Gizmodo: Arcade

Grand Daddy Brings Faux-Classiness to Arcade Machines

Elaine Chow — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:30:00 EDT

Regular arcade machines are neat and all, but if you have thousands of dollars worth of mahogany furniture in your mansion, they tend to clash with the environment. Luckily, Custom Arcades makes a gaming all-in-one that takes your expensive tastes into account. The Grand Daddy Arcade encases a 42-inch flat screen monitor, a 505W sound system, a two to four player control panel, and space to store other home gaming systems in an only slightly gaudy birch casing. Yours for just $8000. [Custom Arcades via Born Rich]

$200 Xbox 360 Getting Motion Control for Christmas?

Mark Wilson — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:45:00 EDT

It's a rumor, but it sure is a juicy one. According to an Xbox360Fanboy source close to Microsoft PR, the $200 Xbox 360 Arcade (the SKU with no hard drive) will be sold in a bundle with a motion controller and a few motiony games during the coming holiday season. The possibility is certainly not all that crazy, as we've seen plenty of evidence supporting the Xbox 360 "Newton" motion controller, and everyone wants a piece of the Wii's big, hungry fanbase. Our guess is that if this rumor pans out we'll hear more around the Tokyo Game Show in October. [Xbox360Fanboy]

Japanese Arcade Mania Book By Kotaku's B. Ashcraft

Brian Lam — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:49:04 EDT

Brian Ashcraft's book, Arcade Mania: The Turbo-Charged World of Japan's Game Centers, is available for preorder on Amazon. Brian explains that with the arrival of Street Fighter IV, now's the right time to explain the history, culture and color of Japanese arcades. (For the first time in English, too.) [Kotaku, Amazon]

IKEA + Apple = Mamebook Cocktail

Mark Wilson — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:00:00 EDT

A MAME (arcade) cabinet will easily cost you several hundred to several thousand dollars. But one modder used a little ingenuity to take an old PowerBook with snapped hinges and fit it into an IKEA RAMVIK shelving unit. The result is a tabletop arcade machine á la Galaga and Pac-Man that fits in a modern home. Here's the funny shot that tells you it's an Apple:

But the best part may be what the designer used to create the sleek black frame around his computer screen—it's just plain old black cardboard. And to further the simple mod theme, the joystick simply pulls out from the table's built-in drawer. There's no mounting, but maybe that's actually a good thing. [Mamebook cocktail via Unplggd]

Blu-ray Coffee Table, Pac-Man Tabletop For Grown-ups

Mark Wilson — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:40:00 EDT

When tabletop arcade manufacturer Retro-Tech makes a coffee table, it's gotta do more than hold books on Famous Chateaus of the 18th Century and What Things Look Like From the Sky. It has to hold that stuff and piss off your home theater.

So they start with a 19" touchscreen, add a Blu-ray drive with video out and a Microsoft keyboard and mouse to control is all. (And we're pretty sure a PC is stuck in there too.) To round it out, 6mm of "toughened glass" protects the top, though we're a bit confused if the touchscreen still works when covered. You can definitely see the arcade influence in the design, but we wish they'd gone a step or two further in incorporating the glossier elements of tabletop games. And would a splash of color hurt anyone? Price TBA. [Retro-Tech via Ubergizmo]

Bond With Your Family, Build Your Own Arcade Machine

Elaine Chow — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

Want to become the coolest parent ever? Turn off the computers, put down the television remote, and do a little DIY with your kids this weekend by building your own arcade machine. While you assemble the pieces, regale little Tommy or Gina with the tales of your Space Invaders past. And when they look up at you, little eyes shining, and ask why you couldn't just get an emulator, tell them they were both adopted. [IGN via Kotaku]

Xbox 360 XNA Arcade Games to Come to Zune

Jason Chen — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:28:13 EST

Microsoft just announced that the XNA Game Studio, the user-created games program for the Xbox 360 is coming for the Zune. The demo shown at Game Developer's Conference shows a person controlling the game with the Zune pad, pausing the game, going out and switching music on the Zune, then going back into the game. Very neat.

In addition, since the Zune has Wi-Fi, you can also do multiplayer games as well! You'll be able to multiplay from Windows to Xbox to Zune, which means that you might be able to develop one game for three platforms (with slight tweaks for each) that people can play with each other. Definitely cool. Check out Kotaku for more GDC coverage. [Kotaku and Kotaku]

Retro Arcade Gaming Fan Heaven Is Worth Infinite Quarters

Jesus Diaz — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:30:52 EST

Peter Hirschberg has just finished his stunning retro-gaming heaven, a Valhalla for the best arcade video games ever. His Luna City Arcade has 57 fully-restored arcade classics, which span from Asteroids to Zaxxon, plus a whole load of pinballs. Amazingly enough, he does all this on his own dime, for the love of it. This personal museum is open now ~~to the public~~ by invitation only, and the best thing: entrance and quarters are completely free for his guests. Check the video, huge gallery and the interview with Peter after the jump.

Jesús Díaz: Stunning museum, Peter. When was it completed?
Peter Hirschberg: The building was completed just a couple weeks ago. I'm still working on the inside a bit, but it was good enough to have my first Game Day over there. The building is 60'x40', with 12' ceilings. There's a bathroom and a finished upstairs. The outside matches the house, with cedar siding and stonework around the bottom.

The electrical system was a pretty interesting aspect of the building. We had two 400amp breaker panels installed, along with commercial-grade wiring, to handle the load of all the games (our entire house is only 200amps). Between the gameroom and the house, we are using an entire outdoor transformer.

JD: Is there any admission fee or could people just get in and spend quarters on the machines?
PH: Nope, totally free. I insist that people use the quarters I provide. The change machines are set to dispense quarters for free. My rules are "don't use your own money" and "don't take my money home with you."

JD: What's your crown jewel, your fave arcade of them all?
PH: It would be a tie between Discs of Tron, Tail Gunner, Space War and Lunar Lander.

JD: And what's the public's favorite, what machine sees the most traffic?
PH: The favorite game among visitors would probably be Galaga. The only reason I got that game was because people kept harassing me for not having it. I don't really like the game that much. Star Wars is another really big favorite among guests.

JD: Do you think there are any modern games that capture the feeling of the classics?
PH: I like the game Echoes, and Geometry Wars. Back in the heyday of the arcade, Geometry Wars is what we thought arcade games would look like in 20 years. It's the first game since the '80s that I can play and not feel dirty.

JD: What's your favorite home gaming system?
PH: I like the Wii since it has that childlike innocence that I miss in game systems. I don't play it that much. It's pretty much just for the kids. But I do like playing Geometry Wars on it. The control scheme is pretty interesting.

JD: Do you receive donations from any big companies to maintain the machines or is it just you and friends?
PH: I wish! This whole thing was financed entirely on my own nickle. Any big companies out there? This is your chance to sponsor me!

Indeed. Hopefully all those dirty rich EAs and Microsofts of this world could spare some of their own quarters in helping Peter with this amazing effort. In the meantime, if you want to help him, contact him at his page. [Peter Hirschberg]

Homemade Metroid Arcade Cabinet: Bravo!

Sean Fallon — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:35:04 EST

Amazing things can happen when you combine passion with talent. This homemade Metroid arcade cabinet is definitely a case in point. Unfortunately his talents do not extend into the world of directing, so the video is not quite what it could be. Still, the cool artwork, lighting effects, and controller ports for the NES, SNES, N64 and USB are easily discernible. If you ask me, the best part is the illuminated Mother Brain displayed behind plexiglass. Very impressive indeed. [WiiFanboy via Joystiq]

Dealzmodo: Konami Arcade Cabinet

Mark Wilson — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:45:40 EST

We've told you about something similar to the 12-in-1 Konami arcade cabinet before, but this is Konami's first appearance on Giz. Featuring (you guessed it) 12 classic Konami games—Frogger, Green Beret, Blades of Steel, Contra, Gyruss, Castlevania, Hyper Sports, Time Pilot '84, Shao-Lins Road, Jungler, Scramble and Super Basketball—its slightly smaller stature will make for snugger play, and its 15" screen will be smaller than many classic machines you are used to. But for a reduced price, it would make a fantastic gift under the tree...

For a limited time you can pick up the Konami arcade cabinet for a sweet $320. From Linens 'n Things, enter "NOV2907" at checkout and save 20% on the system that often runs $400 and up...if you can still find one around. Either the cabinets have been a hot commodity or they're being discontinued. Either way, we think that the machine looks a lot more tempting for around $300 than it did at $400. [linensnthings via bargainjack]

True Dream Arcade Features 120-Inch Screen, 145 Installed Games and Wii Adaptor

Sean Fallon — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:10:30 EST

If an arcade system that features a 120-inch screen, 145 pre-installed classic games, a free Wii adaptor, and two-player control panel with numerous buttons, a spinner, and a lighted trackball doesn't give you a tickle in your pants, nothing will. On the other hand, the $4000 price tag may leave the average gamer a little unsatisfied. Additional pic and info after the jump.

If you do have the means, you will also have the high-output DLP projector with a 2000:1 contrast ratio and a native resolution of 1024 x 768 (1400 X 1050 max) to enjoy. There is also some decent power under the hood with the whole thing running on a "high-end PC" with AMD Athlon 64 X2 4000+ . Wow, it sucks being poor. [Product Page via Crunchgear]

Xbox 360 Arcade is Official

Jason Chen — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:26:51 EDT

Microsoft's long rumored Xbox 360 Arcade is now official. It's everything we knew before: $279, wireless controller, HDMI, and five arcade games (Pac-Man Championship Edition, Uno, Luxor 2, Boom Boom Rocket and Feeding Frenzy). No hard drive, but there's an included a flash memory storage unit to save your arcade games on. It's a logical system that we predicted was true since almost a third of Xbox 360 owners don't know about the Arcade portion of Live. With this new SKU, even if people don't buy it, they'll at least know what the Xbox Live Arcade is.

REDMOND, Wash. — Oct. 22, 2007 — Just in time for holiday, Microsoft Corp. today released a new Xbox 360® console that delivers games and content to everyone in the family for an incredible value of $279.99 (U.S. estimated retail price)*. Available in stores beginning today, Xbox 360 Arcade console is the first Xbox 360 console to include five family-friendly games, a wireless controller, a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) connection to enable high-definition output if desired and 256 MB of memory useful for storing games and entertainment content. At $279.99, the Xbox 360 Arcade console will include five best-selling games: "PAC-MAN Championship Edition" (NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc.), "Uno" (Carbonated Games), "Luxor 2" (MumboJumbo), "Boom Boom Rocket" (Electronic Arts Inc.) and "Feeding Frenzy" (Sprout Games).
"As families gather together this holiday, it's the perfect time to launch a new low-priced, high-value Xbox 360 that plays games, TV shows and music for everyone to enjoy," said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of global marketing, Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. "In addition to offering an incredible all-in-one package for families to get right into the fun, the Xbox 360 Arcade system features the industry-leading Family Settings, which allow parents to control what their kids are watching and playing — and we know how important that control is to families around the world."
Karen Dodge, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Toys "R" Us, added, "We are excited to offer this new gaming experience to our customers — children and families — who can now enjoy the fun of Xbox 360 together. Many of this holiday season's hottest items provide Internet connectivity, and with the online entertainment options available through Xbox LIVE®, Xbox 360 Arcade offers families a great mix of online content and traditional gaming in one console."
The news of Xbox 360 Arcade comes as part of a broader initiative by Microsoft to bring the Xbox 360 experience to families everywhere. Microsoft also announced today that it is significantly expanding its catalog of high- and standard-definition family fun content that is available on demand direct to the consumer's living room. This includes the addition of everyone's favorite characters such as "Bugs Bunny" and "Daffy Duck" from Warner Bros., which will be delivering the first ever "Looney Tunes" cartoons for download on Xbox 360, starting today. In addition, Nickelodeon is adding three new shows to its already large library of more than 300 episodes of TV shows on Xbox LIVE, Microsoft's premier online gaming and entertainment service, with the inclusion of "Blue's Clues," "The Backyardigans" and "iCarly." "SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam™" (THQ Inc.) and "SHREK-N-ROLL™" (Activision) games will also be available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the place to download games for Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE, adding more fun for everyone in the family.

Microsoft's commitment to family entertainment is complemented by the largest next-generation library of "E"- and "T"-rated games, more than 200 in all, available at retailers nationwide this holiday, including "BEE MOVIE™ GAME" (Activision), "Guitar Hero III®: Legends of Rock" (Activision), "Naruto: Rise of a Ninja" (UbiSoft Entertainment), "Scene It? Lights, Camera, Action" and "Viva Piñata®: Party Animals."

Guitar Hero "Arcade Syle" Cabinet: Rock Out in Style

Sean Fallon — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:50:27 EDT

A simple but brilliant design—build an arcade style cabinet for Guitar Hero with a real Marshall cab acting as the base, a marquee and speakers on the top, and connect it to a hacked PS2 with every Guitar Hero game loaded on the hard drive. Then go ahead and deck out a couple of guitar controllers to top it all off. Needless to say, I wouldn't mind sucking so much ass at Guitar Hero if I was playing it on this thing. [Arcadecontrols via Arcadeheroes via Gearfuse]

Leaked Xbox 360 Arcade Product Shot

Jason Chen — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:18:18 EDT

Ars got their nerdtastic mitts on an Xbox 360 Arcade product shot—the new 360 version we detailed for you yesterday. There's not much else to say other than look at the picture, but you'll notice that the 360 Arcade's DVD drive is the same gimpy white as the Core's, instead of the majestic silver like the Platinum's. [Ars Technica]

USB Whack It (Like Whack-a-Mole You Pervert)

blongo3 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:15:06 EDT

At first glance this USB Whack-a-Mole–like game stirred up all kinds of great Chuck E. Cheese like emotions. Then we realized that Whack It doesn't have two things, one being moles and the other being fun. Everyone knows that the fun part of Whack-a-Mole is when you get to take out all your pent-up aggression on some helpless plastic moles, and how are we supposed to do that when the Whack It guys are so tiny? However, if you still are lusting over owning your own Whack-a-Mole game, no matter how small, it will run you $24.[Random Good Stuff]

Japanese Robo Crane Game Takes It Up a Notch

Jason Chen — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:30:16 EDT

If you're looking for another reason why Japan looks upon us like we look upon third world countries, take crane games. We have a robotic crane we control with a joystick, but Japan has a robotic ROBOT that they control with buttons. Players move the robot around to collect one of many cute dolls—one of which is a deformed Shrek—and take the winnings home. Too bad you can't have the robot grab itself, since that's what we really want. [Stinger Report via Arcade Heroes via Gear fuse via Uber Gizmo]

This winter Microsoft will start letting ...

blongo3 — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:30:14 EDT

This winter Microsoft will start letting developers bring their Xbox Live Arcade games to the PC. [Gamernode]

Vintage Star Wars Machine Costs Curren(t)cy

Mark Wilson — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:17:53 EDT

While we're all waiting around for light sabers to be invented, there must be a better way to occupy our time than staring at walls of unopened action figures (at the comic book store, we're too cheap) or hitting up message boards to debate over which Leia was the hottest (not bikini Leia, I would argue). Maybe this 1983 Star Wars Cockpit Arcade Game will give us something more tangible for our efforts, like a high score, or better yet, a higher score.

Featuring four triggers for each of four laser canons, you can blast green-matrix TIE fighters for hours on end while Skywalker, Obi-Wan and Han Solo quote you favorite lines to your heart's content. Of course, at $7,100 this restored game isn't cheap. But just think of all the quarters you'll save...or would save...if this were still 1983...and arcades still existed... [product via redferret]

The Wii Crane Game

Jason Chen — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 18:30:05 EDT

Those Jersey residents really love their crane game. First there was the iPhone Crane Game where you had to throw down $5 per try, and now there's the Wii crane game, where you can get the chance to pick yourself up one Nintendo console for $2. We're not sure how many Wiis have been won in this gigantic Wii crane game, but now we know why we can't ever find one in stores. [Crave via Kotaku]

Japanese Initial D Arcade Booth Features Actual Tofu Car

Jason Chen — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:10:23 EDT

Arcades are dying out here in the States, but they sure wouldn't if they were more like this Japanese Initial D cabinet. Instead of just a booth or a mockup cockpit to sit in, you get to actually drive in the tofu car from the Initial D series. Not only do you get to drive the '86, you can also ride in a Subaru Impreza WRX and Mazda RX-7 (also featured in the show). If only their Boong-Ga Boong-Ga game was so realistic. [Response via Q-Taro via Kotaku]

The iPhone Crane Game

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 14:30:45 EDT

Those you who didn't get an iPhone in our Eureka contest earlier this month can head down to Point Pleasant, NJ, and try your luck there. Instead of coming up with a cool invention, all you have to do is master the forbidden art of pulling crap out of a glass box with a crane. There are at least two arcade-style claw-grabber boxes with the iPhone as the "grand prize," but we all know how difficult it is to grab anything with those atrophied mitts. Even Bender couldn't do it with his own arm. [Joeygadget via ArcadeHeroes via Kotaku]

Arcade Basketball: Captain Insano Style

blongo3 — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:30:00 EDT

All we can do after watching this kid play arcade basketball, beyond picking our jaws up off our desks, is apologize to our parents for wasting their money at Chuck E. Cheese. We obviously didn't fulfill the potential of the game and could have won whatever crappy toys we ended up throwing away three days later with much greater efficiency. – Ben Longo

Best Arcade Basketball Guy Ever [Geekologie]

Soviet Arcade Machines Fully Explain Russians' Vodka Addiction

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 06:22:28 EDT

While Russian president, former KGB agent and failed comedian Vladimir Putin polishes his ICBMs, a group of friends at Moscow State Technical University has decided to do the same with a whole bunch of video game machines from the Soviet Era. And like the USSR's old missiles, these primitive Japanese arcade crude knockoffs look to be just as fun. I know this is all about nostalgia, but someone should tell them that some things are better left in the graveyard. At least the ICBMs. – Jesus Diaz

Soviet-Era Arcade Games Crawl Out of Their Cold War Graves [Wired]

Nintendo '80s Arcade Cabinet

Brian Lam — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:00:40 EDT

Costco's selling this Nintendo classic arcade cabinet. Since you can get Mario Bros. Donkey Kong and DK Jr variations on Game Boy, what you're actually paying $3000 for is the orange paint and amazing cabinet art. Twin joysticks, and a 19 inch monitor round out the 250-pound pre-8-bit-era game machine.–Brian Lam

Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Mario Bros. Arcade by Namco [Costco, thanks Jason]

Man Combines Doctor Who Obsession With Gaming Obsession to Become World's Ultimate Nerd

Jason Chen — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:10:17 EDT

This is what you get when you combine a MAME arcade cabinet with a home made TARDIS replica box. Sad, yet impressive, all at the same time.

How do we know it was a man? Do you know any women who would make something like this? Q.E.D. – Jason Chen

Building a MAME console inside a TARDIS [Asciimation via Neatorama]

How to Play NES Games on Your Xbox 360

Jason Chen — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 14:00:46 EST

Tired of waiting months and paying $5 for NES games like Contra to appear on Xbox Live Arcade? A coder has made a quick-and-dirty port of a PC NES emulator onto the Xbox 360 XNA platform, which you have to pay $99 a year (or $49 for four months) to access.

It's definitely a work in progress, seeing as it only runs at 60% or 70% of full speed and has a lot of hardcoded stuff—like not being able to load ROMs.

We're confident that someone else will come along and clean up the project or even make one of their own. An SNES should be coming soon as well. – Jason Chen

Project Page [Google Code via Xbox Scene]

How To: Dominate the Arcade Claw Game

Travis Hudson — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:01:03 EST

Brainiac, one of the few good shows on G4TV, figured out how to beat the claw game and has passed it onto you. Those damn claw games pissed me off so much as a kid, and whoda thunk it that they actually pay out on a schedule by adjusting the claw tension every xx number of attempts. – Travis Hudson

How to Beat the Claw Game [jaygeiger]

Tokyo Found: Insane Japanese Kicking Game

Brian Lam — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 18:56:51 EST

I'm still in Tokyo. And Lisa showed me this incredibly fun arcade game where the goal is simple: Kick the living daylights out of the cabinet's foam sensor. From skills developed in a former career, I earned the top score. After two of my best kicks, I'm unbelievably sore. The blogging life is not filled with regular exercise. Is it new? I hardly care. It is awesome.

Final score:

–Brian Lam

Wii Oddities: A Wiicade

Travis Hudson — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 12:45:29 EST

There are a ton of awesome Wii mods out there, and this isn't necessarily one of them. Traditionally, arcade cabinets are gaming devices meant to tether one to the game via integrated controls, etc and the Wii is a gaming device that intentionally separates the person from the game and controls with a motion-sensing Wiimote. Nice craftsmanship, but I think your kids would much rather enjoy the Wii on a nice, big 42-inch LCD or something. – Travis Hudson

Wiicade [Picasa]

Twin Arcade System Satisfies Your Console Envy

Louis Ramirez — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:30:51 EST

Still haven't scored a new console? If you're looking for a way to outdo your smug PS3-owning friends, you can show them off with this twin-unit arcade system. The Ford Racing Arcade Game lets you race classic Fords across 12 tracks with force-feedback wheels, driving pedals, and authentic racing seats. So what if it'll set you back $19,000 and only let you play one game. Think of how jealous it'll make your friends. And how broke you'll be after buying it. Right, back to the contests. – Louis Ramirez

Ford Racing Arcade Game [via Uncrate]

World's Biggest Wii Controller Prototype

Mark Wilson — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 10:00:38 EST

I understand some people want to create the feeling of arcade controls, but this homemade(?) Wii/Gamecube joystick may take up as much room as the cabinet it should be attached to.

Seriously, when what you are using to play a console could eat said console alive, you need to question where you're at in your gaming life...and maybe life in general. – Mark Wilson
Thanks qq!

Wii Joystick

MadCatz Xbox Live Arcade GameStick

Jason Chen — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 18:15:18 EST

If you're an Xbox 360 arcade fan you must remember that Mad Catz Arcade GameStick we showed you a little while ago. We've some more details on this controller, which is meant to control all those classic games like Galaga, Street Fighter and Frogger.

The controller itself has a main stick, a smaller stick (corresponding with the right analog) and the same number of buttons as the 360. It'll work on any 360 game, and can even be plugged into your PC for Windows games. It'll retail for $49 in about a month. If you're looking for the authentic retro experience, this should fit the bill fairly nicely.

Hit the jump for package shot.

– Jason Chen

Product Page [GameStop (price is wrong)]

Mad Catz Xbox 360 Arcade Stick Available For Preorder, Ships 12/1

Jason Chen — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 17:15:00 EDT

GameStop has the Mad Catz Xbox Live Arcade stick up for pre-order now, after yanking it down when it was leaked before. Mad Catz told us the price was going to be $49.99, but it looks like it's $59.99 now.

With all the classic games—Frogger, Street Fighter 2, Galaga, Pac Man—this stick seems almost necessary to play old games like they were meant to be played. – Jason Chen

Mad Catz Xbox Live Arcade Retro Stick [GameStop via Kotaku]

DIY: Xbox 360 Wireless Arcade Joystick

Travis Hudson — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 13:41:35 EDT

Where is the fun in playing games from Xbox Live Arcade without a real, traditional arcade style joystick. Frogger with a d-pad? Are you kidding me? A "junior member" on the arcade controls forum managed to piece together an arcade style controller for his Xbox 360 ... a wireless arcade style controller.

Basically he purchased a new wireless controller and used some crazy ass wiring to rig it up to a joystick and some buttons. It may be a bit on the large size, but I am still very much impressed, especially with the ballsy wiring job going on. – Travis Hudson

Instruction Page [Via Kotaku]

Midway Stand-Up Arcade Cabinet

Jason Chen — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 18:15:03 EDT

Any geek over the age of say, 28, will remember how it felt to play these old-timey arcade games at the arcade. Since arcades are a dying breed, and none of them actually have these old games for you to relive your seemlingly wonderful childhood,your only choice is to pick up this Big Electronics Games Stand-Up Arcade Console loaded with Midway games.

The games: Rampage, Defender, Defender II, Robotron: 2084, Joust, Bubbles, Splat!, Sinistar, Root Beer Tapper, Wizard of Wor, Timber and Satan's Hollow. Your price is $449, which includes FREE shipping. That'll save you at least $50 to $100 if this heavy mother wasn't shipped free. Now you and your married friends can do something else they come over, instead of just complain about your wives—complain about your wives while playing Joust. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Geeks]

Quasimoto HD: High Def Arcade Cabinet For Your Consoles

Brian Lam — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 08:17:07 EDT

Playing video games for too long can give you a hunched back. Appropriately named arcade cabinet maker, Quasimoto, has updated their many buttoned, many joystick'd model with an "HD" designation. That's a thinner profile, thanks to the wide-aspect flatscreen LCD that replaces the CRT in previous models we've written about. Also new are the removable side graphics, 200-watts of THX certified sound, and a built-in power strip you can plug your consoles into. What stays the same is a game tray and the fantastic joystick setup. Pictures of those, after the jump. – Brian Lam

Quasimoto Homepage[Quasimoto]

Arcade In A Box

gizmodo.com — Fri, 19 May 2006 15:56:48 EDT

Ed Farias wrote in to tell us about his product, Arcade in a Box, an all-in-one arcade console with computer guts built directly in the controller that can be plugged directly into external video sources. It's a great idea if you like the feel of proper controllers but you want to utilize your big new plasma or fancy projector as the display, or if you don't want or have room for an arcade cabinet.

If you decide later on that you'd like one after all, Arcade in a Box fits right into Mameroom's Ultimate Arcade II Cabinet; it's 100% MAME compatible so you can play every game out there, and it should also work with PC games that let you reconfigure their controls.

You insane DIY people can buy the PDF plans for building their own Arcade in A Box for just $12.50, while lazy bones like us who want to play not build can purchase a complete working system for $1,199. IIf you'd like to build some but not all of it, there's the AIAB Kit, which comes with computer parts for $399 or without for $250.

Arcade in A Box

Gizmodo Clips: Building the DreamArcade Head-to-Head Arcade Table

johnb — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 10:05:37 EDT

In this Gizmodo Clip, our own loving editor, John, builds a DreamArcades.com Head-to-head Arcade Cabinet. It's long, so watch this only during lunch.

Product Page [DreamArcades]

Mario Kart Coin-OP. Huzzah!

Travis Hudson — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 14:13:23 EST

This is Mario Kart Arcade GP. It is a two player, two-cabinet game that offers fun for all ages. I have needed to get in my fill of good, fun Mario Kart racing and now I can without having to buy that abomination of a Nintendo DS. There are six worlds filled with different racecourses, plus bonus games to boot. Merely $18k could put this bad boy in your basement, or you could just head down to the local arcade, quarters in hand, prepared to get stomped by me.

Mario Kart Arcade GP [Gadgetspy_]

Target to Sell Classic Arcade System

Travis Hudson — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 14:43:36 EST

BigGames Home Video Arcades will be selling a full standup arcade unit in Target stores for the holiday season. The unit itself stands a full 62 inches tall and includes a full-color monitor and will be going for $500. Unfortunately this monitor is a bit smaller than the standard arcade machine monitor. There are also extra A/V input cables to attach any other kind of home entertainment system to it.

Each unit plays 12 of the original arcade versions of the most popular Midway games including: Defender , Defender II, Robotron , Joust , Bubbles , Splat , Sinistar , Rampage , Rootbeer Tapper , Wizard of Wor , Timber , and Satan's Hollow (WHAT!!?).

Now where is the hell is my Galaga. Could be a good gift for Dad, but if you get your kid this instead of an Xbox 360 (which is the same price) expect to be hated for life.

Classic Stand-Up Arcade for $499 [Target.com]