I remember popping in 50 cents to play Ms. Pac-Man at my local pizza joint as a kid. Going to the arcade can still be fun, but getting change for a dollar when the change machine is broken can be a real pain. Not to mention thinking about how many kids touch the controllers each day would make any germ-a-phobe feel nauseous. Unless, of course, you have your very own arcade in your home!
Arcade-In-A-Box is an all-in-one arcade console. A computer is actually built right into the controller, which can then be plugged into any external video source through S-Video, Composite, or VGA connections.
The product (shown here), looks like an arcade control box with joysticks and illuminated buttons, while trackball buttons and a spinner are optional (remember using the spinner for that fun League Bowling arcade game?). Each system can play any PC game on the market and features a 3ghz Celeron, 512 MB RAM, 120 GB hard drive, and a 128 MB ATI video card. In addition, each unit is custom-built and shipped free of charge.
You can download arcade games to your Arcade-In-A-Box at iRetroGames.com, such as BreakQuest, Motorama, and Beat Ball 2. Or you can load any PC game of your own into the system.
But, it's not like these home arcades are that much cheaper than classic arcade machines. For example, the 1981 Ms. Pac-Man/Galaga Arcade Game sells for $2,995 at Brookstone.com. Even so, you can buy Plug N Play TV Games for as little as $20.
If money isn't an issue, you can purcase the Arcade-In-A-Box for $1,499. Or for $12.50, learn how to build your own arcade console with this Electronic Guide.
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August 8, 2006 5:06 PM
Normally I don't have too much love for the retro games, but this is the kind of thing that looks like a lot of fun. Not entirely sure I'm willing to drop 1499 when I can just as easily buy the joysticks as USB and rig up a MAME cabinet, but it's still a really good idea and will probably entice both retro games and older gamers who miss their faves and have the cash to toss around. :)
August 8, 2006 5:21 PM
Very true, Phoenix. And just so you know, according to the company, you can load any modern or classic game, including emulators such as MAME, DAPHNE and MESS. I'm not an expert on gaming terms, but it seems like you are, so I thought I'd mentioned it.
August 8, 2006 5:30 PM
If you can load up MAME and chock the device full of ROMs (essentially meaning you have a browser (MAME) that can load ROM files of old games (which tend to be incredibly small and easy to fit a ton in a small place)) then this could very well be worth the dough. You could definitely roll your own MAME cabinet for less, naturally, but this definitely has appeal. In fact, it looks like someone's trying to make a business out of rolling MAME cabinets for people, just not supplying the emulator and the games. Very nice! Literally with that video card and a 120GB HDD, you can load way more classic games than anyone could ever wind up playing, and then toggle in and out of the classic games and your newest favorites. A little pricey still, but for the whole thing being put together already, looking this good, and so compatible with TVs and monitors and ready to load with anything you like, that really does change everything. :) Look what you've done! I don't hve 1500 bucks to blow, but now I'm thinking about building a cabinet of my own! :)
August 8, 2006 6:52 PM
First off, I want to thank Jennifer for the wonderful write up. It's that you didn't just copy the press release, but took the time to look around the site. I really appreciate that :). Phoenix, when I started the company about 5 years ago, the main purpose of the unit was for MAME. However, I always felt like I was working underground and could never really bring my boxes to a more mainstream audience. Which is why I started iRetroGames.com as well. And we are working with several publishers to bring new and fresh arcade style games that work great on this platform. I know people love the classics, and with the grey area of MAME and Roms, I now just concede to saying my units are 100 percent MAME compatible. However, with some great classic collections out for PC, I am now proud to offer close to 50 classic arcade games legally. From companies like Atari and Midway. Add that with the compatibility of my systems with GameTap (www.gametap.com) and there are plenty of awesome, legal, ways to get games now. This is why we are making this big surge to get the systems out into the public eye now. We don't have to "hide" anymore :). And of course, this does not stop any customer for installing whatever they want on the unit. It is just a PC in a box :).
August 9, 2006 2:46 PM
I remember seeing some kind of multiarcade game a few months ago. It was a not-quite full-size cabinet (maybe 80% of full size) and it could emulate quite a few games. Don't remember what it was called. I think I was turned off because it used a 13" CRT monitor, just like in the old days.
August 9, 2006 2:51 PM
One more thing I don't like about both this and the X-Arcade controls is that they use HAPP bat-style joysticks. I'm old school. I need the old Wico joysticks with the round knob on the end. For instance, you can't play Defender or Stargate with bat joysticks because you need a palm-down grip so your thumb is free.
August 9, 2006 7:59 PM
We have not gotten away from doing custom work. If it's Wico/Sanway stick you want, we have no problem making that happen. It's just a matter of emailing us for a custom quote rather than ordering from the website. There is a large debate over wico versus happ sticks. And I think it just comes down to what games you played more in the arcades. If your favorite game was defender and startgate (or most williams games for that matter) then you probably would feel better with a ball top stick :). Ed