There’s no question, home Arcade Machines are a really cool addition to a home bar, mancave, games room, garden room or even in the corner of the kitchen!
Over the past 5 years times have changed…. maybe forever, with many of us preferring to invite friends’ round for a ‘fun night in’. Drinks, food, music and games are on the itinerary. These days it’s not uncommon to play darts, pool, shuffle, poker, beer pong and retro arcade games on multi-game full size 80s video arcade machines all at a friends house.
You’ve done a search and there’s lots of options to consider – let’s be frank – there’s a minefield of options. To help with your decision just ask yourself
why you are looking to buy an arcade machine?
To answer this, we want to take you back to a time where you could only play arcade machines in actual amusement arcades, pubs, chippy’s, leisure centre’s etc. – this is where most of us fell in love with arcade machines and retro gaming.
What was it that made us so fond of Arcade Machines?
When you think about this, it will help you decide the machine for you!
SOUND
Before you could see a machine you heard it. The sound and deep base coming from a Space Invaders, Galaxian, Pac-Man or Defender cabinet gives you a rush – the sound is more important than you may think. The sound is an integral part of the arcade experience which is why you need incredible sound in your machine. Some manufacturers only put a 12 watt sound system in – that's woefully inadequate. In our opinion you need the works – a 2.1 120 WATT sound system with a ‘kick-ass’ subwoofer that replicates the deep booming sound of the 80s & 90s arcades (fortunately our machines sound can be adjusted by a dial hidden on top of every machine, you can plug in headphones, or bluetooth sound to ear pods / buds) – or if everyone is out of the house you can crank it up - turning your home into an old school arcade!
SIZE AND LOOK
If you have no space at all you can play retro games on your tv. If you have very limited space you can get a ¼ size arcade machine. However, did you know that a footprint of a FULL SIZE arcade machine is only about 2 foot x 2 foot (width / depth) and you’ll need around 170cm in height - that's it!
Upright arcade machine take surprisingly little space – far less than a cocktail arcade machine as you need space on both sides for seating.
This brings us to the look – this is your home – when you walk in the room (or your mates come round) you want a machine where everyone goes WOW! A home arcade machine should be a centrepiece, the coolest piece of furniture in your home which brings a huge smile to both kids and parents alike.
If the artwork is right on a home arcade machine it can bring the whole room to life. Supported by modern day led lighting in the overhead marquee, the buttons and rgb remote control under glow, nothing less than a FULL graphics pack will do – the backlit marquee, speaker graphics, screen surround bezel graphics, control panel graphics, front kick plate graphics, full side art graphics ALL of which are a true tribute to the original classic themes arcade machines
THE GAMES
So, you agree that the sound and the look are of vital importance – but it’s the games that really count – you need games – the more the merrier and they also need to play in the right way!
Some machines have 12 game, some 60, some 2-3000 games but there’s nothing worse in getting a machine with 1000s of games, and finding out some of your best loved games aren’t on. Also, retro games aren’t for everyone in the house – other people in your house may like pub quiz games, pinball or the kids may like games like Mario Kart or Sonic for example; so we’d recommend an arcade machine which has all these.
This is why all Arcade WOW machines come with 15,000 games and we are able to easily add more even after the sale.
It’s also important that where possible hi-scores and initials save – the competition element in on school games is a huge part of the fun.
The games HAVE to be set up correctly. Games should play in the exact orientation and speed as the originals and the controls should be set up (or be able to be adjusted) with ease.
QUALITY & PERFORMANCE
You want your arcade machine to last for a long time. Make sure you buy one that’s UKCA rated and has the best parts. You should ensure that the screen / monitor is brand new (not reconditioned) you need a warranty and ask about after warranty support. Here at Arcade WOW the arcade machines we sell for the home are the exact same spec we supply to high street arcades, gaming bars and pubs.
Read TRUST PILOT reviews and make sure they have an excellent ***** 5 STAR rating.
SUMMARY
Hopefully you’ll buy a home arcade machine soon and this blog has helped you understand what’s important to you and help you choose.
If you have any questions, want a games list, or require a video demo or showroom demo please drop us a line via the contact form.
HAPPY GAMING!
