The first time I picked up a mini arcade machine, I was standing in a dusty corner of my uncle’s basement holding a tiny Pac-Man cabinet that played a single chirpy note when I tapped the joystick. That was 1989. Forty years later, my desk at home has three different mini arcade cabinets on it, … Read more
I spent the last six weeks testing every driving arcade cabinet I could get my hands on, from full-size commercial units to budget-friendly handheld replicas. My garage has hosted more racing machines than I care to admit, and my neighbors have definitely noticed the rumble of force feedback echoing through the walls. After logging roughly … Read more
I still remember dropping quarters into Time Crisis at the local arcade as a kid, gripping that plastic gun while ducking behind cover. That feeling hasn’t faded, which is why I spent the last six weeks testing and researching the best shooting arcade machines you can buy right now. The shooting arcade machine market has … Read more
I still remember the first quarter I dropped into a real Pac-Man cabinet at my local pizzeria back in 1982. The hypnotic chase music, the chunky joystick under my thumb, the way the screen flickered just enough to feel alive. Forty-some years later, I have tested eight different home Pac-Man arcade machines across my garage … Read more
Looking for the best Street Fighter arcade machines to bring the arcade fight feel home in ? I have spent the past three months comparing home arcade cabinets from Iconic Arcade, Arcade1Up, Evercade, and My Arcade. I dug through forums on r/Arcade1Up and r/StreetFighter, watched hours of YouTube reviews, and tested units where possible. This … Read more
After spending the last three months testing eight of the most popular multi-game arcade machines on the market, I can tell you this category has never been more crowded or more confusing. We watched our team plug in everything from a Pac-Man Deluxe cabinet to a Terminator 2 light-gun machine, and we measured input lag, … Read more
I still remember the first time my thumb rolled a real arcade trackball across Centipede at a pizza joint in 1989. The smooth glide, the weight of the ball under my palm, the way it tracked every flick of my wrist. Most joystick-only home cabinets I tested later felt flat by comparison. After spending 30 … Read more
When my cousin brought his friends over for a Super Bowl party last year, the two-player NBA Jam cabinet I owned turned into a spectator sport. Three grown adults stood behind two players, offering “helpful” advice. That night taught me something the retro gaming community has been saying for years: if you entertain, get a … Read more
I still remember the first time I dropped a quarter into a real arcade machine — the satisfying click of the joystick, the rumble of the speakers, and the head-to-head trash talk with my buddy. That feeling disappeared for decades, but in it’s making a serious comeback. After spending weeks researching, comparing specs, and digging … Read more
I still remember the first time I walked into a friend’s basement and saw a full-size arcade cabinet dominating the room. It was glorious, but the cabinet ate roughly 8 square feet of floor space my friend never got back. That scene is exactly why the wall-mounted arcade machine category has exploded over the past … Read more