have to get pinball, pacman, golden tee w/ssb, and sega/goldenaxe.

[CMR | 518]

These things actually have pretty nice screens in them.  I know in the first run people got some crappy ones, but they replaced them for free.

[trj22487 | 350]

39 minutes ago, CMR said:

These things actually have pretty nice screens in them.  I know in the first run people got some crappy ones, but they replaced them for free.

 

My Mortal Kombat started developing dead/black pixels in the upper left corner after a few days, and reached the point of over 100 dead pixels all in one connected clump by the time I asked for a new screen. I put this mushroom sticker over the corner though, and it actually truly did not bother me at all the way it was.
They sent me a new one for free, but I never even ended up putting it in. Slowly but surely, after a few months, the dead pixels stopped spreading, and instead started to regenerate. Every day I would notice the blotch get smaller and smaller. A couple of weeks I finally took the mushroom sticker off the corner of the screen. About six months into owning it, the dead pixels are 100% gone. It fully restored itself before my eyes. And to this day, the screen is still in perfect shape now.

Since the release of TMNT, Star Wars, and Marvel Super Heroes, they have switched the screen manufacturer to a totally different company called BOE. The new screens are blatantly way better than the first company. At this point Costco now has a new version of Mortal Kombat that uses the BOE screen. There is also a new release of Pac-Man on HSN/QVC that uses the new screen. Both of those come with lit marquees as well. I think this company is rolling in the dough now. The cabinets that started coming out last Fall are of a much higher quality than the early releases for sure.

Edited January 8, 2020 by trj22487

[DoctorEncore | 3,690]

I'm glad people are enjoying these, but I haven't been impressed. I played the TMNT cabinet with the riser in a Walmart (admittedly not the best place for a play test) and it just felt awkward. The cabinet is a bit undersized and the parts feel cheap. The screen seemed decent, but I really wasn't happy with the overall package.

That being said, these are supposed to be low-priced alternatives to real cabinets; being cheap is literally the point.

And I will begrudgingly admit that some of these newer models look pretty freaking nice.

[DefaultGen | 5,395]

12 minutes ago, DoctorEncore said:

I'm glad people are enjoying these, but I haven't been impressed. I played the TMNT cabinet with the riser in a Walmart (admittedly not the best place for a play test) and it just felt awkward. The cabinet is a bit undersized and the parts feel cheap. The screen seemed decent, but I really wasn't happy with the overall package.

That being said, these are supposed to be low-priced alternatives to real cabinets; being cheap is literally the point.

And I will begrudgingly admit that some of these newer models look pretty freaking nice.

Yeah, the ergonomics suck. They should either have the screen way above the controls like a Neo Geo gold cabinet or have the screen tilted way back like old cabaret cabinets so you can look down at it. But I get that it's mostly a novelty that looks neat against a well because it looks like a tiny arcade cabinet.

[ErickRPG | 42]

The taller you all the more it will suck.  I'm 5'9" so I hope with the risers it will be a comfortable play.  I plan to get a couple of these.  This new 2020 batch is looking super cool.  Those built in scanlines in Golden Axe looks awesome.  The new pacman cab looks awesome.  And a bowling game with the golden tee cab?  Damn I'm excited.

[trj22487 | 350]

I'm 6'1" and find them perfect. Without the riser it's perfect for a small kid.
They are lightweight enough that you can pick it up off the ground just enough to move it. You wouldn't want it bigger and heavier.
They also sell stools, though they aren't cheap. Luckily I already own a few old stools.
https://arcade1up.com/collections/stools

Edited January 8, 2020 by trj22487

[G-type | 2,476]

Arcade 1up is killing it! They are the most exciting company in the retro gaming space imo.

[trj22487 | 350]

58 minutes ago, DefaultGen said:

or have the screen tilted way back like old cabaret cabinets so you can look down at it.

Funny enough, one of my local pizza places has an authentic Ms Pac Man/Galaga 20th machine and it's absolutely awful to play there because of the tilted screen
the lights from the ceiling obstruct your view so badly that the bottom of the Pac Man maze is just a blind crapshoot when you play there. Nothing's truly perfect.

[TDIRunner | 2,721]

I personally don't have any issues with the layout.  I currently own the Rampage and Centipede cabs.  I don't have either of them on risers yet because my two sons are 3 and 5 and they are the perfect height for the cabs without risers.  They both love to play and my 5 year old son is actually pretty good at Centipede.  Once they get bigger, I will assemble the risers I have put away down in the basement and lift them up to normal height.  

[Neo Geo strong | 68]

I don’t see the appeal of these machines other then there size.  I’ve owned 6 or so real arcade machines over the years and with patience there where several times  I didn’t have to pay more then the price of a brand new arcade 1 up. 

 

i do think the game selection is good though!

[ErickRPG | 42]

space is one of them for sure.  Probably the biggest one.  I mean I can fit 3-4 of these against my wall and they won't protrude out enough to really crowd the room.   Ease of access.  Not having to track down people/parts/shipping.  Just simply purchase online and get a brand new item delivered to your door.

Edited January 8, 2020 by ErickRPG

[ErickRPG | 42]

some more good coverage of arcade1up CES and some good close up footage of the cabs.

 

[jonebone | 1,307]

Question for you guys, has anyone noticed if the prices of the real arcades have been coming down after the Arcade1Up releases?  Like MK2, TMNT, etc?

I actually have a dedicated TMNT and TMNT Turtles in Time both in one TMNT cabinet with a switcher to flip between the real boards.  It was my highest want and I paid a premium for it 2 years ago, happy to own it.  I was pretty astonished to see it replicated not even 18 months later.  

[arch_8ngel | 1,597]

1 hour ago, jonebone said:

Question for you guys, has anyone noticed if the prices of the real arcades have been coming down after the Arcade1Up releases?  Like MK2, TMNT, etc?

I actually have a dedicated TMNT and TMNT Turtles in Time both in one TMNT cabinet with a switcher to flip between the real boards.  It was my highest want and I paid a premium for it 2 years ago, happy to own it.  I was pretty astonished to see it replicated not even 18 months later.  

I would be a little bit surprised if it had much impact on full sized machines, since it seems like they cater to different markets.

Hardcore arcade guys that have the space for full sized machines want full sized machines.

Hardcore arcade guys that didn't have the space might be buying these and completely refitting all of the controls with better hardware, though.

(there seems to be quite the mod-scene for these devices, but cost-wise, a full refit ends up costing the same or more as a full sized cabinet unless you get the Arcade 1-up devices on clearance)

 

That said, these machines clearly demonstrate that a lot of people want the nostalgia kick of an arcade machine without the commitment (maintenance time, space, transportation effort) of a real machine.

 

I could imagine it might be taking some premium off of compact machines like candy cabs or cocktails, though.  

 

 

EDIT:  also, I'm sure these things have completely reshaped whatever market existed for MAME machines, as if you're already making that compromise, these devices have a lot to offer, especially if you're going to update the controls/buttons.

Edited January 8, 2020 by arch_8ngel

[Sumez | 2,929]

54 minutes ago, arch_8ngel said:

I would be a little bit surprised if it had much impact on full sized machines, since it seems like they cater to different markets.

Hardcore arcade guys that have the space for full sized machines want full sized machines.

Definitely. Of all the online video game communities I frequent, this is the first time I've seen people be excited for arcade1up cabs. I really didn't mean to be judgmental, it's just everywhere else I see people ridiculing them. No arcade hobbyist would be seen near one XD. But I can totally see that if you don't compare them to the real deal, or treat them as a replacement for such, they are very cool given their cheap price! It's a super fun toy to have.

I guess it makes sense if it impacts games like MK or TMNT, since those are usually the first games people will go for, when deciding to pursue the arcade hobby on a "casual" level because there's a lot of common nostalgia surrounding exactly those games. I wouldn't expect to see similar results for stuff like Cave games and such, or even popular stuff like Bubble Bobble that's already expensive as it is.
That said, TMNT especially has increased a lot in price. It's extremely common, so they always sold super cheap like 5+ years ago, but nowadays they are becoming very expensive due to how many people want them.

Edited January 8, 2020 by Sumez