Update: Arcade1Up Street Fighter II Championship Edition and Riser

Read More Arcade1Up Ever since the arcades went away, I’ve always wanted my own personal arcade cabinet. A few weeks ago, I saw these Arcade1Up boxes at Walmart, and looking at the box art, they appear to be “full sized” cabinets for $300! …

This is just an update on my Arcade1Up’s Street Fighter II arcade cabinet. After purchasing the official Arcade1Up Riser, and playing the game for the last couple of weeks - I’ve been very happy with the machine.

However, I did want to address some issues that you may not be aware of.

Riser

Four extra screws were included to attached the cabinet to the riser. Unfortunately, the cabinet’s bottom are not pre-drilled, meaning you may accidentally damage the cabinet or artwork.

The Riser will only elevate the machine to about 1 foot. This means if you’re really tall, the cabinet is still going to be too small for you.

No artwork on the Riser, apart from the boring Arcade1Up logo. Wish they come with some other alternative artworks.

Control Board

After just three weeks of playing on my SF2 Cabinet - the control panel artwork is starting to rub off (see image below). This is a problem that Arcade1Up is aware of and will be sending out replacement decals and a clear plastic cover for protection. Future cabs will automatically come with the protective covers. Still, you would think with some beta testers, they could’ve corrected this problem before it went to manufacturing.

I’ve already mentioned that I did not love the ball joystick, as it turned out, the ball will fall off the stick when I’m playing.

Most SF2 fans have already replaced the joystick ball with “Batstyle” replacement tops, which is selling for $4.50 on Amazon.

I think over time, especially if the joystick breaks, I may replace the two joystick units for a metal/quality part with longer sticks.

Speaker

Only one speaker to create mono audio. The original Street Fighter II game is encoded in Stereo, so you are missing some subtle nuance in the original stereo mix

There are only three options: Off, Medium, and Max. (Wish there was a slider, as the “Medium” is still quite LOUD).

Software

There’s no way to update the software. If a game is broken (such as Gauntlet crashing at level 31), Arcade1Up will have to send you a brand new board

There are no additional settings. For example, an “easy” mode or additional display settings.

No highscore saves after you reset the game. This is could be a blessing, because if someone saves a rude name - it’s not permanent. Still, it would be nice to have the ability to save game profiles.

Availability

Based on my location, I’ve only seen these machines at Walmart and Gamestop. I have not seen them in stores at Target or Best Buy (they are online only). The Gamestop I went to actually don’t have the arcades in stock, you’ll have to order it online and pick it up in stores (I don’t know if this is the case for all Gamestops).

Prices are all over the place. Walmart is the cheapest, their price is $299 for the cabinet and $39 for the riser. Since the stores can set their own retail prices, some are selling it at $399 (retail suggested price) for the cabinet and $49 for the riser (Amazon is selling the riser for $130!) For Black Friday, these arcade machines were on sale for $249, which is the cheapest I’ve seen.

Some CostCo started selling Arcade1Up with an official stool, but was quickly removed on November 30, with Arcade1Up stating, “Due to unforeseen business circumstances, Arcade1Up will not be available at Costco.”

Some cabinets are rarer than others, based on popularity. For example, I’ve never seen certain titles at my local Walmarts.

These arcade machines are only being sold in North America and Europe. Arcade1Up have said that they’re working on distribution for the rest of the world, but for now, America first.

Wish List

I’d also like to see a cheaper version, perhaps only Arcade Tops only for $150 or less. The top will include the monitor and control panel, but you’ll need to add your own table or Arcade1Up can sell an additional five foot “Riser” for another $150.

Maybe create a "Bring Your Own Game" cabinet, providing only the screen and joystick with 10-buttons. Screen can be HDMI-compliant to make it easier for Modders. This could be a really cheap way for fans to get into the arcade scene (since Arcade1Up doesn't have to pay a software license). Imagine the possibility, especially because there are some games that is just too expensive (or not available at all) for Arcade1Up to license.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/X-Men 4-player Arcade cabinet. They already have a 3 player Rampage machine, so I’ll understand for cost savings that the TMNT machine is only 3 turtles (but boo!)

House of the Dead/Lightgun rail shooter cabinet. I haven’t done the research or understand the technology, but this would be so cool if they can make this a reality.

Double Dragon/Final Fight/Beat-em-up cabinet.

Tetris/Bubble Bobble/Puzzle cabinet.

Again, despite all my gripes and minor complaints, I’m still very happy with my Arcade1Up cabinet. I know I will likely pick up the Fatal Fight arcade cabinet, should it become available. Of course, knowing that the sale price can be as low as $249, I am more comfortable holding out on a sale for now. Bargain hunters are already reporting that some Walmarts have slashed their prices to as low as $148, so I will definitely keep my eyes out for this deal!

Arcade1Up artwork rubs off

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic