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GOG Galaxy 2.0 Closed Beta

Read More GOG I’m already a big GOG fan (it’s my launcher choice over Steam), so I was very happy to hear about GOG Galaxy 2.0. According to the developer, it’s the one launcher to unite them all. If it works, all my games on (Steam, Epic, …

As you know, I’m a huge GOG (Good Old Games) fan and was very excited about the news of GOG Galaxy 2.0 in June 2019. I have been using the GOG Galaxy 2.0 closed beta this past few weeks and here are some of my thoughts on it.

If you didn’t know, GOG Galaxy 2 was supposed to unite all the game launchers out there under the GOG launcher. At the time of this writing, there is only one official integration, which is Xbox. The rest, Epic, Steam, PS4, Origin, etc., are all community-created. And not all launchers are available to connect either, we’re missing some major ones like Blizzard’s Battlenet and Bethesda. I suppose you have to keep in mind that it’s still early days, and GOG is working on connections to all the major players out there… but that does mean that the problem mostly lay with the other launchers.

When everything does work, it’s beautiful. You get to see all the games you own under one area and see immediately your duplicate games or history of your game play. You can see all the games you own (I’m seeing that I own 672 across the various platforms… which is nice to know), achievements, and hours you sunk into your games.

In addition to the games, GOG also unite all your buddies and friends from across the board, and you can get a broad overview of how all your friends are doing. It also keeps track of games you recently played, as well as recent plays from other users (so you can see what’s popular with all the GOG users). It’s all very cool.

The other nice thing is that you may see games you didn’t know you own or hadn’t seen in a long time (because it’s on a launcher you rarely use).

Now for some bad news. And again, I should stress that this is still in Beta, it could change or improved by the time it’s officially launches.

First of all, your connected launchers will randomly disconnect and required you to re-log back in. I understand this is a security thing, but some launchers require more frequent passwords than others. It’s gotten to a point that it’s so annoying to put in passwords and second authentic codes that I had to disable the two-factor authentication to make it less of a pain to log into Epic every two or three days.

The other problem is that you still need those other launchers to run your games. It can get annoying, when there are multiple launchers tied to one game. For example, if I wanted to run For Honor on Epic Games, it also launches Ubisoft’s Uplay. This isn’t a problem if you’re always up-to-date on your patches, but chances are these launchers may take an additional two or three minutes to patch and update. Then, once those launchers are running, they remain running until you manually shut them down. The automatically closing down the other launchers is forthcoming, as an option you can choose, but is not available in my closed beta.

Finally, although you can connect to the two major consoles, Xbox and PS4, you can’t obviously play your games on your PC. What you can do is view your achievements and install games remotely on your primary consoles. It’s a nice feature, but it’s probably something that I probably won’t be using in the future (considering that I haven’t really used either of my consoles since I bought the Fallout iBuyPower PC in March 2019).

Hopefully, GOG will address a lot of these problems, and get official integration with the popular launchers (especially for Steam), so you won’t see these random disconnections. Plus, I’d like to see these other launchers open up and share achievements and friends (not all launchers will allow this).

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Weekend Gamer: Baldur's Gate 3, GOG Galaxy 2, and Stadia

Baldur’s Gate 3 GOG Galaxy 2 Stadia Read More GOG At least there’s still GOG (Good Old Games)... which will likely be my #1 PC gaming solution now. This company doesn’t require you to be online to play games you own. . … Nvidia I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed … Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons…

As a Weekend Gamer, I’m very excited about some of the news that is coming out from the forthcoming E3 2019 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). Ahead of the expo (officially starting June 11 to June 13), there are a ton of news that leaked (intentional or otherwise).



BALDUR’S GATE 3
baldursgate3.game

First, I’m very happy to hear that Larian Studios will be making Baldur’s Gate 3. The last Baldur’s Gate game came out in 2000, so it’ll be a good 20 years since the last game (considering that BG3 probably won’t launch until 2020).

As you know, I’m a huge Black Isle Studios (the original Baldur’s Gate and Icewind Dale game developer) and would love a modern version of their games. I’m already familiar with Larian Studios via their excellent Divinity series (owning the semi-recent Divinity: Original Sin one and two).



GOG GALAXY 2.0
gogalaxy.com

I’m already a big GOG fan (it’s my launcher choice over Steam), so I was very happy to hear about GOG Galaxy 2.0. According to the developer, it’s the one launcher to unite them all. If it works, all my games on (Steam, Epic, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Blizzard) will be accessible with Galaxy 2. On top of that, any of your friends on various launchers will also make it out - you’ll just have to authorize them once for GOG.

It sounds too good to be true and I can’t wait for it. I’ve already signed up for the beta, so I’ll let you know if it’s any good.

This could potentially fail if the other launchers refuse to play ball (or even block GOG from access).



STADIA
stadia.google.com

I think the biggest loser in this gaming news is Google’s Stadia platform - set to launch in November 2019. I will be avoiding Stadia, and you should too.

I’ll break down the problem that I have with Stadia:

It’s a subscription service at $10 a month (at launch only 31 titles will be available). That price doesn’t include any modern games. Current games, you’ll still have to shell out another $60 (or retail price) per title. Compare that to Xbox’s Game Pass ($15 a month for more games and no additional cost for current games) or Sony’s PlayStation Now ($20 a month but no additional cost for current games) or NVIDIA’s GeForce Now (currently free), it’s a hard sell.

In order to use Stadia in 2019, you’ll also have to spend $130 for their “Founder’s Edition” (which includes 3 months free… after that, you’ll have to spend another $10 a month).

You need a very fast internet connection. WiFi gaming is really not an option. This is based on my own personal experience with game streaming using other services over WiFi.

I’m not exactly sure who Stadia is meant for. As someone who buys and plays games regularly, this Stadia service is not very appealing to me at all. Hardcore games cares about frames and buffer, so playing it on their high-end CPU is preferred. Casual games don’t care about Doom or other Triple-A titles. General gamers already own a game console like PS4 or Xbox One.

Stadia just sounds like a bad joke. I can’t see a future where they’ll be the dominate format. If that’s the future, I want no part of it.

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GeForce Now

GeForce Now Benefits Underserved Mac gamers, now you can play any PC game on your Mac without Bootcamp or Parallels. It also supports macOS 10.10 or better. All supported GeForce NOW titles work on Macs. With over 400 supported top games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, and more from Steam, Uplay, and other popular digital stores, you can play your favorite PC games on nearly any device anywhere you go. Select games from your personal PC game library or purchase new ones, with new games being added all the time. Your favorite titles load faster and stay up-to-date with the latest patches when you stream from the GeForce NOW cloud service. Ease and Accessibility: With the technology of tomorrow available today, it’s never been easier to use your existing devices as high-powered gaming rigs. Transform nearly any laptop, desktop, or even your SHIELD TV streaming device into the gaming PC you’ve been dreaming about with GeForce NOW. It’s powered by NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, so quality and performance are covered. Winning the game is up to you. AAA Windows PC Games: You provide your own game content--whether it’s your own vast library of titles or your collection of free-to-play favorites. Don’t own a game? Look at our GeForce NOW supported games list to see where you can get started. Enjoy your favorite PC games, like PLAYERUNKNOWN'S BATTLEGROUNDS, Fortnite, Far: Lone Sails, and access to over 200 pre-installed popular titles, with new games getting added all the time. Instant Installs; No Maintenance Required: Instantly install supported games on GeForce NOW directly onto your cloud gaming rig in seconds. Say adios to long wait times for game patches and driver updates. GeForce NOW eliminates the lengthy wait so you can focus on the win. Ultra Streaming Mode: This mode increases the speed that GeForce NOW streams games to your Mac, Windows PC, or SHIELD TV from 60 FPS to 120 FPS or higher, reducing latency. You’re welcome. Read More Nvidia I wanted the best of the best Android TV, and eventually just bought the Nvidia Shield when they had a sale. I was holding out for a new model of this device (since the internal hardware had not been changed …

When I first heard about Google’s Stadia cloud gaming service, I thought that there are several services out already, including Sony’s PlayStation Now and Nvidia’s GeForce Now… so why is anybody excited about Stadia? If Google could solve the latency problem of WiFi, perhaps by a combination of compression and auto-downloading in the background… then streaming games might be more attractive.

I haven’t used PS Now, since it’s expensive at $19.99 a month, but I have dipped my foot in the water with GeForce Now. Originally, I used GeForce Now via my Nvidia Shield… but later I started using it on my PC.

The GeForce Now service is currently free, while Nvidia’s service is in beta. The price they want to charge is $7.99 a month. That price is low, because you can only stream games you already own. You’re essentially paying for the option to stream a game from one of Nvidia’s computers.

The beauty of GeForce Now is that I might play a game on a low-powered laptop instantly (without having to download the software), and then continue the same game (using cloud saves) on another local (but more powerful) computer.

With that in mind, here’s a scenario you might have: While you install a game on a local computer, you could potentially be playing that same game using GeForce Now. By the time your regular computer downloads and installed your game, you can pick it up right where you left it off from GeForce Now.

Now for the negatives:

For streaming purposes, resolution is reduced to 540 or 480p.

Does not support Ultrawide resolution (21:9)

Not recommended playing over WiFi (you need to be on a fast network).

Lots of artifacts and frame skipping if you’re on WiFi

Not intuitive, for example it’s not clear that you have to “install” the game first

Cannot change third party login option, especially if you don’t have an account with another service.

If you’re on WiFi, the service will work, but based on the low resolution and video artifacts, I can’t really recommend playing games over WiFi. I haven’t tested it out using a direct connection to the router, but my computer situation prevents me from trying. I can imagine the game will run much better.

Is the service worth $7.99 once they start charging for it? I would have to say no for now. For $0.00, I do think you should at least give it a try. You do have to request a key from nvidia.com, but it’ll be worth it.

For now, I think I’ll be gaming on my computer… unless I’m in a bind and need to continue the game on my television (using my Nvidia Shield).

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iBuyPower Fallout PC: One Month Later

Read More Site Update Since owning the new iBuyPower’s Fallout computer, I’ve been spending a lot of time on the computer. I’ve been really into RGB lighting for my computer and recently purchased and added 16GB of G.Skill RGB DDR4-3000 Ram …

Just a quick update on my iBuyPower Fallout PC. As you recall, I bought a gaming computer in early March 2019 at a reduced entry price point of $710.

I knew going in that I had to replace or upgrade the interior components, so buying cheap, with its basic parts, was really the way to go. I’m still very happy with the original build, but obviously I just wanted it better. After all the upgrade, the Fallout Computer will land in the $2,500+ range… which is an expensive for a computer, but not unheard of for a full gaming PC.

The original basic computer will actually run and work just fine for the majority of light gaming users. However, if you want to play modern games, you do need to upgrade the video card.

The basic computer, right out of the box, will able to run any applications you can throw at it without any problems. Even games will work great, granted that you don’t run them at the highest/ultra setting, but you should be able to run most games.

I’ve ever own an iBuyPower computer before, but based on my experience, it worked out just great. I’ve heard bad things about the company, but I didn’t experience any of their problem… especially getting such a “cheap” gaming computer at around $700 originally.

To summarize, I love the iBuyPower Fallout Computer, it’s the best computer I’ve ever own… and highly upgradable. You can go as cheap or as expensive as you like, there’s enough options for every need.

So here’s the breakdown of the computer parts (and the price I paid):

COMPUTER:

iBUYPOWER Fallout Basic Limited Edition Gaming PC Computer Desktop ($710)

MSI Gaming GeForce GTX 1660 Ti ($300)

G.SKILL TridentZ RGB Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) ($120)

LG Electronics 34WK650-W 34" Ultra Wide IPS Monitor with Free Sync ($280)

STORAGE:

SanDisk Extreme PRO 1TB 3D NAND PCIe NVME ($154)

Inland 1TB 3D NAND PCIe NVME ($140)

WD Blue 3D NAND 1TB PC SSD - SATA III ($50)

M.2 PCIe Adapter M.2 NVMe SSD NGFF to PCIe Adapter ($20)

SOUND:

Razer Nommo Chroma 2.0 PC Gaming Speakers ($140)

Corsair VOID PRO RGB Wireless SE Premium Gaming Headset ($75)

CORSAIR ST100 RGB Premium Headset Stand with 7.1 Surround Sound ($60)

INPUT:

Razer Lancehead Tournament Edition ($50)

CORSAIR K70 RGB MK.2 SE Mechanical RAPIDFIRE Gaming Keyboard ($120)

CORSAIR MM800 Polaris RGB Mouse Pad - 15 RGB LED Zones ($40)

Fallout T-51 Nuka Cola 4 Port USB Charger ($70)

MEDIA:

LG 6x WP50NB40 Slim Portable Blu-Ray Writer ($100)

UGREEN USB Card Reader USB 3.0 Hub 3 Ports with SD TF MS M2 Card Adapter and Phone Stand Dock ($20)

TOTAL PRICE: $2,449

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Arcade1Up Wave 2: Mortal Kombat II, Final Fight, Golden Tee, Space Invaders, and Karate Champ

Read More Arcade1Up So, I accidentally bought my second Arcade1Up, an Atari's Asteroids machine. Of all the cabinets that Arcade1Up released, this was my least desirable.…

With CES 2019 (Consumer Electronic Show) running all week, our favorite home consumer arcade cabinet maker Arcade1Up announced their Wave 2 of games:

Mortal Kombat II (Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Mortal Kombat 3)

Final Fight (Final Fight, 1944, Ghosts 'N Goblins, Strider)

Golden Tee (GT Classic '01, Golden Tee '2k, Golden Tee '99, Golden Tee '98)

Space Invaders (Space Invaders Color, Space Invaders Black and White)

Karate Champ (Karate Champ, Bad Dudes, Burger Time, Caveman Ninja)

I’m really excited about these new games coming out, because it sounds like they did okay (and maybe made some money) on the first wave to continue on this venture. I’ve already bought Street Fighter II, Pac-Man (what a beautiful machine!), and Asteroids (intending to mod it with a Pandora’s Box).

Looking at the Wave 2 lineup, only two games are on my want list: MK2 and Final Fight. I’ve always been a SF2 fan vs MK2, but I can understand the appeal: “realistic” animation and bloody violent. The artwork for the cabinet looks awesome. As for Final Fight, I mainly want it for the 1944 game (I love shoot ‘em up)... but still, I know I’ll have a lot of fun if a friend can jump in to help the beat ‘em up game. It’s kind of funny, but pre-SF2, most of the popular arcade games that I love were co-operative beat ‘em up, which Double Dragon made popular. In fact, now that I think about it, I kind of wish Arcade1Up would release Double Dragon and other beat ‘em games in one cab.

Anyway, as far as I know, according to their website Wave 2 is coming out “as soon as February”... but I’ll keep an eye out at Walmart.

Update: Official release dates will be Final Fight and Space Invaders will be out February, Golden Tee in June, and MK and Karate Champ in September.

Below is a video of me playing Pac-Man for the second time on the Arcade1Up machine, if you’re interested in seeing how the game runs. Pac-Man Plus seems like a hacked version of Pac-Man, but it’s incredibly difficult to play. You can see me just struggling to make it to the second level.

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Sword Legacy Omen

Sword Legacy Omen Read More Banner Saga The Banner Saga, a game by Stoic, released on Tuesday, January 14th, is one of the best games I've ever played. The graphics is hand drawn and reminds me of Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the Rings and pre-CGI Disney animation…

Trying to make the most out of my free Corsair’s Void Pro Wireless headphone and headphone stand (thanks to gift cards and my employer), I decided to buy a few games on my computer.

Before I talk about the game, just an update on my Void headset - I am kind of regretting on buying it. After numerous charging problem (leaving it overnight or overcharging the headset may result in it not powering on). Searching online, people mentioned it was “bootloader” mode. I don’t believe it’s bootloader, but actually the way Windows charges the headset via USB (you can turn off suspend in power option). Since I fixed it, it works great. Still, there was nothing wrong with my old wired headset to begin with.

Having said that, I love the fact that I can watch a video and walk away and still hear the audio. I walk around the house and the freedom of wireless is just great.

As usual, my go-to for PC games is GOG, and, just in the nick of time, they were having their annual Winter Sale. Great, I picked up a few games, including one for under $15 called Sword Legacy Omen. The game went DRM-free on December 7th, but it was originally released in August 2018.

Anyway, the name is not good, in fact, I actually forgotten what it was called a few times. It’s just a bad, forgettable name. Why not call it something Arthurian? Sword Legacy Omen sounds like a weird horror game.

Prior to my Christmas break, I beat the game. I may have put in about six hours, but that’s fine for a $15 game. The way I see it, is that you can spend that money on a movie - and that’s only two hours long. So a game lasting four to six hours is okay at that price. I got a lot of enjoyment out of it, even if there’s no game+ option.

The game is a turn-based tactical game. The theme is King Arthur-ish, with some familiar characters like Merlin and King Arthur (Uther). The artwork appears to be hand animated, and the whole game seemed to be inspired by another great (but short) game called Banner Saga (which I absolutely loved). So if you love Banner Saga, you’ll really like Sword Legacy Omen as well.

The music by composer Bettina Calmon is also good, and if you enjoyed it, you can also purchase the Sword Legacy Omen Soundtrack (10 tracks) for an additional $5.

As for difficulty - you can’t change it... but if a regular player, like myself, can beat the game, you’ll do fine. The trick is to not lunge into battle, but draw out your enemies. Archers won’t follow you (a poor A.I. programming), so you can exploit that to your advantage.

Like I said, I did really enjoy my time with Sword Legacy Omen.... unlike some recent big budget ($60+) games like the disappointing Fallout 76 (there’s nothing to do in the game!) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (which I accidentally beat and didn’t realized I was so far in the game!)

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Corsair Void Pro and Gaming ST100 Headset Stand

Read More Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons…

I recently got two great gifts for Christmas - a Corsair’s Void Pro RBG SE Wireless Dolby 7.1 Headset (Best Buy Exclusive) and Gaming ST100 RGB Premium Headset Stand with 7.1 Surround Sound.

A brief overview, the Gaming ST100 is basically a headphone stand that costs $60. That’s a pretty hefty price to pay for a stand, but to Corsair’s defense, it does come with an onboard soundcard to simulate 7.1 Surround Sound for any headphone and two additional USB 3.0 ports. Oh, the base and logo lights up, if you’re into that sort of thing.

The headphone stand is very solid and heavy. Compared to its Razer’s $60 headphone stand, which is made of plastic and no soundcard, the Corsair version is a much better buy... but when it comes down to it, it’s still a $60 headphone stand.

For the Void Pro RBG SE Wireless Dolby 7.1 Headset, this was a much-needed upgrade for me. I was still using a cheap over-the-ear Turtlebeach and really wanted to transition to a wireless headphone. The problem with all wireless products is that you have to occasionally charge your devices, but according to Corsair a full charge will get you about 16 hours of use. Which is more than enough for most users.

On retrospect, it would’ve been pretty sweet if the Corsair headphone stand also charges your wireless headphone... That’s just a wishlist for these two Corsair products.

This particularly Void Pro headset is a Best Buy exclusive, and you can tell by the bright yellow. At first the yellow was discomforting, but taking a closer look at the brushed look, it’s not that bad. The Void Pro retails for $129, but for the weeks leading up to Christmas, Best Buy is knocking 50% off, making it $65.

Like all gaming Corsair products, its logo and mic lights up. You can control how the lights are displayed using Corsair’s iCUE software. Some compatible games will sync with the lights, for example, when you take heavy damage or level up on Diablo III, the lights will change accordingly. It’s a nice feature.... unfortunately, the iCUE software usually crashes or stops working. Corair is a good hardware company, but just terrible at software.

Over the years, I’ve used many, many headsets, and I have to admit, the Void Pro is the most comfortable of them all. It doesn’t hug my head too tightly. It’s also not as heavy as I initially thought. There are two metal pieces, which is probably the heaviest part of the headphone.

The microphone on the headset is mute if you set it vertical, but will automatically turn on when flip the mic down. Doing some mic recording testing, I found out it’s a stereo mic. Possibly the two mic input is meant for noise-cancelling.

The Void Pro also came with a USB extender (which doubles as a phone tray) and base receiver that automatically connects to the headphone. I wasn’t a fan of the bright white light when the headphone is connected to the base, but you can easily just put electrical tape over the light.

What I did not love is the audio announcement when you power up or use the mic. It’s very loud, and I didn’t see a way to lower the volume. Thankfully, you can turn it off using the iCUE software.

According to Corsair, the low latency, 2.4Ghz wireless audio will perform with “up to 40 ft”. I don’t know if the 40 feet is in the perfect scenario and no obstruction, but in my test, talking outside my room the audio degraded after about 30 feet. Still, it’s a good enough distance that I can make my way to the bathroom and still hear audio (great for taking a break during a long gaming sessions).

Overall, I’m pretty happy with the headphone. If you have the money or gift cards, the Corsair headphone and stand is a great pairing. If price is a concern, don’t bother with the stand... it really doesn’t offer much in usefulness (but it sure looks cool).

UPDATE: After a few days of usage, my Void headset wasn't charging or turning on! It was extremely frustrating. I was about to return the headphones, when I read that this is a common problem with Corsair's Void Wireless headset. Apparently, the Void was in Bootloader mode which kicks in when you press a button and plug in the charger chord. To recover from Bootloader, all you have to do is force update the firmware on your Void and it should set things back to normal. If you are having the same problem, head over to their forum at forum.corsair.com and follow the instruction on how to fix Bootloader. This is so very annoying, I'm not sure why Corsair designed it this way. Perhaps make it it harder to go into Bootloader mode (for example, press both mic and power button at the same time).

Also, like so many other reviewers out there - Corsair's software (the iCUE) just sucks. They're great at hardware, but just poor at software. iCUE is a bother to use, and I wish I didn't have to rely on it to their products to work properly.

Update 1/2/2019: I was still having problem with the Corsair headset shutting down after the bootloader fix. In fact, I do not believe it was a bootloader issue, but rather the way Windows 10 was over charging the headphone. Here's how to fix it: go to Control Panel --> go to power options --> advanced settings --> USB suspend settings --> Change this to Disabled. Also, you can charge the headset in a wall socket or if you're charging on your computer, don't turn off the headset - just plug it in to power. You can long-hold the power button to turn on the headset if you plug it into a USB wall socket. If nothing is working, you can try opening the right cup (not the one with the mic) with a small screw driver and loosen the battery?

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Arcade1Up: Asteroids

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! …

So, I accidentally bought my second Arcade1Up, an Atari's Asteroids machine. Of all the cabinets that Arcade1Up released, this was my least desirable. I recognized that these games are important, but these games (Asteroids, Major Havoc, Lunar Lander, and Tempest) were just really way before my time. In fact, when I was going to the arcades, I never saw these (and if they were there, I never played them).

I bought the cabinet, because it’s being sold on Walmart.com for $199 (down from $299). I went to the local store and asked them to price match their website, and they did, so I have Asteroids. It’s fine, I figure I am going to mod this machine down the road to run MAME or a Pandora’s Box.

All these Atari games had very crude vector/wire-frame graphics. If you’ve ever played Tron or Star Wars (from 1983), you’ll know what I’m talking about. Like all early arcade games, they are HARD. Control is not perfect (and confusing sometime), but you just deal with it. After a few gaming sessions, I wonder how kids, in that era (1979-1981) enjoyed these games?

The best game in this arcade is Tempest. This game is really fun, but unfortunately, the spinner controller that came with this arcade is crap. Universally, everyone who used the spinner said it’s complete garbage. The reason is that it’s a resistance/clicky wheel, compared to the free-spinning wheel of the original arcade machines. How that got passed anyone in game design is beyond me.

Anyway, Tempest is just great. If you’ve ever played any of its clones (Storm or Web War) or games that inspired it, it’ll feel like home to you.

One of the reason why I love Tempest is that it reminded me of a 1983 fixed-shooter game called Gyruss. This is one of two games that I can beat on a single quarter in the arcade. There are seven levels, you and start off at Pluto trying to reach Earth. It’s really fun, unfortunately, not many gamers out there have played this game.

If you are interested in digging up this classic, you should know that it was designed by Yoshiki Okamoto, who also wrote/involved/produced in my other two favorite games: 1942 and Street Fighter II.

Anyway, there are a lot of people that just doesn’t understand why anyone would buy one of these machines. Most of it is from the old-school arcade collectors, who all hate these little machines. I get why they are upset, but as a fan of these Arcade1Up machines, I will explain who or why someone would want these:

Price: You can get these machines for $300 or less (as low as $150 in some area). Real arcade machines were all commercial machines, so they can cost as much as $5,000 for a new unit.

Size: They are small-ish, you can fit these in any bedroom or gameroom.

Weight: They weight about 60lbs, so a grown adult can move these around.

Game: If you are a fan of a certain game, like Street Fighter II or Centipede … it’s a must in your collection.

Availability: You can walk in any Walmart and pick up one of these machines. Real arcade machines were never meant to be sold to the public.

Art: They’re kind of a nice piece of art. Even if you don’t love Pac-Man, that machine artwork and design (especially with the red edges) is just a beautiful piece of art.

Nostalgia: There’s a segment of older games who remembered going to the arcade and want one in their home.

Modders: If you don’t love the game that came with the cabinet, you can mod it to your liking. A lot of modders out there have already put in Raspberry Pi or Pandora Box, and they look great.

A lot of people also said that for $300 they can get an Xbox One or PS4 or a Switch, and that’s true… but they could never replace the experience of these old arcade machines.

At the end of the day, if you like something and want a company to succeed, you should stand behind it. Arcade1Up is a brand-new company, this is their first product to market (launched in mid-October 2018). I know they are learning some hard lessons (the cheap paint on their control panels, defective game roms, bad controllers, quality issues, mono-stereo design, retailer exclusives/price negotiations), but I hope they can get over these roadblocks.

In fact, I hope they turn a profit and release more cabinets in 2019, because I’m very interested in getting more. If I can find these for $200 or less, I will probably end up owning a complete set. I might not have the room, but I will surely make the room.

NEWS: It looks like Space Invaders is available for purchase NOW in the UK. According to John Morris, who purchased the cabinet, he said, "These are available in the UK, although I am not sure about stock levels. Try very.co.uk or Smyths Toystore if you are looking for one."

I probably wouldn’t buy Space Invaders, but it’s cool to see another cabinet for sale from Arcade1Up… even though it looks like it might be a UK exclusive or something.

Below is a video of me play Tempest and giving my thoughts on these machines.

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

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 (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Arcade1Up Cabinet

Read More Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker is not out yet, but I was so excited about this game coming out on GOG that I pre-ordered it. This game is based on the Pathfinder tabletop game, which was and offspring of Dungeon and Dragons…

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!

After doing more research and contemplating on the pricing, I’ve decided that it’s actually a good deal to buy a Street Fighter 2 cabinet.

Putting the cabinet together was pretty easy to follow, thanks to the pre-drilled holes and easy-to-follow instruction book. All the parts are clearly labeled, and anyone with a Phillips screw driver can put it together in under 30 minutes.

Some minor complaints:

The ball joystick could be like later generation Street Fighter 2 fight sticks that I remember (they were more sensitive to movement and was a little taller).

The other complaint is that it’s actually not a full-size cabinet, but rather a 3/4 scale. To solve these complaints, Arcade1Up actually released a branded riser to lift the cabinet up to about five feet… which will set you back about $40-$80, depending on where you buy it.

Some praises:

The artwork is beautiful and high quality. It’s brand new and faithfully reproduced from the original Street Fighter 2 cabinets by Capcom.

Joystick and six buttons configuration - it’s how SF2 was meant to be played! Spacing is good, and includes a second six button for a challenger!

After some research, I found out that the suggested retail price to these cabinets are $400. Most stores were pre-selling them at $400 (originally published pricing of $500), but then Walmart announced they were selling it at $300 - forcing the other stores to match the $300 price. I wish they were cheaper, but you have to think that the margin is already thin at $300 if the markup price was originally $400 or more.

I do have my eye on the next Capcom cabinet (Final Fight, Ghost n Goblins, Strider, and 1944: Loop Master)…. And I also want both the Galaga cabinet (Walmart is selling these for $250 as a Black Friday sale) and Pac-Man (for the classic artwork).

UPDATE: After watching and reading about these Arcade1Up from collectors who owns original arcades, some agreed that old cabinets are very expensive, heavy, and requires a lot of maintenance of aging obsolete technology (CRT monitors). One guy said it took two guys to carry a 200 pound machine up one flight of stairs and it nearly destroyed him. Imagine having to move two or three arcade machines? One of the benefit of a smaller Arcade1Up is that it's only about 60lbs, and a grown person can move it around easily. The other nice thing about the Arcade1Up is that pricing at $300 is fair, some people said it's cheap compared to $1,000 for a real machine... Still, we'd all like it to be cheaper.

As for the ball joystick, you can buy replacement "bat" top styling and easily replace the ball. The batstyle is only about $5 each, so it's reasonably priced.

The other complaint a lot of people have mentioned is that they wish the marquee would light up. It is a cost-savings issue, so I understand why they didn't include it with this initial release. I would love Arcade1Up to offer a more expensive "deluxe" version that lights up or comes with a taller frame (instead of having to buy an extra "Riser" to lift it up to standing level)... because I would shell out an extra $50 to get those things built in.

vu (vu@weheartmusic.com) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic