Bringing you authentic (and yes, way nostalgic!) arcade experiences in an easily assembled design, Arcade1Up game machines are must-haves for your family game room, fan cave, or a welcome distraction in the office. They play great, look great, and are instant conversation pieces. Only a few generations of gamers understand what hitting a local arcade may feel like, but even the most casual players have played at least one game of Pac-Man. A hit since its 1980 debut, it’s nearly synonymous with arcades—its iconography is as recognizable as Super Mario, and its play objective is so accessible a toddler could play it. That’s probably why Arcade1Up, a hardware company that specializes in producing arcade games with modern components for home use, chose the title for its mainline Deluxe series of arcade cabinets. This mini-machine gets you Ms. Pac-Man, Dig Dug and Galaga (all bonafide classics) as well as Galaxian and Galaga ’88 (which you may be less familiar with). And despite its small size, it’s a pretty faithful-looking replica of the actual Class of 1981 cabinet that came out in 2000, complete with the same iconic side panel artwork and instructions for each game around the bezel. Its dual speakers may be the most impressive part of the machine’s hardware. The sound on each game is about as full and immersive as you can imagine for a home arcade machine.

It took me about three hours to assemble the cabinet, shuffling wooden parts around, screwing in pieces I held up with my legs, and using nothing more than a screwdriver. For the most part, the instructions were easy to follow—they would read better if the assembly illustrations labeled which panel has printed artwork on it—but it didn’t feel frustrating. Yell0w caps smartly cover the screws, so all metal parts are hidden, and many pieces slot into each other snugly. It’s a simple project for two people at most, and is certainly user-friendly. A Respectable Size The brand also has a companion app in which you can keep tabs on the newest cabinets from Arcade1Up, plus add other Arcade1Up members. You can also start chats with other users if you want to challenge them to beat your score. Responsive Controls, Terrific Screen, Incredible Sound And for when the kiddos need to have a seat, all good, they can park right down on the included matching stool and continue to play away.

Product Details

With no assembly required, your kids will be up-and-running in minutes, playing yes, PAC-MAN™, widely considered the video game character that ushered in the golden age of arcade gaming! Also on the unit are classic games DIG DUG™ and GALAGA™. The Arcade1Up Jr. makes it easy for kids to take control and learn the included games at their own pace, with oversized buttons and custom difficulty levels. Most of these titles can be found on your phone’s app marketplace, so it feels like a missed opportunity to bake them into each cabinet without the ability to add more titles. It also feels like a travesty that the Pac-Man Deluxe cabinet is missing Ms. Pac-Man, although Arcade1Up also sells its own Ms. Pac-Man cab for those who absolutely need it . Iconic arcade games. Pop culture imagery that has stood the test of time. Nostalgia that transcends generations. We call this the “Legacy Edition” for a reason…make that many reasons!

Entering the video game industry at the end of the ‘70s, Bandai Namco Entertainment’s titles changed the world of entertainment forever. With their release of Galaxian, Galaga and Pac-Man, Bandai Namco Entertainment’s titles sparked a golden age of arcade games and influenced pop culture for generations. The Arcade 1up Pac-Man Namco Legacy Edition comes with 12 iconic Bandai Namco games: Pac-Man, Pac-Land, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania, Galaxian, Galaga, Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Mappy and Rompers. Switch between retro games with the easy to navigate on- screen menu. For the first time ever in a BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc. Legacy home arcade game machine, you’ve got WiFi leaderboards! With no subscription required, see how your high scores measure up to other retrogamers with this Arcade1Up BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. PAC-MANIA ™ Legacy Edition.

The monitor is a 17-inch LCD screen that looks sharp and bright, which Arcade1Up claims is high definition, likely meaning it’s 720p or 1080p. That doesn’t matter much for an old-school arcade game that’s likely capped at 480p, but it’s still got enough power for crystal-clear clarity. One unique feature of Arcade1Up machines is the inclusion of Wi-Fi-enabled leaderboards, which adds a layer of competition between other owners. You can see where you rank between the sea of other players within the nation for any game on your cabinet. I definitely don’t come close to anyone in the top 20 for a single game on my Deluxe Pac-Man cabinet, but it’s still an excellent feature. I love my Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe machine, but its software limitations are the most frustrating part about it. The brand spins modern sensibilities for old arcade games by adding Wi-Fi leaderboards, a high-definition LCD monitor, and dense construction. So why can’t users swap its included games out?