Table of Contents
About Arcade1up
Nostalgia is one of the most potent stimulants that are legally available. Everybody loves reminiscing over simple times that were adorned with bright lights, loud noises, and blocky pixels.
Arcade1up caught wind of our cultural appetite for nostalgia and found a way to deliver it in heaps. Their recreated arcade cabinets are more affordable alternatives to buying genuine vintage arcade machines.
They’ve garnered over 83k Instagram followers and have a library of games including smash hits like Ridge Racer, Ms. Pac-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time, Big Buck World, and many more.
But beneath all the joysticks and buttons, what makes this company worth your dollar? Our Arcade1up review will seek to answer that question by looking at their history, their products, their practices, their prices, their customer scores, and more.
You’ll probably leave this article feeling like you just earned a Ph.D. in Arcade1up.
Overview of Arcade1up
Arcade1up is equally a company fueled by modern technology and nostalgia. They recognize that many people are sentimental about their childhood gaming experiences and realize these memories are about more than just the games.
The company uses emulation software to create replicas of classic arcade games.
Emulation means that these games run through a more powerful computer than the ones originally included in the arcade cabinets, thus some of Arcade1up’s products may even run smoother than the originals!
Where they tap into the nostalgic centers of their customers’ brains is in the look and feel of their cabinets.
They use the controller layouts of famous arcade games, meaning some of their products have joysticks, buttons, driving wheels, pilot controls, and even golf ball-simulating controls.
Scott Bachrach created Arcade1up as a subsidiary of Tastemakers in 2018. He noticed that there was a demand for timeless arcade video games with many people wanting to recapture their inner childhood spirit.
Rather than cutting corners, Bachrach found a way to convert the cabinet blueprint into something affordable for the average joe. Most Arcade1up cabinets are three-quarters the size of a regular cabinet but only a fraction of the weight.
That means these machines are easy to move, install, and start playing. The company also revitalizes the displays of older video games with the newest LCD screens.
So if you’re looking to connect with the version of you that could sink hours into 8-bit video games then Arcade1up might be of interest. Let’s look into some of their highlights in the next part of this Arcade1up review.
Highlights
- Makes affordable alternatives to vintage arcade cabinets and pinball machines
- Products are lighter and more portable than older models
- Technology can run smoother than original arcade games
- Offer free shipping to customers in the continental United States
- Easily found in many big box stores
Our Arcade1up review will be looking at the brand’s pinball machines and arcade cabinets, but they have more in store beyond those items. They also make HDMI consoles, posters, home decor, stools, apparel, and replacement parts.
Arcade1up Pinball Review
While our Arcade1up review could go through every pinball machine they offer, we’re instead highlighting the best-selling console the company distributes.
You should know that each Arcade1up pinball machine contains the same exciting features. The only differences between them are the available games.
Arcade1up Marvel Pinball Review
The Arcade1up Marvel Pinball is the best way for you to relieve the classic stories found in Marvel comics or those currently dominating cinemas. This digital pinball cabinet comes with 10 different games with Marvel characters including the following:
- Spider-Man
- Wolverine
- The X-Men
- Thor
- Ghost Rider
- The Fantastic Four
Despite being digital, this pinball machine recreates the magic of playing vintage pinball consoles in dive bars beside your dad. The flippers have haptic feedback so they feel like the real thing. Plus, the field nudges, tilts, and reacts to your motions just like actual pinball.
The playfield is a 23.8” LCD screen and the score screen is an 8” LCD screen. The entire console weighs only 97lbs, which is much lighter than average pinball machines.
You can add this item to your man cave for $1,084 on any given day, but Arcade1up is currently selling it at the discounted price of $954.
Arcade1up Pacman Review
The Arcade1up Pacman console allows you to play the game that noted video game critic Tim Rogers was so charmed by that he made a three-hour video dedicated to it, claiming that “Pac-man has come a long way since itself.”
What he means is that modern gaming owes nearly everything to Pac-Man. If you’ve never played Pac-Man or haven’t experienced it in a while then allow this cabinet to restate the game’s place in history.
You’ll be able to play both Pac-Man and Pac-Man plus with this console that replicates the original arcade machine’s look, controls, and feel. It features joysticks controls, a modernized 17” LCD screen, and only weighs 54lbs.
Immerse yourself in gaming history with the Arcade1up Pacman for $380.
Arcade1up Riser Review
It occurs to us that some of you Arcade1up review readers may be of above-average height. You may suffer from elongated growth plates and may have been cursed to play center in basketball. Life can be hard for taller people. That’s why Arcade1up developed the Riser.
This item elevates the company’s standard arcade cabinets by an entire foot. This can lessen the strain on both your back and your eyes as you can stand straight up to look at the screen.
The Arcade1up Riser platform is made out of wood. It comes in different aesthetic variants like Marvel, Street Fighter, and Pac-Man. The original Riser costs $78.
Arcade1up Mortal Kombat Review
By now everybody has played some iteration of Mortal Kombat, though it’s most likely been one of the entries Netherealms Studios released over the past decade.
However, the Arcade1up Mortal Kombat arcade cabinet allows you to play the original game that was so gruesome that it scared the US Senate into creating the ESRB rating system.
This cabinet also includes Mortal Kombat 2 and Mortal Kombat 3. The trilogy is preserved in their original arcade glory but you won’t have to load it up with quarters to fight against Shao Kahn in another rematch.
These games contain the purity of the burgeoning fighting game genre. They’re basic by today’s standards, but that’s part of their charm. They remain rock-solid fighting games that are great to play alone or with friends.
You can purchase the Arcade1up Mortal Kombat for $300.
Arcade1up Golden Tee Review
You don’t have to own a collection of golf clubs or get caught in an extramarital affair like some professional golfers to tee up with Arcade1up Golden Tee.
This item contains four entries in the world’s most-popular golfing video game franchise:
- GT Classic ’01
- Golden Tee ‘2k
- Golden Tee ’99
- Golden Tee ’98
Each of these games supports up to 4-player multiplayer along with a variety of game modes. But what would this recreation arcade cabinet be if it didn’t include Golden Tee’s famous trackball controls?
The Arcade1Up Golden Tee comes with its own Riser to accommodate taller players. This item can be yours for $370.
Arcade1up Star Wars Review
There’s no strain of nostalgia more powerful than Star Wars. This arcade collection packages the original film trilogy’s arcade games into one powerful machine.
The Arcade1up Star Wars includes Star Wars, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. You can immerse yourself into the role of an X-Wing fighter pilot with the cabinet’s flight yoke controls that include triggers.
Since this machine tracks your high score, you’ll always have a reason to return to a galaxy far, far away. You can challenge your friends to try and topple your highest score to see who is the strongest with the force.
The Arcade1up Star Wars machine costs $499.
Who Is Arcade1up For?
Our Arcade1up review writers can see that these products are great for people who love vintage memorabilia and gaming but want a cheaper – and more ergonomic – alternative to old arcade cabinets.
Most older arcade machines have become collector’s items, often retailing for extremely high prices. Not to mention they’re usually quite heavy. Arcade1up provides an alternative for people who want the feel of an arcade game without dishing out too much money.
Arcade1up Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
We’ll commence the customer testimonial segment of our Arcade1up review by culling from one of the company’s biggest partners – Walmart.
Here are the scores of the most popular Arcade1up items listed on Walmart’s website:
- Arcade1up X-Men VS Street Fighter Arcade Machine: 4.8/5 stars based on more than 120 ratings
- Arcade1up Defender 40th Anniversary 12-IN-1 Midway Legacy Edition Arcade with Licensed Riser and Light-Up Marquee: 4.3/5 stars based on more than 15 ratings
- Arcade1up Mortal Kombat Midway Legacy Arcade with Riser and Lit Marquee: 4.4/5 stars based on more than 10 ratings
- Arcade1up The Simpsons Game: 4.5/5 stars based on nearly 10 ratings
We shouldn’t have to tell you that it seems like Walmart customers were satisfied with Arcade1up. Many of them felt like they were reconnecting with a piece of their childhood, claiming that the games played exactly how they remember them.
One glowing review of the company’s X-Men VS Street Fighter Arcade Machine had a lot of great things to say about the product:
“It is exactly as pictured. It’s easy to use and set up and was neatly packed. It took the two of us to build it and he loves it immensely. It’s not as large as a standard arcade cabinet, but it’s still large enough for two people to play on simultaneously. You can also connect to wifi and compete against other players… It is a fantastic value for the money.”
Buried in that comment is another facet that customers adored about Arcade1up products. The cabinets were lighter and smaller than traditional arcade cabinets yet that didn’t detract from the overall gaming experience.
In fact, many fans felt that it improved the experience. One customer said, “Screen looks great and the sound is adjustable to be nice and loud if you like it. Arcade controls work perfectly!”
Customers did note that they had to assemble the machines themselves. Thankfully, many of them claimed that the process was simple and that there were tutorials on YouTube that helped them if they ever got stuck.
We also looked at what buyers said about Arcade1up on Best Buy’s website. Plenty of product reviews there complimented the games for running smoothly. Additionally, fans loved the designs of the cabinets.
Here’s what one fan said about the Arcade1up Deluxe Edition 12-in-1 Cabinet: “Looks exactly like the real deal and with the riser it does stand at the normal stand and play height. The game, sounds, artwork on the cabinet… it’s all there! The controls took a bit getting used to, as the track ball isn’t quite the same feel… but after several plays, totally adapted.”
Another reviewer left a 5/5 stars testimonial on that product’s page, writing, “I would highly recommend this system for anyone who wants to add it to a game room and loves having their own arcade units… I like this so much that I am already looking forward to getting the Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and Pac Man units to add to my room.”
There were two critiques we found that appeared more than once amongst the customer reviews. First, some customers reported issues with the LCD screens, saying that you have to stand directly in front of the screen in order to see all the action.
The second criticism was that the controls didn’t match the feel of the original arcade machines. That’s to be expected given that these products are more affordable than traditional arcade cabinets and that older machines were made to endure endless replays in busy arcades.
Let’s summarize everything customers have told us about Arcade1up’s offerings. They said that consoles are smaller and lighter – both of which were to their delight. They also claimed that the games ran perfectly. Finally, the cabinets were easy to assemble for most buyers.
That sounds like a strong enough note to end this Arcade1up review segment on.
Is Arcade1up Worth It?
Our Arcade1up review staff thinks that these items are worth your while if you’re committed to the nostalgic rush of an arcade set-up.
Most of the games included in an Arcade1up product can be found through other means, but it’s the craftsmanship they put into their consoles that makes them noteworthy.
It’s not nostalgia-baiting if the fans are asking for it, and based on customer reception, it seems that this company answers to their buyers’ needs.
Arcade1up Promotions & Discounts
Since most Arcade1up products are distributed by third-party companies, the brand themselves do not publish any promotions or sales information on their website.
The good news is that many of these retailers often have sales. Keep your eyes peeled on their websites and newsletters to see how you can save a few dollars on your Arcade1up purchase.
Where to Buy Arcade1up
One of the best things about Arcade1up is the wide availability of their products. They are carried by retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Gamestop, and Costco.
You can also purchase Arcade1up items online through distributors like Amazon and Rakuten.
FAQ
Who owns Arcade1up?
Tastemakers Inc. owns Arcade1up.
Does Arcade1up ship internationally?
While Arcade1up do not personally ship internationally, their products are carried by retailers in Canada and Europe.
What is Arcade1up’s Shipping Policy?
Our Arcade1up review writers discovered that not all of the company’s products are currently in stock. Additionally, some of their items are only available through other retailers.
If you do purchase directly from the company’s website and live within any of the lower 48 United States then congratulations, you’ve earned free shipping!
There isn’t much available information regarding estimated shipping times. The only thing Arcade1up says about the matter is that their shipping warehouse is running at a slower speed due to the ongoing global pandemic.
What is Arcade1up’s Return Policy?
You will have up to 30 days to return any Acrade1up product for a full refund. The products must remain undamaged and packaged as if they were brand new.
Unfortunately, the company will not reimburse you for any associated shipping fees.
How to Contact Arcade1up
We’d like to wrap up our Arcade1up review by telling you that you can call, email, or text the company if you have any further questions. However, this company does things a little differently.
You’ll have to create a support portal account through their website if you want to speak with them. You can see how far along your question is to being resolved once you’ve created an account.
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