When I moved into my childhood home a lifetime ago, there was a real life arcade machine in the basement. It was a dream come true. Too bad the family that lived there before mine took it away with them and crushed all my hopes and dreams.
Arcade1Up, from Tastemakers LLC, brings the fun of vintage-style arcade games back to life, ready to play in your own home whenever you want. Take your pick from four retro-fabulous versions featuring the original artwork from Asteroids, Centipede, Rampage, and Street Fighter II Champion Edition.
Each cabinet includes three to four classic games to play, with all the nostalgic pings, bings, and dings that ring through your ears in an old-fashioned arcade hall. And there’s volume control so you can always turn it down low if you need to multi-task and take a phone call while you’re playing (for double the nostalgia, because who talks on the phone anymore?).
They come with big and clear hi-resolution 17-inch screens in full color, which is easier than squinting your eyes at the tiny hand-held games on your phone. And your eyesight will thank you.
The best part of any arcade game is mashing the buttons and wiggling the joystick, and Arcade1Up has those, too. Centipede is really that much more satisfying when you can physically push on the buttons instead of swiping on a smartphone screen.
Standing at 4 feet tall, Arcade1Up is the ideal size for a child. It’s recommended for ages 14 and up but it’ll be next to impossible to find an adult who won’t want to play, too. They just might have to crouch down a little, or better yet, pull up a comfy chair or a stool for hours of retro fun. It’s the perfect nostalgic gift for the adult who has everything, or the child who loves new-age video games but hasn’t discovered the classics yet.
The cabinets are easy to assemble and are not super clunky or heavy like typical arcade machines. They’re made from a lightweight wooden material and can be moved around easily by an adult if you’re looking for a change of scenery while playing your vintage video games. And it’s not just limited to home décor—it would be the star of the show in any college dorm or office break room for sure. Save those quarters for the laundry machine because Arcade1Up is coinless, too. All you have to do is plug in and play. The only hard part? Stopping.
