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

[negative1]

 

Well, there's one review in the "positive" column, I guess.

 

It's encouraging that the emulation seems to be pretty good, and the front-end is simple to use.

 

I must say though, it was illuminating to see the guy pick up the fully assembled cabinet like it was a garbage can and move it. Maybe I'm wrong, but I just can't see how something that light would stay put with 2 full grown men wailing on the controls playing a game like Street Fighter 2.

 

this one is still positive, but it mentions some of the issues

 

 

no scanlines, no option to change settings, somewhat questionable build quality. sound issues, etc.

 

later

-1

[NE146]

 

Kids these days

 

 

Wait..are you implying I'm a young millennial??? My (just about) 50 year old body thanks you!

[Flojomojo]

Wait..are you implying I'm a young millennial??? My (just about) 50 year old body thanks you!

 

Of course not, we both know you're a decrepit old fart. I was suggesting that it's because of the @#$^@#$ Millennials that the Tuber Review is about early 1990s Street Fighter, not a proper "trackball and dial" game, as you wished. Though at your advanced age, I'm not surprised at a little drop in memory and cognitive ability.

[NE146]

 

Of course not, we both know you're a decrepit old fart. I was suggesting that it's because of the @#$^@#$ Millennials that the Tuber Review is about early 1990s Street Fighter, not a proper "trackball and dial" game, as you wished. Though at your advanced age, I'm not surprised at a little drop in memory and cognitive ability.

 

Darn man.. I was getting a big head

[negative1]

 

Of course not, we both know you're a decrepit old fart. I was suggesting that it's because of the @#$^@#$ Millennials that the Tuber Review is about early 1990s Street Fighter, not a proper "trackball and dial" game, as you wished. Though at your advanced age, I'm not surprised at a little drop in memory and cognitive ability.

 

i saw a very poor 'review' of the asteroids / tempest cabinet,

 

not poor because they didn't like it, poor in the sense it wasn't a review, and more like a joke, so i'll refrain from posting it.

 

you could potentially watch the video with sound muted, but you wouldn't really gain any knowledge from it.

 

the only cool thing i got out of it, was they using the spinner for the game select screen. that's about it,

that and the size of it was decent. but not whether it was weighted, but it did look uncomfortable and weird

being placed way over on the right edge of the cabinet.

 

also, it seemed weird using it for major havoc. but i guess its the only way they could get that game on there

instead of on the centipede cabinet. (i realize latter major havocs got rid of the vertical trackball controller).

 

later

-1

Edited August 15, 2018 by negative1

[Bill Loguidice]

 

also, it seemed weird using it for major havoc. but i guess its the only way they could get that game on there

instead of on the centipede cabinet. (i realize latter major havocs got rid of the vertical trackball controller).

 

later

-1

 

I think a spinner is going to work fine for Major Havoc. It's only a left/right "trackball" anyway. It's kind of in-between a trackball and spinner.

 

Personally, I have no problems with the games on the Asteroids cabinet. I just wish they had at least one more true spinner game other than Tempest, though.

[deckardbr]

 

this one is still positive, but it mentions some of the issues

 

 

no scanlines, no option to change settings, somewhat questionable build quality. sound issues, etc.

 

later

-1

 

No Stereo sound! A volume adjust that only has mute, loud and louder. And zero dip switch settings. Meaning you can't adjust difficulty at all.

 

So much for the feel of actually owning an arcade cabinet. Unless you plan on only playing versus matches with your friends (and enjoy blaring loud volume) I would pass on this cabinet. They really need to upgrade volume and options on these cabinets. And no stereo sound is ridiculous at that price point.

Edited August 15, 2018 by deckardbr

[128Kgames]

 

No Stereo sound! A volume adjust that only has mute, loud and louder. And zero dip switch settings. Meaning you can't adjust difficulty at all.

 

So much for the feel of actually owning an arcade cabinet. Unless you plan on only playing versus matches with your friends (and enjoy blaring loud volume) I would pass on this cabinet. They really need to upgrade volume and options on these cabinets. And no stereo sound is ridiculous at that price point.

 

Um, Stereo?

 

Ah, which of these games do you think was actually in stereo?

 

(OK, to be fair, SFII was, but Asteroids, Centipede and I'm guessing the majority of the older titles are all mono...)

 

Also, the cab pics online show a slider for the volume, not a switch, so the versions sent out for testing may not be the most up to date model.

[deckardbr]

Um, Stereo?

 

Ah, which of these games do you think was actually in stereo?

 

(OK, to be fair, SFII was, but Asteroids, Centipede and I'm guessing the majority of the older titles are all mono...)

 

Also, the cab pics online show a slider for the volume, not a switch, so the versions sent out for testing may not be the most up to date model.

 

Yep I was thinking of SFII for stereo based on the review. The no options feature is a far bigger deal for that game then say asteroids also. It really makes me wonder why the frontend software they are using won't let you access dip switch settings.

[128Kgames]

Yep I was thinking of SFII for stereo based on the review. The no options feature is a far bigger deal for that game then say asteroids also. It really makes me wonder why the frontend software they are using won't let you access dip switch settings.

 

You should ask them on Facebook or twitter, they've been good at responding to questions (someone may have asked about the dip settings already as well).

 

I can see your point especially when it comes to replay value - if we cant make the games harder/easier etc. how long do they stay fun to play?

[128Kgames]

 

A volume adjust that only has mute, loud and louder. And zero dip switch settings. Meaning you can't adjust difficulty at all.

 

 

Looks you were correct on both counts:

 

Arcade1UpOfficial No, difficulty settings cannot be adjusted. Volume is not on a slider. It has options for low, high, and off.

 

While the sound may not be a big deal, it would have been nice to be able to adjust the DIP settings from the front end GUI. My guess is this would have to be custom configured/programmed for each individual game, but I'm sure with enough time and effort they could have programmed it to do so.

 

Wonder why they left that feature out - doesn't MAME support adjusting arcade game DIP settings? If MAME could do it you think Arcade1Up could (then again we don't know who created their hardware/software implementation in the first place).

[John Stamos Mullet]

This is going to sound silly - but I kinda wish these had coin slots.

[Flojomojo]

This is going to sound silly - but I kinda wish these had coin slots.

 

I have a feeling there's a good reason it doesn't.

 

I don't know exactly why, maybe it's the stickers I've seen on things like this, "FOR AMUSEMENT ONLY," perhaps to avoid regulations about gambling in some places.

 

Or it could something about the way the games are licensed out. You know how a DVD always has some crap about "for home use only, not for public viewing" or similar? I just looked up the industry stance at https://www.mplc.org/page/faqs and it seems like a hassle everybody could do without.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q We show audiovisual content that we have purchased on DVD or rented through our online streaming service subscription. Do we still need a license to view or show it in public?

A Yes. The location requires a license regardless of who owns the content. While you may have rented, borrowed, or purchased an audiovisual program, you are only granted the right to view it for personal, private use, not to perform it in public.

Q We don’t charge admission. Do we still need a license?

A Yes. A license is required regardless of whether an admission fee is charged. However, the Umbrella License covers only those situations where admission is not charged.

Q We’re a non-profit organization. Do we still need a license?

A Yes. Under the law, it doesn’t matter if you’re a non-profit or for-profit organization. You are required to have a public performance license to show motion pictures and other audiovisual works.

Q How much does the Umbrella License cost?

A In most cases, the MPLC has set license fees based on the type and size of facility. However, if the facility and/or use falls outside of these categories, the fee will be based on the nature and size of the audience and anticipated frequency of showings.

Q Does a preschool qualify for a “face-to-face” teaching exemption?

A No. The educational exemption is narrowly defined and applies to non-profit academic institutions that only utilize films in instruction, not when the program is used for entertainment purposes.

Q We show films on our closed-circuit system. Do we need a license?

A Yes. Exhibition of audiovisual works via closed-circuit transmissions are considered public performances. Any non-advertiser supported channels or services also require a license.

Q We’re not open to the general public. Do we still need a license?

A Yes. According to Senate Report No. 94-473, p. 60, “performances in ‘semipublic’ places such as clubs, lodges, factories, summer camps and schools are ‘public performances’ subject to copyright control.”

Q We rent out our facility to other groups. Can we be liable for copyright infringement?

A Yes. The facility owner can be held vicariously liable or considered a “contributory infringer”.

 

I wouldn't mind a change collector that played Gravitar, but I don't want to deal with this kind of nonsense.

[Azathoth]

A volume adjust that only has mute, loud and louder. And zero dip switch settings. Meaning you can't adjust difficulty at all.

Even though I've got enough cabs to choke a horse I was thinking about the SFII one. Not anymore. At this point they've devolved into an oversized collectible trinket with fancy side art, like a My Arcade game on steroids. And I'd say it's a safe assumption that with such bare bones emulation options there won't be any type of high score saving in the other cabs.

 

I feel embarrassed as a gamer when someone reacts to a rubbish At Games clone with "You really liked these games? They're garbage." I'd imagine someone not exposed to a real arcade cab to think similarly of these.

[Tanooki]

A dead coin slot would work I suppose, like when you know one machine was full or the slot would catch and the quarter would go from the 25 cent slot right into the trap inches below it to give it back. Waste of money and space, but would be a nice touch option.

[Bill Loguidice]

This is going to sound silly - but I kinda wish these had coin slots.

 

Sticker: https://www.recroommasters.com/Coin-Door-Decal-For-Xtension-Arcade-p/rm-xt-coindecal.htm

 

Real deal: https://amzn.to/2MXCp00

 

You know, I had one in my MAME machine when I had one, and it certainly looked nice, but I could never get it to work, even though it was wired up. I'm not sure even if I did if I would have bothered throwing coins or tokens in there after a while.

[negative1]

 

Looks you were correct on both counts:

 

Arcade1UpOfficial No, difficulty settings cannot be adjusted. Volume is not on a slider. It has options for low, high, and off.

 

While the sound may not be a big deal, it would have been nice to be able to adjust the DIP settings from the front end GUI. My guess is this would have to be custom configured/programmed for each individual game, but I'm sure with enough time and effort they could have programmed it to do so.

 

Wonder why they left that feature out - doesn't MAME support adjusting arcade game DIP settings? If MAME could do it you think Arcade1Up could (then again we don't know who created their hardware/software implementation in the first place).

 

 

mame can definitely support dip switch settings.

 

but i think the problem is for a lot of the games, changing them is too difficult, and each would need a different control scheme.

 

as you said, you could simplify them to just lives, and difficulty settings, but that would require custom programming, and not worth doing.

 

 

in almost every case, the defaults are just fine.

most people only last a few minutes on most of these games, unless they mastered them, or can continue.

 

i wrote up a bit about extra man settings here:

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

The Not-so-complete History of Extra Men in Videogames

http://www.classicarcadegaming.com/forums/index.php/topic,3057.0.html

that compares the settings in many classic games.

again, most casual people don't really care about the settings or modifying them.

later

-1

Edited August 17, 2018 by negative1

[negative1]

 

 

already been done, and worth looking into: $350

https://www.recroommasters.com/19-Xtension-Alpha-Cade-for-Raspberry-Pi-and-PC-p/rm-xt-alpha-emulation.htm

 

 

 

later

-1

 

here's a review, of a sample build using the pandora for games, and arcade sticks and buttons. quite comparable for the price, and much more 'authentic', and sturdy than 1up:

 

 

later

-1

[Asaki]

Almost every arcade collection I can think of has dip switch settings, kind of strange that they would neglect this feature.

[PlaysWithWolves]

Almost every arcade collection I can think of has dip switch settings, kind of strange that they would neglect this feature.

 

Odds are the vast majority of people buying these wouldn't even know about them.

[Bratwurst]

The lack of options is more than likely to hide the fact these machines are running an unlicensed build of mame.

[John Stamos Mullet]

The lack of options is more than likely to hide the fact these machines are running an unlicensed build of mame.

I'm pretty sure this myth has already been dispelled.

[Bratwurst]

Where?

[John Stamos Mullet]

Where?

https://twitter.com/arcade_1up/status/1025942980975243265

[Bratwurst]

Boy I sure got told, by a business twitter account. This is more likely: Arcade 1UP contracted a Chinese manufacturer, and they in turn slapped a build of Retroarch or whatever on their board.

Edited August 17, 2018 by Bratwurst