5 Retro Arcade Machines to Bring the Arcade Experience Back to Your Living Room
Despite the advent of video game consoles and mobile phones, many young people still feel a connection to the arcade experience. These machines are a great way to bring this nostalgia into your home and share it with family and friends.
Jason Rayner, the venue manager at Arcade Club Leeds, and his colleagues often receive cabinets from arcade owners who want to move on. They take the time and effort to restore them, saving these machines for future generations.
Atari 2600 Arcade Machine
A must have video game console of the late 70s & early 80s, this retro arcade machine is sure to bring back a lot of fond memories! Featuring a miniature console, full functioning joystick and classic TV monitor, this Atari 2600 is the perfect gift for any video game fan.
The Atari 2600 was an important part of the video game industry as it brought arcade games like Missile Command, Asteroids and Centipede to home screens. The Atari 2600 also introduced many firsts for the home console market such as a cartridge-based system, removable game cartridges, and detachable controllers.
During its prime, the Atari 2600 was one of the most popular and profitable home consoles in the US, with Space Invaders being the most successful game released for it. It was a pioneering device that launched the home gaming revolution and helped to re-establish Atari as an important part of the video game industry.
The Atari 2600 was sold in a variety of configurations and models. It was produced in Japan under the name Atari 2800, and it was also released by Sears as the Video Arcade II. In addition to these models, there were several clones of the Atari 2600. This Rinco 256-in-1 clone, for example, was made of cheap brittle plastic and included two joysticks that were combination paddle/joysticks.
Doc & Pies Arcade Factory
The Doc & Pies Arcade Factory is a name that you can trust and the quality of their products is unwavering. Their cocktail arcade machine is a budget-friendly way to bring the fun back to your living room. It features a 19-inch color LCD screen, full-size joystick and buttons, and a plethora of classic games on display. They also boast a couple of nifty technologies like an intelligent power management system that prevents the device from overheating and an LED illumination scheme that keeps your screen sparkling.
The company also offers a few other interesting offerings in the form of Retro Arcade Machine arcade machines and gaming consoles. The best of the bunch is probably their largest and newest model, the Doc & Pies Pro. Among other things, this unit is the only one on our short list to feature a touchscreen that can be used to control the volume and the mode of operation of each game. It also has an esports mode that allows multiple players to compete against each other.
Marvel Pinball Arcade Machine
A great way to get back into the arcade spirit, and to show off your love of all things Marvel is to own a retro pinball machine. The Marvel Pinball Arcade Machine from Arcade 1UP (now $500, save $250) comes with 10 different games and a 23.8-inch LCD playfield.
This digital machine aims to mimic a real-life pinball experience with its low-latency flipper buttons and nudges and tilts that feel authentically satisfying. It also features built-in speakers, adjustable metal legs, and a DMD-style screen that shows the score and game information.
The cabinet itself is made to look a lot like a commercial pinball table, with steel side rails, lockdown bars, and chrome finish. The whole unit also feels sturdy, and it doesn’t feel like a toy at all.
With a huge selection of characters to choose from, the Marvel Pinball Arcade Machine is sure to keep you entertained for hours on end! This digital pinball machine packs ten games that feature your favorite Marvel heroes, along with haptic touch flippers, “real feel” tilt and nudges, built-in speakers, and adjustable metal legs.
The Marvel Pinball Arcade Machine is currently available for just $500 (save $250) on Amazon. It’s one of the few virtual pinball machines that looks and plays just as well as a physical machine, so it’s a great option for anyone looking to bring their favorite comic book series into the living room.
Pac-Man & Galaga Arcade Machine
A true retro gaming machine, this Pac-Man & Galaga Arcade Machine from Arcade 1Up recreates the authentic arcade experience at home. This cabinet features authentic controls, original artwork, and Wi-Fi support for online leaderboards.
The cabinet’s screen is a stunning 108-inch LED display, with plenty of space to fit all those classic game visuals. The cabinet also has RGB full-color rotating LED lights surrounding the control panel pedestal to illuminate the whole game’s playfield.
This arcade cabinet is perfect for a family game room or game cave and will provide hours of fun for your guests. It includes twelve classic games from the 1980s, including Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, as well as Dig Dug, MAPPY, Rally-X, Rolling Thunder, and more!
It also has a “Buy-in Continuation” mode for continuous play, making it easy to keep a Pac-Man & Galaga arcade game in the family. This is the perfect addition to any party, wedding, or corporate event!
A classic arcade icon, Pac-Man is a hungry hero that you must guide through a maze with real feel controls. Players must dodge aggressive ghosts like Blinky, Pinky, and Inky and eat power pellets to reach the end of the maze.
The Simpsons Arcade Machine
If you’re looking for a retro arcade machine that will make your home look like it could be on a Retro Arcade Machine TV show, then this cabinet is worth a look. It’s based on the original The Simpsons game from three decades ago and it allows players to play as Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa.
It also has a Wi-Fi function that lets you connect to other people in the same room and play alongside them. It’s a great addition to any game room and it’ll be a lot of fun for kids and adults alike.
The game itself is a scrolling beat-em-up where you move around the screen and can attack enemies with different attack styles. You can even team up with two players and perform tandem attacks that can hit multiple foes at once.
Despite the lack of depth, The Simpsons Arcade is a very enjoyable game to play with friends. It has a wide variety of weapons that are a lot of fun to pick up and use, and it also has some very clever animations for the time.
There is also a bit of randomness in the story; for example, Smithers (an actual character from the show) kidnaps Maggie after she accidentally replaces her pacifier with a diamond Mr. Burns is trying to steal, which seems a little random, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that this is an otherwise very funny game.
Super Breakout Arcade Machine
The Super Breakout arcade machine is the sequel to the popular game, Breakout. It is the same style of gameplay as its predecessor, with the addition of several different game variations.
As in the original Breakout, players use a paddle to deflect bouncing balls into bricks in order to destroy them. However, in this version, players are also able to choose one of three different game modes: Cavity, Double and Progressive.
In Cavity mode, two balls are trapped within a wall of bricks and must be freed by dexterous skill in order to earn points. Then, there’s the Double mode where point values are doubled when a ball and paddle are in play at the same time.
The progression of removing the bricks from the screen makes Breakout a fun and challenging game. However, it is a little too repetitive in its execution. The rare chances to clear more than a single brick at a time mean the challenge never really becomes satisfying.
Tron Arcade Machine
Tron Arcade Machine was one of the best arcade games of its time, based on Disney’s iconic 1982 movie. It was a major hit for Bally Midway, and proved that the local video arcade was still the king when it came to grabbing the attention of audiences.
The game was based on four separate mini-games, each set in different areas somewhat loosely based on the movie. Each stage features grid bugs, a Master Control Program (MCP), tanks, and light cycles.
Each of these has its own challenges, and they are all reliant on twitch gameplay. They all get progressively harder with each successive level.
Despite their simplicity, these mini-games are addictive and challenging. The twitch-based gameplay is what made them so successful, and it’s the reason they remain so popular today.
The game was released in 1982, and it’s one of the most highly sought-after classic arcade games of all time. Its unique design is a draw for retro gamers, and Arcade1Up just announced that it’s building Tron cabinets for home arcade setups.
