Since 2018, Tastemakers and Arcade1UP have been not only bringing back arcade machines, but putting them directly into gamers’ homes. Now, they’ve revealed a powerful new wave of nostalgic machines at E3.
Five new machines will be available this year, taking a bounty of retro games back to their original format. This latest cohort is practically the essential 80s/90s flashback checklist, recreating the authentic look of the cabinets in a more living room-friendly size while adding multiple games and other modern amenities, as is Arcade1UP‘s hallmark.
Fighting game fans will definitely want to check out the Street Fighter II Big Blue Arcade Machine. This thirtieth anniversary package includes three versions of the quintessential fighter—Street Fighter II: Championship Edition, Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. But it doesn’t stop there, as the Big Blue Arcade Machine also features Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Darkstalkers, Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge, Darkstalkers 3, Saturday Night Slam Masters, Knights of the Round, Eco Fighters, Capcom Sports Club, and Muscle Bomber Duo. Serious Capcom fans will want to take note of this 12-game behemoth.
Similarly, the Ms. PAC-MAN/Galaga Class of ’81 Arcade Machine features a small library of classic, early-eighties titles. In addition to the titular Ms. PAC-MAN and Galaga, you’ll find Galaga ’88, Galaxian, Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Mappy, Rally-X, Rolling Thunder, Rompers, Tower of Druaga, and King and Balloon. This one machine nearly functions as a crash-course in eighties arcade titles, single-handedly.
But what was the arcade scene without licensed titles? Arcade1UP has nineties kids covered, starting with The Simpsons Home Arcade Machine. Konami’s 1991 classic is back with simultaneous 4-player action. This new cabinet is a faithful recreation of the original turquoise version that gobbled up untold quarters back at the onset of the cartoon’s popularity, and now a new generation can experience the same outlandish fun from home.
The Konami side-scrolling beat-em-up fun doesn’t end there, as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will return with the Turtles in Time Home Arcade Machine. Team up with up to four simultaneous players and beat up the Foot Clan with Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael. This follows in the footsteps of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Machine already offered by Arcade1UP, featuring the same psychedelic purple design as the original machine.
Rounding out the cavalcade of classic cartoon brawlers is the X-Men 4 Player Arcade Machine. Play as Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler as you confront Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. This brawler was based on the Pryde of the X-Men animated pilot which originally aired in 1989, and later inspired the popular 1992 X-Men series.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for Arcade1UP’s E3 revelations. Check them out today at the IGN Expo, or at the virtual E3 Showcase June 12-15. Stay tuned to CGM for more coverage of these thrilling new-old cabinets.
