No love for Arcade 1up..

[skaredmask]

  I bought an Arcade 1 up last year. Ms. Pac-man 40th antislavery 10 In one.$125. I recently bought a tempest Atari legacy collection one for $190. than bought an MVSX 50 in one for $500..  and got one still coming in the mail for $450..

 

 I recently sold All my PS1/PS2/PS3/Xbox/Xbox 360/Wii/Wii-U games and systems because I really like 1up's for what they are and my hole family can easily pick up and play.. my Daughter 10, loves playing the MVSX (metal slug). my wife loves the Ms. Pac-Man cab and I usually play the the Atari one.

 

  I don't understand all the hate they receive.. honestly I know there not 100% accurate but there not supposed to be but for the price and everything giving there not bad at all.. I understand  some of the hate they revive but not to the point that people just simple boycott them and hate them I find is a injustice.. yeah everything could be better but that's with everything..  the question i think is when is something good enough for you? I've seen my mom who docent play video games play the arcade 1ups.

 

  When I'm on youtube and even some forms all I see is the hate for these machines.. I find most of it is unjustified because some people might of found some BBD (bigger better deal) somewhere else and that great!! to me Arcade 1 up isn't perfect but for what they are and everthing they seem to suit my life better than most things.. I just don't under stand all the Hate and disgust over them.. Yes the MVSX dose have better over all quilty than the arcade 1 ups.. but it's only one company and doesn't have anything else in it's library unless modded.

Edited February 7, 2023 by skaredmask

[Keatah]

I don't know. Upright cabs are not quite my style of gaming. But I don't hate them or anything. Could it be that people compare them against the OG units of the 80's expecting a perfect recreation?

[Steven Pendleton]

These things are just big and expensive emulator boxes, and they look really small and very uncomfortable/awkward to play on. As much as I hate playing on MAME for various reasons, you'd probably be better off playing on MAME since it's probably going to be about the same experience in the end, if not better, but MAME lets you use basically any controller you want.

 

I much prefer Japanese cabinets, as they actually bothered to put some thought into player comfort: they don't use the uncomfortable straight rows of buttons that you'd see on American cabinets, opting instead for a button arrangement that actually fits the human hand better, and they are designed for you to sit at, further increasing player comfort over having to stand.

[Tanooki]

I'm the first NO on that, just didn't have time to type something before.

 

The two posts above me kind of hit it.  I don't think they're worth the money vs the quality of the build.  While I don't expect a perfect recreation I think they're fairly lacking in durability and quality too, and early models the sticks and buttons it seemed everyone who wasn't super casual hated it and wanted to toss sanwa correction parts into it which said plenty to me.

 

And the other big elephant, for the utter size of the things as it is still, they're over glorified emulator boxes, and outside of a few with some select specific steering controls (Star Wars yoke, wheel and pedals of ridge racer) it seems kind of a stupid waste of time and money.  I have more leniency being an emulator box with the quarter cade and desktop sized stuff if you have the room, since they are hackable and all that, far easier stored.  I detest MAME too, years of those clowns fucking with renaming directories and ROM sets by the months or weeks and shuffling around internal drama I gave up on it nearly 20 years ago now.  But that said, more modern tweaked builds meant for devices like these and android stuff, they're less awful.  If you can wiggle MAME build hack into a1up device I'd be more than willing to entertain something.

 

But in the end their full size I won't touch, not worth what comes out of them in the stand up, sit down, or cocktail style stuff.  They're overpriced vanity projects, and getting into eating that space, I'm more than happy to stick with a real machine or even a real multicade machine.  I got rid of my 60in1 cocktail, but the Neo Geo dies with me far as I'm concerned.  Far more durability and value in what I had put into that vs anything a1up will put out in a stubby riser or not sized comparable device (and that includes the MVSx...hah.)

[skaredmask]

46 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

The two posts above me kind of hit it.  I don't think they're worth the money vs the quality of the build.  While I don't expect a perfect recreation I think they're fairly lacking in durability and quality too, and early models the sticks and buttons it seemed everyone who wasn't super casual hated it and wanted to toss sanwa correction parts into it which said plenty to me.

I couldn't Agree with you more.. with that said I am I do find the build quality better than most furniture in the same price range that sold in today's world ROFLMAO!! So far Mine are holding up pretty good with nightly use and my daughter really cranks on them.

 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

And the other big elephant, for the utter size of the things as it is still, they're over glorified emulator boxes, and outside of a few with some select specific steering controls (Star Wars yoke, wheel and pedals of ridge racer) it seems kind of a stupid waste of time and money.  I have more leniency being an emulator box with the quarter cade and desktop sized stuff if you have the room, since they are hackable and all that, far easier stored. 

 That's what I like about them is that they are over glorified emulator boxes!! LOL.. aren't video games by designed ment to be a big waste of time and money..ROFLMAO!! I personally like them being out ready to play versus putting things in to storage.

 

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

But in the end their full size I won't touch, not worth what comes out of them in the stand up, sit down, or cocktail style stuff.  They're overpriced vanity projects, and getting into eating that space, I'm more than happy to stick with a real machine or even a real multicade machine.  I got rid of my 60in1 cocktail, but the Neo Geo dies with me far as I'm concerned.  Far more durability and value in what I had put into that vs anything a1up will put out in a stubby riser or not sized comparable device (and that includes the MVSx...hah.)

 I couldn't agree with you more that arcade 1up is better in there 1/3 scale arcades!!. Yes there are better (BBD) options out there but for what they are I still believe there pretty good and when you usually store by a BBD it usual cost more $$. when I get in to too big of a libary of games on multicade machines and MAME. I have spend too much time thinking of what I want to play than loose interest in what I'm playing and change the game and it becomes a infinite cycle for me. Having a limted amount of games per machine that are ready to works best for me. I also Hate MAME on PC too setup configure and everything else at least after assemble the arcade 1ups are ready to go..

 

 I also would not buy arcade 1ups 2 in 1 or 3 4 in one cabs.. while they do look better like asteroids and centipede and galga I can't justify there cost. I only have their legacy cabs that are 10/12/12 in1's

[Tanooki]

Yeah that's facts, with these, my neo geo with carts (or a multicart), or even one of the various iCade in 1 mini pcb type setups less truly is more.  When you're not overwhelmed with like 200-2000+ games, you're closing in on something more refined, simple to choose from and more simple to stick to with less and less games.  My 161in1 cart failed about a month ago, so now I'm down (hacks removed) from a 90ish in 1 cart to my 30-35 MVS carts, so it's easier to go... I'll do Neo Turf Masters and Mark of the WOlves today, then slide those out and go with 8man and League BOwling the next.  Just like with an a1up of whatever size you may have 2-4 games in a smaller scale device or you can have what is it now 8-20 within the 1/3 size.  Far less distraction.  One time I did have a Galaga/Galaga 88 cabinet, stupid thing failed but wasn't covered under a warranty which sucked... I think I got my $60 worth as it was an overstock store I found it in.   It though could have used better buttons, it seemed to skip a shot ever so many presses.

[Keatah]

On 2/7/2023 at 1:10 AM, skaredmask said:

 I recently sold All my PS1/PS2/PS3/Xbox/Xbox 360/Wii/Wii-U games and systems because I really like 1up's for what they are and my hole family can easily pick up and play.. my Daughter 10, loves playing the MVSX (metal slug). my wife loves the Ms. Pac-Man cab and I usually play the the Atari one.

 

  I don't understand all the hate they receive.. honestly I know there not 100% accurate but there not supposed to be but for the price and everything giving there not bad at all.. I understand  some of the hate they revive but not to the point that people just simple boycott them and hate them I find is a injustice.. yeah everything could be better but that's with everything..  the question i think is when is something good enough for you? I've seen my mom who docent play video games play the arcade 1ups.

Approachability goes a long way. When I show off my emulator rig, featuring consoles of the 70's and 80's, I make damned well sure I don't have to fuck around with controllers and settings and menu trees. Everything has to be ready to roll on demand. See a list of games - make a selection to play - that's it! No more!

 

9 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

These things are just big and expensive emulator boxes, and they look really small and very uncomfortable/awkward to play on. As much as I hate playing on MAME for various reasons, you'd probably be better off playing on MAME since it's probably going to be about the same experience in the end, if not better, but MAME lets you use basically any controller you want.

MAME is elegant once you get past all the setup and tedium. A very capable system can be had in a frozen dinner sized box.

 

9 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I much prefer Japanese cabinets, as they actually bothered to put some thought into player comfort: they don't use the uncomfortable straight rows of buttons that you'd see on American cabinets, opting instead for a button arrangement that actually fits the human hand better, and they are designed for you to sit at, further increasing player comfort over having to stand.

Over the years my (PC oriented) controller set consists of a scissors-keyboard, mouse, 8bitdo gamepads, and X-Arcade behemoths (with some extra controls I added in). It all fits in a Rubbermaid-sized cubbyhole when not in use.

 

7 hours ago, Tanooki said:

The two posts above me kind of hit it.  I don't think they're worth the money vs the quality of the build.  While I don't expect a perfect recreation I think they're fairly lacking in durability and quality too, and early models the sticks and buttons it seemed everyone who wasn't super casual hated it and wanted to toss sanwa correction parts into it which said plenty to me.

Yes. And much of the replacement parts are to make it more commercial-arcade like. I guess.

 

7 hours ago, Tanooki said:

And the other big elephant, for the utter size of the things as it is still, they're over glorified emulator boxes, and outside of a few with some select specific steering controls (Star Wars yoke, wheel and pedals of ridge racer) it seems kind of a stupid waste of time and money.  I have more leniency being an emulator box with the quarter cade and desktop sized stuff if you have the room, since they are hackable and all that, far easier stored.

You know.. I figure if I'm doing arcade gaming at home I better get used to not having "arcade perfect" controls. In some ways my motley assemblage of controllers serves me better. And my pile of controllers has to cover billions of games and millions of systems.

 

I look at this way. My controllers are an extension of myself to interface with the machine. So when I set things up I make the game adapt to what I have on hand and what I'm used to using. The vast majority of cases just need standardized button mapping that can be applied to like all joystick games.

 

7 hours ago, Tanooki said:

  I detest MAME too, years of those clowns fucking with renaming directories and ROM sets by the months or weeks and shuffling around internal drama I gave up on it nearly 20 years ago now.  But that said, more modern tweaked builds meant for devices like these and android stuff, they're less awful.  If you can wiggle MAME build hack into a1up device I'd be more than willing to entertain something.

MAME is a savior for me. Especially on cold and rainy nights. Not to mention when we have sub-zero blizzard conditions.

 

But I completely with you jackass renaming of ROMS & PROMS, PALS & GALS, Palette Tables, and all that is tedious and real pain in the ass.

 

On the other hand I see why that shuffling is necessary. MAME is living document of arcade game history. As new dumps become available new files also become available. And with those files, new names may be needed to keep stuff coherent for the developers. All praise the developers!

 

None of MAME is professionally organized or held to a one specific standard. So it's fluid and organic and subject to change.

 

4 hours ago, skaredmask said:

 That's what I like about them is that they are over glorified emulator boxes!! LOL.. aren't video games by designed ment to be a big waste of time and money..ROFLMAO!! I personally like them being out ready to play versus putting things in to storage.

Yup. Moving stuff back'n'forth between play and storage is tedious and time wasting. So go with whatever formfactor suits your needs. Today you can have it all! A microsized R-Pi Zero for early arcade games or a sprawling 10-computer setup for flight sims and multi-player racer games. Anything is possible.

[Keatah]

36 minutes ago, Tanooki said:

Yeah that's facts, with these, my neo geo with carts (or a multicart), or even one of the various iCade in 1 mini pcb type setups less truly is more.  When you're not overwhelmed with like 200-2000+ games, you're closing in on something more refined, simple to choose from and more simple to stick to with less and less games.  My 161in1 cart failed about a month ago, so now I'm down (hacks removed) from a 90ish in 1 cart to my 30-35 MVS carts, so it's easier to go... I'll do Neo Turf Masters and Mark of the WOlves today, then slide those out and go with 8man and League BOwling the next.  Just like with an a1up of whatever size you may have 2-4 games in a smaller scale device or you can have what is it now 8-20 within the 1/3 size.  Far less distraction.  One time I did have a Galaga/Galaga 88 cabinet, stupid thing failed but wasn't covered under a warranty which sucked... I think I got my $60 worth as it was an overstock store I found it in.   It though could have used better buttons, it seemed to skip a shot ever so many presses.

Many many folks have said that having too many games instantly available is a problem. And it is a real problem. It can also be addressed very effectively however.

 

As an example, in Emulator Stella, ALL the available roms number in the thousands. That's no doubt overwhelming. So.. I set mine up with a "favorites" category containing about about 40-50 games from childhood I play over and over again. Essentially the best of what I had on my cartridge shelf. I'm not overwhelmed and I don't have to sort through a list of thousands of titles.

 

Additionally I have all the stuff sorted by mfg., Atari, Activision, Imagic. Just like I had as a kid. And there are other ways to sort and narrow it down. Controller type. Date.. Sounds like a lot of work!?!?! Well no it isn't. Hunter did most of it already. It's a bonus. It's like walking over to a new shelf of the same games, just arranged and presented differently.

 

Look - it's no more time consuming then getting in the car and trekking to TurnStyle or Toys'R'US to get a new cartridge. That's 2 hours right there. Then finding a spot on your cartridge display shelf and shuffling it around to make it look nice and keep the existing order intact. AND entering it into your little black logbook..

 

And it remains fun to build my favorites list. This springtime I have BIG PLANS to add two new categories! Lots of fanfare and a gala celebration is sure to ensue!

 

5 hours ago, skaredmask said:

I couldn't agree with you more that arcade 1up is better in there 1/3 scale arcades!!. Yes there are better (BBD) options out there but for what they are I still believe there pretty good and when you usually store by a BBD it usual cost more $$. when I get in to too big of a libary of games on multicade machines and MAME. I have spend too much time thinking of what I want to play than loose interest in what I'm playing and change the game and it becomes a infinite cycle for me. Having a limted amount of games per machine that are ready to works best for me.

The number of games available in MAME is beyond overwhelming. No doubt about it. And that's why I carefully curated a list of less than 200 favorites. This encompasses and traverses all I liked in the arcades from like forever, 70's to present. I figure I added between 5 and 7 games every year on average. Some years none, other years a few more. THIS IS KEY! And it gives you a sense of building and collecting something too.

 

The whole "MAME library" is available to everyone. Make use of it. Pick and choose your favorites by hand. Carefully. And don't clutter it up. I always say that too many physical games and paraphernalia suffocates you and diminishes enjoyment of the hobby. The same trap awaits those doing emulators or multicades and multicarts.

 

5 hours ago, skaredmask said:

I also Hate MAME on PC too setup configure and everything else at least after assemble the arcade 1ups are ready to go..

I figure this is the "cost of assembly". And once it's setup, it's setup. Only sometimes requiring a redo if you upgrade your MAME version. Or sometimes minor tweaks if you get new controllers or new speakers & monitor.

 

I suppose the worst would be upgrading your emulators through major versions or switching to a new OS. But what is setup on Windows 10 shouldn't/doesn't need any changes in going to 11.

 

To that end I do not upgrade to each new version of MAME.

 

 

[Steven Pendleton]

8 hours ago, Keatah said:

MAME is elegant once you get past all the setup and tedium. A very capable system can be had in a frozen dinner sized box.

MAME sucks because it has a very noticeable amount of input lag and lacks the option to force games to run at specific refresh rates. Doing a side-by-side comparison with Slap Fight running on MAME and my Slap Fight arcade PCB on my Astro City reveals that the game feels super gross on MAME. You know it's pretty bad because I'm not sensitive to input lag at all and even I can tell it's there. Definitely a win for the PCB, as expected.

 

Slap Fight runs at 60Hz, so let's now try something that doesn't: Hishouzame, which MAME says runs at 54.78Hz or whatever. Now the scrolling is all jerky since it doesn't match my monitor's refresh rate and it gives me a headache. Comparing Hishouzame on MAME to my Hishouzame arcade PCB, M2 ShotTriggers Hishouzame on PS4, and M2 ShotTriggers Hishouzame on Switch, the M2 releases are not perfect, either; they have noticeable stuttering, but it's better than what's on MAME. Unfortunately, Last Fighter skips during the intro, which is really too bad. MAME is also once again plagued by input lag that isn't there on Switch and PS4. Of course, the Hishouzame PCB outperforms everything, just as it should; no lag, no stuttering, and Last Fighter doesn't skip. It's literally perfect. In real life I know one of the guys who made this game and he agrees that PCB is the best!

 

So yeah, a total loss for MAME overall.

[Keatah]

You want your monitor to

match the game frame rate. Genuine GSync monitors do that. Trying to make MAME force a game to a specific speed is awkward.
 

And you want to have USB polling at 500hz.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Keatah

[Steven Pendleton]

Yeah, and I can't do that since I don't have VRR or Gsync or a way to connect it to a CRT, which would fix it automatically. I also can't find USB polling in the .ini.

Edited February 10, 2023 by Steven Pendleton

[Keatah]

I despise all fighting games with the exception of Mortal Kombat and Primal Rage.

 

USB polling isn't in MAME ini file. Not as of today. I have a specialized utility for Windows XP, from back in the day. And then my modern-day gaming mice come with a setting within their Win 10/11 drivers. Some mice can change the rate if you hold down certain buttons while connecting them - but then it's mouse-specific and not global. If your CPU is fast enough you can get a polling rate of 8,000Hz, that's 0.1ms.

 

As for monitors.. refresh rates are getting better every year. especially if they are for gaming. Eventually all boats will be lifted!

 

 

[Reaperman]

I got a ridge racer a1up for christmas, and it's fine for what it is.

 

The main Ridge Racer game, does not feel nearly as sharp as the ps1 turbo mode port with a properly working negcon, but the online leaderboards on a1up do help make it kind of 'its own thing' since everybody is dealing with the same hardware specs/handicap. I'd say between those leaderboards, and the graphics boost, a1up averages out to being just as good as ps1's port.

 

Additionally, I believe this is the first time any of the four other included games ever made it home at all, which really helps the cabinet justify its retail price--maybe even its full MSRP.

 

Still, every time I glance at it, thoughts of 'surgery with the jigsaw' come to mind. If I gave it a cabinet door and shelves inside, or sawed 9" off the back, it might justify the space it takes a bit more. Maybe it'd help if there's an aftermarket drop-in upgrade kit, but I'd also think the stock 5-in-1 games would be more than enough to banish those thoughts on their own.

 

Not surprisingly, I've never had 'cut it smaller' fantasies about either of the full-size cabs in the same room. Naw, it's the small one that needs cutting. 🤣

Edited February 11, 2023 by Reaperman

[Reaperman]

Double post, but whatever. Arcade racing games are the best way to wake up on saturday morning--even better than cartoons. I've just gotten about 3 hours in, and am feeling pretty great.

 

For a1up ridge racer's fairly reasonable $299 super-sale price, that it can 'hang with' and be considered part of this morning's arcade fun is a real achievement. That's less than half the price of the MiSTercade board living in that Neo Geo cabinet that's playing Ridge Racer Revolution.

 

And as I said above, A1up is on averages, right about just as good as those ps1 games MiSTercade is doing. A1up is prettier, with online leaderboards, but control is a little better on ps1. But then a1up has 4 never-before-in-home games. 

 

I keep saying this more and more lately, it's a good time to be a gamer. A1up is part of that, and is way better than those old early-2000's walmart flat-pack arcades that played NES roms off of a famiclone chip.

 

(embiggen image)

Edited February 11, 2023 by Reaperman

[MrMaddog]

Well to me Arcade 1Ups are the retro gaming version of Ikea furniture, easy to put together but not very sturdy for the high price they ask.

 

Honestly, I prefer having one arcade cab that I can add games to and the only commercial cab that lets me do that is the Legends Arcade Pro. (I hate AtGames too, but some products like Atari Flashbacks I can live with.)

 

Control-wise most games can be played with a joystick with buttons, track-balls are a nice bonus and can double as spinners and paddles.  Driving & yoke (analog) controls that a few games use...well I can get by with Xbox gamepads.

[+Gemintronic]

I'm used to some telling me "I am not the target customer" when referring to products like this.  Same goes for mini "systems" with a set in stone sampling of games.

 

But, anyone geeked enough to want a single purpose cab would also be picky enough to want quality.  Those who can't afford it are using MAME or re-buying emulated classics from walled gardens like the Nuntendo eShop or Steam.

[Steven Pendleton]

On 2/10/2023 at 7:58 PM, Keatah said:

USB polling isn't in MAME ini file. Not as of today. I have a specialized utility for Windows XP, from back in the day. And then my modern-day gaming mice come with a setting within their Win 10/11 drivers. Some mice can change the rate if you hold down certain buttons while connecting them - but then it's mouse-specific and not global. If your CPU is fast enough you can get a polling rate of 8,000Hz, that's 0.1ms.

 

As for monitors.. refresh rates are getting better every year. especially if they are for gaming. Eventually all boats will be lifted!

Yeah no. Too much of a pain to figure out, and there is nothing I can do about refresh rates without buying a new monitor, and nothing on the market meets my very specific needs aside from the discontinued one that I am using now, so no point. I'm sticking with my real PCBs on my real New Astro City.

[Keatah]

3 hours ago, Steven Pendleton said:

I'm sticking with my real PCBs on my real New Astro City.

Very good then. Years ago I used to know this guy that had a generic cabinet with removable controls and removable PCBs. Would swap between something like 20+ games at a whim. Wish I had pics because it was modular and built to high standards with Happ controls.

 

12 hours ago, Gemintronic said:

But, anyone geeked enough to want a single purpose cab would also be picky enough to want quality.

True enough. If I were to buy an Assault cabinet, I would want to figure out how to add Assault Plus as a 2nd game option. And I would definitely not want slack in the tank sticks - I hated that! And Galaxy World's machine had a bunch of it. So quality and durability are #1 for dedicated cabs.

 

12 hours ago, Gemintronic said:

  Those who can't afford it are using MAME or re-buying emulated classics from walled gardens like the Nuntendo eShop or Steam.

The two main things with MAME is the number of games and that it can fit any formfactor. Decades ago I kinda gave up on the arcade cab format and strongly prefer separate controls, processing box, display and speakers.

[+LS650]

I have a Ms. Pacman Partycade.  I paid about the equivalent of $250 US for it a couple of years ago.  

You know, I kind of like it; it does have a high nostalgia factor, and although it only has 8 games, several of the games are faves of mine: Ms. Pacman, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Galaga, etc.
 

I would never pay the $500-700 that the uprights ask for, but I could see buying another Partycade if it had a good mix of games.  Unfortunately it seems like all the Partycades imported into Canada are just a rehash of Pacman variants.  Apparently there's an Atari Partycade (see pic) but it doesn't appear to have ever been brought into Canada.

Edited February 13, 2023 by ls650

[Cynicaster]

I've never played an A1UP myself, but if I could sit down and play a game that I'm familiar with and the controls do what I ask them to do (no sticking or missed/incorrect inputs, etc.), the screen is satisfactory, input lag is within acceptable limits, and the audio is clean and sounds right, then that's most of the way there for what I need to enjoy a classic game.  I still think a custom built MAME cabinet is the best way to go for my needs, because I can design my own controls layout and have full control over the games list(s), but I also understand it's not an option for everybody for various reasons.     

 

When it comes to stuff like A1UP, I tend to take the "arcade purist" opinions with a grain of salt.  If somebody is ideologically opposed to something like this, their minds are made up before they even turn the thing it on. 

 

[Flojomojo]

I have the Star Wars mini arcade which I bought for full price at launch. No regrets, because I always wanted a Star Wars arcade machine, and this is way smaller, more reliable, and practical. The flight yoke and screen are dandy. It's not "authentic" but it's a lot closer than anything I could have built, and the side art looks nice. 

 

Even with its riser, it's still a little short so I put these little feet under it. Now it's perfect. 

 

I don't want or need any more (they're quite bulky) but I think they're neat and if I had infinite time/space/money I'd get a whole fleet of them. Fortunately, I am constrained by time, space, money, and sanity. I can play Pac-Man and other arcade games in other ways. 

[Tanooki]

1 hour ago, Cynicaster said:

I've never played an A1UP myself, but if I could sit down and play a game that I'm familiar with and the controls do what I ask them to do (no sticking or missed/incorrect inputs, etc.), the screen is satisfactory, input lag is within acceptable limits, and the audio is clean and sounds right, then that's most of the way there for what I need to enjoy a classic game.  I still think a custom built MAME cabinet is the best way to go for my needs, because I can design my own controls layout and have full control over the games list(s), but I also understand it's not an option for everybody for various reasons.     

 

When it comes to stuff like A1UP, I tend to take the "arcade purist" opinions with a grain of salt.  If somebody is ideologically opposed to something like this, their minds are made up before they even turn the thing it on. 

 

Mind you I had the 2nd or 3rd gen Galaga/Galaga 88 unit last year as a new open box product I found locally, which is one of those tabletop barcade sized units when I say this, but they're not great.  At least, that one wasn't, which is why I don't have it now.  It did what you were worried about, misbehave, as far as button inputs going.  I'm fairly familiar with Galaga over the years and some with 88 more so due to the TG/PCE port.  It was missing like 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 button pushes when I would open fire on anything that moved.  I ended up getting repeatedly fragged after getting into the double digit waves when it gets fast and faster with incoming fire and aliens.  I'd press and it wouldn't fire every time so I'd clear most of a cluster, then get wrecked by the one that squeaked by the misfire.  I got pissed, got the thing pretty cheap, so basically I did what I could reading online, tried to figure out if there was a fix, saw some other obscure complaints about the same on social media -- put it in the trash.  Had it cost me over $100 and not $50 I would have probably resold it to some casual who wouldn't have a clue.

[Cynicaster]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

Mind you I had the 2nd or 3rd gen Galaga/Galaga 88 unit last year as a new open box product I found locally, which is one of those tabletop barcade sized units when I say this, but they're not great.  At least, that one wasn't, which is why I don't have it now.  It did what you were worried about, misbehave, as far as button inputs going.  I'm fairly familiar with Galaga over the years and some with 88 more so due to the TG/PCE port.  It was missing like 1 in 4 or 1 in 5 button pushes when I would open fire on anything that moved.  I ended up getting repeatedly fragged after getting into the double digit waves when it gets fast and faster with incoming fire and aliens.  I'd press and it wouldn't fire every time so I'd clear most of a cluster, then get wrecked by the one that squeaked by the misfire.  I got pissed, got the thing pretty cheap, so basically I did what I could reading online, tried to figure out if there was a fix, saw some other obscure complaints about the same on social media -- put it in the trash.  Had it cost me over $100 and not $50 I would have probably resold it to some casual who wouldn't have a clue.

Well, that’s unfortunate.  I can tolerate the odd sizes and even the cheap-o materials used to build the box, but my tolerance for shortcomings runs out the instant a game doesn’t play or control the way I expect based on experience.  There is just no way I can have fun playing the game if that’s the case.  
 

I know MAME, Final Burn, etc.  aren’t necessarily 100% frame-by-frame  accurate either but when I visit retro arcades and play the original cabinets I’m always pleasantly surprised at how faithfully my favorite games play at home via emulation.  

[Keatah]

29 minutes ago, Cynicaster said:

Well, that’s unfortunate.  I can tolerate the odd sizes and even the cheap-o materials used to build the box, but my tolerance for shortcomings runs out the instant a game doesn’t play or control the way I expect based on experience.  There is just no way I can have fun playing the game if that’s the case.

I suppose that's a good way to look at it. The original "roms" we played back in the day's arcades are like 90% the nostalgia. The rest, the cabinet, the physical embodiment, the arcade atmosphere.. make up the remaining 10%. This last 10% can be fluid throughout the ensuing years and not affect the fun.

 

Game rules are canon and not to be messed with. It'd be so retarded to start Tempest on the red level or Moon Patrol scroll in the opposite direction. And the "roms" ensure this doesn't happen.

 

In fact I moreso enjoy the old games on fresh modern hardware that's more or less tailored to my whim than I do stuck in an bolt upright position playing in a noisy arcade environment. I much prefer a cup holder on my desk, a bag of potato chips over there. Sound volume adjusted just right. Good color saturation and geometry on an IPS or QD LCD. All the creature comforts.

 

29 minutes ago, Cynicaster said:

I know MAME, Final Burn, etc.  aren’t necessarily 100% frame-by-frame  accurate either but when I visit retro arcades and play the original cabinets I’m always pleasantly surprised at how faithfully my favorite games play at home via emulation.  

Like I was saying it doesn't have to be 100%. Because to be 100% you'd need a time machine to take you back, and some sort of medical procedure to restore youth to, say, 16 years old, and something to erase all then-future memories so that the experience is fresh. I'm fairly certain that isn't happening any time soon!

 

A lot of work has gone into making MAME accurate. And who's to say that more development won't lead to increased accuracy? Just happy that MAME (and other emulation) are ongoing works in progress. At this +25 year juncture a lot has been done and improvements to the first games emulated are going to be very incremental. Very subtle. The gross errors long ago ironed out.

 

Play at home was always the next evolution of arcade games. And so wanted that in the 1980's. Imagine how cool it'd have been to have a "MAME module" you could plug into your classic computer and play all the then-contemporary arcade games. Today we have that. Silly perhaps.. But you can easily build that module into your existing genuine classic and not affect its originality.

 

Or put it this way. Go to Wal-Mart, buy a laptop. Plug it into the wall at home. Type some stuff on it. And suddenly it's playing all the vintage arcade games. That's the stuff of fever dreams in the 80's. Crazy ain't it?

[Cynicaster]

31 minutes ago, Keatah said:

That's the stuff of fever dreams in the 80's. Crazy ain't it?

For sure, I’ve thought about that many times.  Having a single one of my favorite arcade games at home (with limitless credits) would have been otherworldly.  A way of playing effectively any arcade game…?