Arcade1up Clearance Sale

[JDFan]

I am going to attempt this soon.  How easily is the original lcd removed from the bezel?  I haven't been able to find any videos showing the removal and replacement of the LCD screen.

Pretty easy actually - 4 screws to remove the plexi cover and then 8 screws to remove the LCD from the wood frame.

Pic of LCD in wood frame after removing plexi (notice 4 screw holes in wood from where the 4 screws holding the plexi in place were removed. )  -

[RandyT]

I have a special version of the TurboTwist2 spinner control which works properly with these units, if anyone is interested.  I have one of the units in the field, being put through the paces by a Tempest enthusiast, and he tells me the game plays great with it, just like the original cabinet.  He also tells me that that the Major Havoc setting controls nicely with it as well, but OG Major Havoc players aren't easy to find for testing purposes

My Asteroids model showed up on my doorstep this morning, so I'll be able to do my own testing as well.

[RandyT]

Unbelievable.....the "spinner" on the Asteroids version is different from the 12-in-1 and appears to have some active circuitry on it.  So a standard spinner doesn't appear to work as a direct replacement for the PCB on the Asteroids version.    Looks like I need to try keeping the original PCB in the chain for this version.

I'm just putting this out there to save others some possible aggravation if they think the two versions are the same other than the game selection and controls.  They are not.

[leapinlew]

That is unbelievable... is it the same crappy dial “spinner” on the 12-n-1?

[Howard_Casto]

What about soldering on the usb port?  For the cabs that use mame you can change the input settings and it can detect and use a usb keyboard at least. 

[ark_ader]

I have a special version of the TurboTwist2 spinner control which works properly with these units, if anyone is interested.  I have one of the units in the field, being put through the paces by a Tempest enthusiast, and he tells me the game plays great with it, just like the original cabinet.  He also tells me that that the Major Havoc setting controls nicely with it as well, but OG Major Havoc players aren't easy to find for testing purposes

My Asteroids model showed up on my doorstep this morning, so I'll be able to do my own testing as well.

You have to keep in the spirit of the cab and sell the spinners really cheap, say $15 + shipping?

[RandyT]

That is unbelievable... is it the same crappy dial “spinner” on the 12-n-1?

Same dial control (or at least it appears to be) but there's a many-legged critter on the underside of the Asteroids dial PCB.  Still haven't figured out what it's doing yet.  The vids I have seen of the PCB from the 12-in-1 units don't have much of anything on them, so it's a regular encoder switch.  My new gizmo works fine on them, just not the Asteroids unit. 

What about soldering on the usb port?  For the cabs that use mame you can change the input settings and it can detect and use a usb keyboard at least. 

I'm ahead of you .  Keyboard works fine.  It's running on MAME, just like the 12-in-1.  My unit also has Gravitar, Asteroids Deluxe and Street Fighter II hidden inside it.  Setting up the UI in MAME with a few combo button presses allows for settings access without leaving a keyboard attached.  I'll be trying a regular Opti-Wiz with TT2 on the USB port next.  Not sure how many folks will want to go soldering on their new toys for a better spinner though.

But there's a big benefit if they do (no, not the hidden games ).  The backlight on these monitors is pretty intense, so black is non-existent.  However, cranking up the MAME contrast setting to max in the vector titles really gets them popping, even against the lighter background.  This also seems to improve the viewing angles quite a bit.  The only title where it may not be a good idea is Asteroids Deluxe, because the blue washes out to bright white.  The screen size adjustments are also a bonus, as some titles (like Tempest) weren't using as much screen real estate as they could have.

You have to keep in the spirit of the cab and sell the spinners really cheap, say $15 + shipping?

I'd be broke by morning.  But hey, if you can get the cabinet for <$200 and put a nice spinner in there, you're still doing well

[Howard_Casto]

Good deal man.  I saw that someone dumped the mame.ini via the serial connection... I'm wondering if anyone tried to write a new one so that it sets the path to a thumb drive.  It seems like the mame cabs in particular are ripe for hacking... like putting asteroids deluxe complete with the overlay, ect. 

Despite the flaws on these cabs they still seem like a ton of fun for random tinkering imho. 

[pbj]

They're all $199 shipped from Walmart today..... Time to get price adjustments.

 

[DGP]

Walmart next to walk away from A1up , is it over at that point..?
 

[RandyT]

Despite the flaws on these cabs they still seem like a ton of fun for random tinkering imho.

At first, I thought "good lord, the things I have to buy to do R&D", but I have to admit, the little thing is growing on me.  Having a dedicated box for Asteroids is actually pretty nice, as the button layout doesn't lend itself well to a do-it-all panel.

I used some clear laminate on the panel, and replaced the Asteroids buttons with some white CLASSX buttons with leaf switches.  Honestly, it looks nice and plays really well now.  The LCD isn't great, but it's not terrible for the casual player.  As a foundation for folks who will never have a cabinet any other way, it's well worth a couple hundred. 

I think I may have another lead on getting a spinner to work with the Asteroids unit now...off to tinker

[SlammedNiss]

They're all $199 shipped from Walmart today..... Time to get price adjustments.

 

thanks for the heads up. My nephew bought a Galaga for my brother for Xmas and I'm pretty sure he paid full retail for it. I'll give him a ring and have him call in for a price adjustment.

[ark_ader]

They're all $199 shipped from Walmart today..... Time to get price adjustments.

 

thanks for the heads up. My nephew bought a Galaga for my brother for Xmas and I'm pretty sure he paid full retail for it. I'll give him a ring and have him call in for a price adjustment.

Do you have to return the unit back to Wallymart?

[JDFan]

They're all $199 shipped from Walmart today..... Time to get price adjustments.

 

thanks for the heads up. My nephew bought a Galaga for my brother for Xmas and I'm pretty sure he paid full retail for it. I'll give him a ring and have him call in for a price adjustment.

Do you have to return the unit back to Wallymart?

Not supposed to have to - they'll make price adjustments if it is still within the return window (which for the holidays is increased from the normal 15 days from purchase to 15 days after Xmas ( ie 1-10-2019) if purchased between Oct. 28th and dec 24th) But some people are saying some stores are not doing the price adjustments saying it has to be within 14 days of purchase - So as usual depends on the store and the manager on that shift !

[pumpkinpie]

since they have been able to use a usb keyboard with these units - anyone see an issue using a usb encoder to be able to add on extra controls ?

[smass]

since they have been able to use a usb keyboard with these units - anyone see an issue using a usb encoder to be able to add on extra controls ?

It may happen down the line, but for now I think its much better to just add a pi or PC than it is to fool around with the original arcade1up pcb.  The emulation will be better, and the ease of customization will be better.   

[RandyT]

It may happen down the line, but for now I think its much better to just add a pi or PC than it is to fool around with the original arcade1up pcb.  The emulation will be better, and the ease of customization will be better.   

While all of that is true, at that point you'd have just purchased a small, flimsy $200 CHIKEA box.  It would make vastly more sense to try to maximize the value of your purchase, than to replace everything you already paid for.

[pumpkinpie]

It may happen down the line, but for now I think its much better to just add a pi or PC than it is to fool around with the original arcade1up pcb.  The emulation will be better, and the ease of customization will be better.   

While all of that is true, at that point you'd have just purchased a small, flimsy $200 CHIKEA box.  It would make vastly more sense to try to maximize the value of your purchase, than to replace everything you already paid for.

that's my thought on this - throw in an inexpensive encoder and some extra buttons/joysticks rather than buying a pi/PC, lcd controller, and amp

[Howard_Casto]

It may happen down the line, but for now I think its much better to just add a pi or PC than it is to fool around with the original arcade1up pcb.  The emulation will be better, and the ease of customization will be better.   

While all of that is true, at that point you'd have just purchased a small, flimsy $200 CHIKEA box.  It would make vastly more sense to try to maximize the value of your purchase, than to replace everything you already paid for.

Yeah these are budget cabs..... imho putting a pi/pc in one of these is like putting a pi/pc in one of those little plug and play handhelds from the 2000's ….. Why did you even bother to buy the plug and play at that point?

[chrisdfw]

While these are cheap and flimsy, I think if I see a pacman or asteroids at 150 I would be tempted to get it just for the cabinet.  The time and expense with building and buying or creating the artwork would make it worth it for me at that point.  If I built it myself at 3/4 scale how much would the cab artwork cost to have printed? Is there still a good place to download hi res pacman or asteroids side art?

[Mike A]

Those are not 3/4 scale. They are much smaller.

[pbj]

While these are cheap and flimsy, I think if I see a pacman or asteroids at 150 I would be tempted to get it just for the cabinet.  The time and expense with building and buying or creating the artwork would make it worth it for me at that point.  If I built it myself at 3/4 scale how much would the cab artwork cost to have printed? Is there still a good place to download hi res pacman or asteroids side art?

Must not be looking too, too hard, Mr. DFW....

[RandyT]

The prices on these are bouncing around like crazy.  My local WM had them all marked down to 199 for a couple of days, and now all but the Asteroids model went back to 249.  Sudden surge of interest as Christmas draws near?  Were they just reducing excessive inventory?  Who knows....

[opt2not]

The prices on these are bouncing around like crazy.  My local WM had them all marked down to 199 for a couple of days, and now all but the Asteroids model went back to 249.  Sudden surge of interest as Christmas draws near?  Were they just reducing excessive inventory?  Who knows....

This is all fine and dandy, but are you going to reply to my PM or what.

[RandyT]

This is all fine and dandy, but are you going to reply to my PM or what.

What?    Sorry, I miss those notifications sometimes.

[pbj]

Prices jump around at Wal-Mart when the item is discontinued, in my experience.  Saw the same thing happen with NES Classic last year.

[ark_ader]

The Galaga is back up to $249.00    $50 credit is better than a smack in the eye.

[nitrogen_widget]

While these are cheap and flimsy, I think if I see a pacman or asteroids at 150 I would be tempted to get it just for the cabinet.  The time and expense with building and buying or creating the artwork would make it worth it for me at that point.  If I built it myself at 3/4 scale how much would the cab artwork cost to have printed? Is there still a good place to download hi res pacman or asteroids side art?

Must not be looking too, too hard, Mr. DFW....

Still Full price at my walmart.

[leapinlew]

at that point you'd have just purchased a small, flimsy $200 CHIKEA box.

Is your take away that it's flimsy? I thought it didn't feel too bad. It's definitely not 3/4 ply sturdy, but it seems substantial to me.

[RandyT]

Is your take away that it's flimsy? I thought it didn't feel too bad. It's definitely not 3/4 ply sturdy, but it seems substantial to me.

flim·sy
/ˈflimzē/
adjective
1.
comparatively light and insubstantial; easily damaged.

It seems like a lot of these don't even make it through the production and packaging process without some substantial scars.  I know mine didn't. 

I think if you were going to scratch build something like this, the choice of materials, and likely the method of construction, would fall under the category of "other."  It's not bad, but there's a reason they include hardware for fastening it to a wall.  For less than half of that cost, you could buy the materials for a cabinet this size (or larger) that an adult could stand atop of without concern.

That said, a lot of the bad rap these get is probably from jaded oldsters and XBOX kids.  We would have given our (insert useful body part) for any one of these, back in the day.  We probably wouldn't even have balked at the price, even in 30+ year old dollars.

[JDFan]

That said, a lot of the bad rap these get is probably from jaded oldsters and XBOX kids.  We would have given our (insert useful body part) for any one of these, back in the day.  We probably wouldn't even have balked at the price, even in 30+ year old dollars.

Aint that the truth !

Another thing that didn't help them was their marketing dept with the 5' tall actors and staging them shots to make the machines appear much taller/wider than they are like the pic below. And the "Genuine Arcade controls" - " "bringing the REAL Arcade experience to the home" etc. etc. - They built up expectations to a point where when people started seeing what they actually were they felt dissapointed when they would have been fine with it if they hadn't been expecting much more !

[chrisdfw]

I've seen a lot of posts claiming these aren't worth it because it can be built from scratch for less money and with better materials...but nobody is addimg in or suggesting how to get the artwork done as part of that.

I would assume someone here has dealt with stick on artwork and can recommend something and a guess on prices.  I have no idea because what I have seen for custom printed side art, kickplate, control panel, and marquee is more than a 1up cab alone.

[yotsuya]

I think the quality of the aesthetic of the side art on these is suspect. Slap a smaller version of the sideart on the bottom of the cab? Done.

I dunno, I get that these are cheap and fast. I think they’re perfect as gifts for your sons or daughters or nieces or nephews. But as a grown man with the ability to do more (that this very site and hobby have given me), they just do nothing for me. I wouldn’t pick one up for myself at $25. As a gift, sure. But for me? Nope.

[yotsuya]

I’m in line at Frys Electronics right now and just saw these things in person for the first time.

Yeah. Anyone who thinks these are 3/4 scale is smoking goooooooood stuff. Good marketing ploy.

They’re cute toys for the kids. Can’t believe Frys is still listing them at $349.

[pbj]

Dude, you saw the pic of me standing next to it. Cmon.

Anyway, buddy of mine got his $199 ones delivered today. Returned them to Walmart with full price receipts from his Black Friday purchases. These are decent for $200.

[JDFan]

Dude, you saw the pic of me standing next to it. Cmon.

Anyway, buddy of mine got his $199 ones delivered today. Returned them to Walmart with full price receipts from his Black Friday purchases. These are decent for $200.

I wound up with 3 of them ( Galaga, Pacman, and Asteroids ) at $150 each - likewise returned the pacman from Black Friday for $249+ Tax and got $100+ back - For $150 - $200 they're a decent deal as long as you know what you are getting.

[wp34]

Saw my first playable 1UP's tonight.   As has been noted the buttons are terrible.  Asteroids IMO looked horrible but Tempest looked pretty darn good. The spinner was as bad as folks have said which is too bad because I would have played me some Tempest.

[RandyT]

Saw my first playable 1UP's tonight.   As has been noted the buttons are terrible.  Asteroids IMO looked horrible but Tempest looked pretty darn good. The spinner was as bad as folks have said which is too bad because I would have played me some Tempest.

The vector titles look better if you solder a USB extension cable onto the mainboard, so you can use a keyboard to crank the contrast setting in MAME.

[smass]

It may happen down the line, but for now I think its much better to just add a pi or PC than it is to fool around with the original arcade1up pcb.  The emulation will be better, and the ease of customization will be better.   

While all of that is true, at that point you'd have just purchased a small, flimsy $200 CHIKEA box.  It would make vastly more sense to try to maximize the value of your purchase, than to replace everything you already paid for.

Suppose so.  But I am fine with that.  I have three, a Galaga, Pacman, and Street Fighter.  I got them for $150 each.  Add a $10 17" LCD monitor from CL, free donated windows 7 computer, and $25 bucks worth of encoder/button/joystick and you are in there...

I have five full size cabs in my basement arcade.  I like the form factor of the arcade1ups and the weight.  They play just fine from my desk chairs that I roll over to them.  They fit nicely in my den and don't dominate the room and piss off my wife.  For $150 could I build one better?  Probably, but it would cost me time and effort, and the dust flying part of this hobby is my least favorite part.  To each their own.   

[yotsuya]

Saw my first playable 1UP's tonight.   As has been noted the buttons are terrible.  Asteroids IMO looked horrible but Tempest looked pretty darn good. The spinner was as bad as folks have said which is too bad because I would have played me some Tempest.

The vector titles look better if you solder a USB extension cable onto the mainboard, so you can use a keyboard to crank the contrast setting in MAME.

Yeah, but you shouldn’t **have** to do that as a consumer.