Australian Arcade 1Up gaming machine cabinet specs and review

Not too long ago the go-to for gaming was a big heavy arcade cabinet. While these are old and can be expensive to buy and maintain, the Nostalgia associated with these is big and the feel and sound of coins being inserted takes many of us right back down memory lane.

There are many options available for those looking to experience arcade retro gaming. This includes replica cabinets down to smaller consoles that plug into your TV or even portable handhelds.

Arcade 1up cabinets are the only retro cabinets available through retailers and while enthusiasts have criticised the limited game choice and quality of controls, Arcade 1up cabinets are small, relatively cheap, and provide an easy entry-level arcade experience for the home.

They follow the Ikea model and come in a flat pack that requires assembly. If this is a deal breaker you may consider an Ikea assembly service or purchasing a pre-assembled arcade machine.

The 3/4 build size means it’s a shrunk-down arcade machine, so you can expect a toy build quality as opposed to arcade-level components and finish. That said Joystick and buttons are full size and for the price, the overall finish isn’t bad invoking nostalgia.

They come with 2 to 12 games included along with varied external themes and designs depending on the model. There is no ability to add or expand on games. There is also no option to add gamepads for P1-P4 play.

Arcade1Up comes in the following designs and game combinations;

Pac-Man, Pac Land, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal, Pac Mania, Galaxian, Galaga, Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Mappy, Rompers
Simpsons, Simpsons Bowling
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
X-Men: The Arcade Game, Captain America and The Avengers, The Avengers in Galactic Storm
Street Fighter II, Street Fighter, Street Fighter: Champion Edition, Street Fighter II: Turbo, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Darkstalkers, Strider, Commando, Final Fight, Ghosts n Goblins, 1944: The Loop Master
Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat 2, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Joust, Defender, Rampage, Gauntlet, Paperboy, Rootbeer Tapper, Bubbles, Toobin, Wizard of War
NBA Jam
Terminator 2 Judgement Day
Ridge Racer
Big Buck Hunter World, Big Buck Hunter Pro, Big Buck Safari, Big Buck Hunter Pro Open Season, Big Buck Safari Outback

Arcade 1Up cabinets not available in Australia are;

Centipede, Millipede, Missile Command, Crystal Castles
Final Fight, 1944, Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Strider
Galaga, Galaxian
Golden Tee Classic, Golden Tee ’99, and Golden Tee ‘98
Karate Champ, Bad Dudes, Burger Time, Caveman Ninja
Rampage, Defender, Joust, and Gauntlet
Space Invaders
The Star Wars Home Arcade Game

Arcade 1Ups come in free-play mode, meaning no coin mechanism for that added nostalgia or ability to select between arcade coins mode or free play. While a nice to have this might not be a deal breaker for you.

Spec wise the Arcade 1Up uses a 17″ 1280×1024 LCD screen.
Under the hood, it has an allwinner A13 single-core 1GHz CPU with a Mali MP400 300Mhz graphics chip and either 256 or 512MB of RAM.

This places the Arcade 1Up’s performance below entry-level Pandora’s Box at 10.8 GFLOPS being the same level as a Pandora Box 4s. As a comparison, a leading Pandoras Box gameboard shown in blue below runs at 47.6 GFLOPS

arcade1up-vs-pandora-box-gameboard-performance

That said as the games included and emulated are old-school arcade titles and you can’t add more games, you won’t need a higher-spec board.

Audio is through 1x 8hm 3Watt speaker mounted top right of the control panel and there’s around 10 volume step adjustments using a left/right button. There’s a 3rd party mod available that converts this to a dial and the ability to turn the volume lower.

The LCD screen is sharper and nowhere near as heavy as the CRT screens found in the original arcade machines, however, most modern arcade cabinets now use varied LCD screens. The only difference is that some can use scan line overlays which make the picture resemble that of a CRT display. This is not possible with an Arcade 1Up.

The screen is mounted from the front of the MDF panel and protected with a 1mm soft acrylic panel with the bezel artwork UV printed onto the back of it. The panel does scratch easily. Our demo unit has had little use and the acrylic isn’t fairing well at all :-(.

The Joystick while not clunky has very little resistance making it feel cheap. While the full-size 29mm buttons do the job, they are also entry-level quality. Both can be upgraded however are not modular and will require either soldering or cutting of wires and the addition of 4.8mm female terminals or 5 PIN terminal to connect to new arcade buttons/ Joysticks. Upgrade parts are estimated $100.

Should you get to the point where you want more from your 2-12 game arcade, you’ll need to upgrade to a Raspberry PI or Pandora’s box. To achieve this, you’ll need a new monitor or a graphics converter board to use the standard 17″ screen.

So should you buy an Arcade 1Up machine? They are an ideal size for kids and down the track, should the need arise an aftermarket game board and controls can be installed for around $400 in parts.

In Australia, the upright arcade 1Up cabinets range from $749 which is more than most modern gaming consoles. However, in America, the Mortal Kombat 12 in 1 starts from $249.
If you’re in Australia and looking for a truer arcade experience there are better options around this price break. If you’re in the States and can pick up a bargain then this very well might be a good entry point.

While we may not be sold on Arcade1Up cabinets they have above-average reviews and may be a good fit for your needs.

Size wise who is the Arcade 1up cabinet suited towards?

Size-wise, the 3/4 cabinet means that adults need a riser to achieve a usable height. The size also means that for adults the spacing between P1 and P2 controls is quite tight. The Player 1 joystick has your hand hanging off the panel – making the cabinet a little wider would have meant more comfortable play when 2 people are battling it out.

The smaller size cabinet does mean that it’s a great size for kids and easier to move. If portability is high on your list, be it around the home, office, or taking it to a friend’s then you may consider a bartop arcade machine.

While this may not matter to you, most of the Arcade 1Up cabinet panels come in at 13mm and under in thickness compared to the 18mm higher spec used on arcade cabinets.

Arcade 1up cabinet dimensions size with and without riser are..

The earlier generation Arcade 1Up cabinets assembled come in at 58cm Deep x 49cm Wide x 116.3cm tall and 36.3kg.

While the standard cabinet height is 117cm, once you add the optional riser kit/ box the total combined height is increased to just shy of 147cm.

The riser box dimensions are 52cm x 50.16cm x 33.65cm – the cabinet sits in the riser giving you an additional 30cm in height.

The revised 2023 Arcade 1up cabinet models seem bigger in the pictures but after comparing size are almost identical apart from a revised profile measuring 57cm Deep x 48cm Wide x 116cm Tall and 36kg.

With the riser, the total height of the newer Arcade 1up generation cabs comes in at 146cm tall. While you gain an acrylic marquee panel the width and space between players hasn’t been increased.

Arcade 1Up arcade machines come in a flat pack and just like IKEA require assembly which is relatively straightforward, however as shipped in cardboard packing, be sure to check panels for any damage.

If you’re looking to compare Arcade 1Up buttons and joystick with arcade-quality equivalents? or looking to upgrade? The below image on the left shows upgraded arcade-quality buttons and joysticks and to the right, the standard Arcade 1Up buttons and joystick.