Mini LEGO Arcade Machines: Tiny Things Are Awesome

Posted on 29/05/2020 by Paul Strauss

Among my many geeky pursuits, two of my favorites are classic arcade games and LEGO. So when I stumbled onto this collection of custom LEGO arcade machines, I had to bust open the piggy bank (aka my PayPal account) – since that’s where I save my spare change to buy stuff that I don’t NEED but that I really WANT.

These minifig-scale arcade machines come from eBay seller The Brick Show Shop, who has lots of awesome custom LEGO sets in their shop. In order to avoid licensing issues, these machines feature names like “Ms. Dot Man,” “Froggy,” and “Astrobricks,” but they’re still super cool, and make me want to build out a complete arcade filled with mini cabinets. There are standard upright cabinets, as well as unique machines like a DDR-inspired dance game, sit-down racing games, and a ride-on game called “Raptor Rider.”

They’ve also got a skee ball machine, vending machines, and a claw machine in the collection, and I’m sure it’s impossible to to grab any of the studs with the claw in this one too.

Prices for the LEGO arcade machines range from about $7.99 up to $14.99, so you can build out an entire arcade for your minifigs for much less than even a single real arcade machine. You can find them all over on The Brick Show Shop’s eBay store. While you’re roaming the virtual aisles, you can also find a sweet LEGO model of a Nintendo Switch.

‘Overwatch’ is adding a competitive mode that doesn’t require role locks

Posted on 12/05/2020 by Engadget RSS Feed

Competitive Open Queue mode is set to become a permanent feature in Overwatch. In a video address, Blizzard game director Jeff Kaplan revealed that the new arcade mode — which lets players pick a character without being restricted by the 2-2-2 split...

Star Wars-Inspired USB Arcade Controller Hits Kickstarter

Posted on 05/02/2020 by Paul Strauss

I always loved playing Atari’s vector-based arcade games back in the 1980s. Games like Tempest, BattleZone, and Quantum were some of my favorites. And then there was Star Wars. I loved shooting down TIE fighters, zapping radar towers, and zooming into the belly of the Death Star to take aim at its exhaust port.

Part of what made the game so good was its unique controller, which combined the turning mechanics of a racing wheel with the yoke style controls of a flying game. Of course, this specialized controller means that the game is nearly impossible to play on a home arcade system. Now, arcade enthusiast Glen Planamento of Glen’s Retro Show set to release a brand new controller that not only works like the original, but is better in every way.

The GRS Arcade Flight Yoke has the same functionality of the original Star Wars controller, but unlike the original, which used a complex system of gears and potentiometers, it uses magnetic sensors to detect movements. That contactless mechanism means less potential for breakdowns, and smoother and more precise control. It’s body is made from metal, while its handle grips are made from hardened plastic.

The yoke connects to a PC, Mac, or Raspberry Pi via a USB connection, and works just like an analog joystick. That means you can use it to play other games too. In the video below, Glen shows it off controlling everything from Paperboy to Spy Hunter to Space Harrier – all of which work best with an analog steering control.

GRS plans on retailing the Arcade Flight Yoke for around $200 when it comes out, but early supporters can pre-order one on Kickstarter for just $150. Keep in mind that price doesn’t include a mounting base for the controller, so you’ll either need to fabricate one, or reach out to the guys at 99 Lives Arcade, who fabricated the base shown in the images here. Glen hopes to start shipping the controllers by this July.

Also, it’s not an officially-licensed Atari or Star Wars product, so it doesn’t come with the graphics shown here. That said, it wouldn’t be hard to make your own.

Xtension Gameplay Arcade Cabinets Are Perfect for Raspberry Pi Systems

Posted on 19/01/2020 by Paul Strauss

I love playing classic arcade games. In fact, I love them so much, I spent several thousand dollars having a custom-built arcade cabinet put together. But you don’t have to spend nearly that much to have a professional looking cabinet these days, thanks to folks like Rec Room Masters and systems like their Xtension Gameplay cabinets.

The cabinets come in kit form, and make it easy for you to put together a great looking, full-size arcade system that won’t break the bank. The base 24″ system starts at $499.99, while the 32″ version starts at $749.99. They come with two-player Suizo-Happ arcade controls and everything you need to build a system – other than the computer, the display, and speakers. Thanks to bargain priced monitors and Raspberry Pi systems, you can add those things for under $250, and complete your arcade system for less than $1000. Rec Room Masters provides instructions not just for building the cabinet kit, but for adding on and setting up a Raspberry Pi arcade system.

If you want to splurge, they also offer an upgraded cabinet called the “Emulator Edition” which adds a real arcade trackball, and 10 buttons for controlling on-screen menus.

Rec Room Masters makes a number of other arcade cabinet designs, including cocktail style, sit-down, and virtual pinball machines. For more information on these and other arcade cabinets, head on over to their website.

Tiny Arcade Q*Bert and Pole Position Games Don’t Need Tiny Quarters

Posted on 29/11/2019 by Paul Strauss

I love classic arcade games from the 1980s. Not only did they define my youth, there’s just something special about how much enjoyment you were able to eke out of games with such simple gameplay mechanics. Toy company Super Impulse has been making teensy versions of 8-bit arcade games for a while now, and now we have two more to add to our collection: Q*Bert and Pole Position.

These miniature replicas measure just 3.75″ tall. They’re fully playable, and feature working game controls and a 1.5″ LCD screen. They play authentic game sounds too, and are small enough to hang from your keychain. Of course, good luck fitting your keys into your pocket now. Q*Bert is still an insanely difficult game, especially after the first level or two, so I can only imagine it being even trickier with that tiny joystick. Steering your Pole Position racer with a pinky-sized steering wheel isn’t much easier.

The entire collection of mini arcade cabinets is available over on Amazon, and with prices starting around $17, they make great stocking stuffers.

Apple adds five new Arcade games as its free trial draws to a close

Posted on 11/10/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

Not sure what to make of Apple Arcade, the company's $5 a month gaming service? It didn't really matter, as the service landed in September (or earlier if you were on the beta) with a free month trial on iOS and iPadOS and MacOS. But it's a few weeks...

Two classic ‘House of the Dead’ games are being remade for current consoles

Posted on 04/10/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

Arcades are a rare sight these days. But while nothing can match the experience of exchanging a $10 bill for a pile of quarters and binging on some games with your friends, many of the classics have made their way to consoles and PCs. Publisher Forev...

‘Killer Queen Black’ drops on Switch and PC October 11th

Posted on 13/09/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

Nintendo announced a console and PC version of the competitive five-on-five arcade game Killer Queen at E3 2018, and Liquid Bit and BumbleBear have revealed when you can try to ride a snail to victory from the comfort of your couch. Killer Queen Blac...

Korg’s music-making Switch app offers Genesis and Taito game sounds

Posted on 07/07/2019 by Engadget RSS Feed

It stands to reason that a music creation app on a game console should have sound samples from consoles, doesn't it? Korg certainly thinks so. It's updating its Gadget app for the Switch with both a Sega Genesis-derived drum machine (Otorii) and a...

Pac-Man Toiletry Bag: Doppa Doppa Doppa

Posted on 21/06/2019 by Paul Strauss

When you travel, you need a place to keep all your grooming and toiletry products organized so they don’t just fall out all over your clothing and spill everywhere. A toiletry bag, aka “dopp kit” is a must have, and I think I must have this one.

This shiny black PVC bag from Balvi is embellished with the maze from the classic arcade game Pac-Man. Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde are all there, along with lots of dots to gobble, and power pills for taking down the ghosts roaming around your suitcase.

The Pac-Man dopp kit is available from Madrid, Spain retailer Curiosite for €14.99 (~$17 USD) but if you don’t want to try and deal with international shipping, you can find a similar (but not as good looking) bag on Amazon.

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