Arcade1Up Ms. Pac-Man Class of '81 Deluxe Arcade

What This Is

A full-height home arcade cabinet with twelve licensed games from the early eighties, built around a 17-inch screen and arcade-style controls.

Controls Are The Whole Product

Every one of these games is available on a phone for nothing. The reason to own a cabinet is the interface: standing up, a real stick with a real microswitch under it, and buttons that take a palm. Arcade1Up's better cabinets use parts close to the originals, and that is the difference between a machine people play all evening and a novelty that gets touched twice. When comparing cabinets, compare the controls and ignore the game count.

The Screen Is Smaller Than You Remember

Original cabinets housed large, deep CRTs. This is a 17-inch flat panel behind a bezel. It is bright, sharp and perfectly playable, and it is noticeably smaller than the machine you are picturing. Knowing that in advance is the difference between satisfied and disappointed.

Assembly And Where It Lives

It ships flat and goes together with a screwdriver and an hour or two. Once assembled it is tall, reasonably heavy and awkward on stairs, so decide the final location before you build it. The cabinet is particle board with printed vinyl art: it looks the part and it does not love being dragged around or left in a damp garage.

Riser Or No Riser

Full-height here includes the stand. Check the height against the people who will play: the control deck should land around wrist height when standing. If the main players are children, a cabinet at adult height means a stool forever.