Home arcade manufacturer Arcade1Up announced the first wave in their lineup of games for 2020 on IGN’s Summer of Gaming livestream yesterday. The games revealed covered a wide spread and show Arcade1UP isn’t going to be content resting on their arcadey laurels.
First up, and the most traditional release (yet also surprising) is the Capcom Vs. cab(s). There are two versions, and each includes a Marvel Super Nintendo title (!!) to round out the selection. The single game included on both cabs is Marvel Vs. Capcom: Clash of Heroes. One has Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Super Heroes Vs. Capcom, and Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems. The alternate cab contains X-Men: Children of the Atom, X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, and X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse. The cabs each feature their own art variants, and a 2 player, 6 button Capcom layout.
Second, we have a very interesting selection, and a new angle for Arcade1Up, the shooting cabinet, starting with a selection of Big Buck Hunter games. This cab looks very well executed, and Arcade1Up rep John D. confirmed in a livestream that the cabinet uses Sinden Lightgun tech. The inclusion of this is great news, and hints at exciting games to come. This cab comes with Big Buck Hunter: Open Season, Big Buck: World, and Big Buck: Outback. This cabinet will certainly open the company up to a new audience and new retail partnerships.
On the traditional side, the last reveal was a big surprise: Ms. Pac-Man. It’s an essential classic, maybe the singularly most beloved retro arcade game. It has lived for years in a very difficult licensing situation, and the fact that A1Up managed to untangle that mess to bring a product like this to market speaks highly to their behind-the-scenes business workings. The cabinet is stunning, and also includes Pac-Mania, Galaxian, and Pac-Man Plus. There is also a reported (again from the livestream) alternate version that includes Ms. Pac-Man, Rally-X, Dig Dug, and one other unnamed title. This alternate selection is presumably aimed at people who have already bought into Arcade1Up’s products, and don’t want a repeat of games in their home setups.
Finally, and maybe the most exciting news, Arcade1Up has revealed their first virtual pinball machine. Partnered with Zen Studios and running a highly tweaked version of Pinball FX3, each machine will reportedly have 10 games included, along with solenoids for haptic feedback, a digital plunger, an accelerometer for tilt, and a second, dedicated DMD display on the machine head. The company has previously shown Star Wars and Attack from Mars virtual pinball machines at various industry trade shows, and reportedly all 3 titles will launch in the fall.
With this announcement, Arcade1Up is showing their commitment to longevity and growing their business, and all four of these cabinets point to exciting things to come for fans both new and existing. Stay tuned to their official website and Twitter feed for news, final pricing, and availability.
Charlie’s first attempts at gaming did not go well. Repeated, failed run-ins with the first Goomba in Super Mario Brothers 1 plagued his maiden gaming voyage. Undaunted, he would go on to become an avid gamer of all platforms, with Nintendo always sitting atop the highest pedestal. Except for that Halo 3 incident in 2007. We don’t talk about it. It never happened.
Currently, Charlie enjoys playing games on as many platforms as he can get his hands on, with current favorites being the Switch, 3DS and Neo Geo. When he’s not playing games, Charlie is a live sound engineer and manager for his production company, Clear Harmonies, based in Washington, D.C.
Charlie enjoys talking about games nearly as much as playing them, and loves meeting new people, so hit him up!
Plays: All of them games. Seriously.