A Retro Arcade Machine Is a Great Way to Get Your Kids Into the Arcade
Whether you’re looking to hone your golf skills or kick ass in Street Fighter, an at-home arcade machine can be just the thing. These models offer a wide variety of gaming experiences at a budget-friendly price.
This Pac-Man- and Mortal Kombat-inspired machine offers multiple classic games, a light-up marquee, and a custom riser that helps you play comfortably standing up. It’s also Wi-Fi-enabled for access to downloadable games and online leaderboards.
Driving Games
Arcade driving games are a great way to escape from the real world and practice your skills behind the wheel. They can also be a lot of fun to compete against friends or perfect your aim with light gun games. This category of games can include a wide range of different genres from racing in wild and wonderful terrain to blasting aliens with laser guns.
These games can also be more interactive, such as the purikura that creates selfie stickers in a similar style to photo booths found in many Asian arcades. This machine uses a special printer that can produce multiple copies of a user’s image Retro Arcade Machine with just one press. They’re popular with both children and adults who want to take home their favorite gaming experience.
Another option is to pick up a full-size cabinet that’s loaded with classic titles for a game room or man cave. For example, the X-Men cabinet from Arcade1Up features bright and oh-so-’80s colors in its design, plus a 17-inch color LCD screen, lighted marquee and deck protector, a custom riser, and a coin door kickplate. It even comes Wi-Fi-enabled for online leaderboard play.
Another good option for a classic arcade game is to purchase a refurbished unit from a trusted retailer. Refurbished machines can often cost up to half as much as new ones and offer the same quality and functionality. Plus, you can save on shipping and handling fees by picking up your new machine in-store.
Classic Arcade Games
If you’re looking to recapture that nostalgia of childhood video arcade games without spending your entire allowance on quarters then check out the Midway Legacy Cabinet from Arcade 1Up. This full-size arcade machine comes loaded with twelve classic games including three Mortal Kombat games, Defender, Joust and Rampage. Plus, it even comes with a themed riser so you can sit or stand and play comfortably for hours on end.
Galaga, another Atari classic, is a space ship shooter game similar to Space Invaders that has players shooting the alien ships that fly across the screen. This classic arcade game is highly addictive and also the first to incorporate a player score display.
Atari’s popular Asteroids is another classic space-themed shooter that combines simple controls with an addictive, fast-paced gameplay. This classic arcade game uses vector graphics to create a beautiful glow effect on the old CRT monitors.
The original Mario platform game from Nintendo sees the plumber brothers Mario and Luigi taking on the sewers of New York removing strange creatures and monsters using their iconic abilities. This classic arcade game was the first of its kind and a huge success for Nintendo.
This classic arcade game is a puzzle game that asks the player to fill a 9 by 9 grid with digits so that each column, row and each of the nine 3 by 3 sub-grids contain all of the digits from 1 to 9. A challenging but highly addictive classic.
Rhythm Games
Rhythm games are music-themed video games that challenge a player’s sense of rhythm. They often use novel game controllers shaped like musical instruments that players press (or step on) to match the sequence dictated by the song they’re playing. Most of these games have multiplayer modes that encourage competition or cooperative gameplay with other players to score the highest points.
The most recognizable example of a rhythm game is Guitar Hero, which spawned multiple sequels and proved that the genre was viable as a commercial success. While it’s easy to dismiss Guitar Hero as “just another guitar-based game”, its popularity was a major influence on the subsequent wave of rhythm games that followed in its wake.
A less well-known but equally addictive rhythm game is Groove Coaster, which was developed by Taito, the iconic Japanese arcade game company whose Space Invaders and Galaga cabinets are instantly recognizable to anyone who’s spent even a brief amount of time in a modern video game arcade. The cabinet itself is quite large and features a huge round touch pad with a central screen showing the music’s lyrics. When the song starts, circular notes will emerge from the center of the screen and players must hit them as they reach an outer judgment ring.
Other rhythm games such as Jungle Rumble and Crypt of the NecroDancer feature a similar mechanic where players drum on a touchscreen in sync with the soundtrack’s beat. Similarly, the popular mobile game StepMania uses a scrolling “note Retro Arcade Machine highway” to display which notes are required to be played.
Sports Games
If you’re looking to get your kids away from their phones and into some real gameplay, a retro games machine is a great choice. They offer a wide range of different types of games, so you can find one that suits your family’s preferences and gaming style.
You can throw a basketball or hit the ice in sports games on your retro arcade machine, as well as take on classic combat games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat. There are even some that are designed to look like old school arcades, with replica artwork and quality builds.
There are plenty of sports games to choose from on a retro arcade machine, but some stand out above the rest. For example, a baseball game is a great way to show off your skills and prove that you’re the best player around. Another top-rated sports game is, which offers incredible arcade-style gameplay mechanics.
Skateboarding has been around for decades and continues to be a popular recreational activity. With the rise of skateboarding videos, it’s no wonder that there are many skateboarding games available for your retro arcade machine. The most popular of these is, which boasts amazing graphics and gameplay, as well as a great soundtrack to help you get into the game.
