CoolToyReview.com - Action Figure News & Photography

Posted by: Nick on December 14, 2018 at 11:48 AM CST

For those of you not familiar with Arcade1Up, they are the first company to produce large scale replicas of classic arcade cabinets for the mass market. This cabinets launched in September at most major retailers and have since found their way into the holiday shopping frenzy. Check out our hands-on impressions with this units to know why you should consider grabbing one for under your tree, especially when there are several promotional sales right now.

Walmart-Exclusive Pac-Man Cabinet

Initially retailing for $299 (which we picked up on Black Friday for $250), this amazing little unit allows you to relive the glory days of Pac-Man and its sequel, Pac-Man Plus! Featuring original artwork and authentic controls it gives you that sensation of being back in the arcade and trying to 1Up your buddy's high score or just top the leader boards for bragging rights.

What We Love About It

The cabinet features continuous play, so no quarters needed. However, it remains true to the original game so you cannot just keep adding live with more quarters. One play through per virtual quarter.

The artwork is amazing and lends that real feel sensation. As does the control scheme. The LCD screen lends bright vibrant colors and prevents the unit from weighing a ton, so you can easily move it around.

Assembly was quick and easy, about 20 minutes for an adult that has experience assembling an IKEA bookshelf. Probably and hour if you do not consider yourself handy.

The high scores remain on the game eve after you turn it off. There is no high score board or way to input your name, so the highest score will be the one that the game displays.

What We Wish Would Improve

We really wish this unit contained Ms. Pac-Man instead of Pac-Man Plus. Pac-Man Plus is just a more challenging version of the original with not much variety. It would have been even better if they also threw in Baby Pac-Man.

The only other thing that would take this over the top for us would be if the marquee lit up. Just and extra little dynamic that would lend to that arcade feel and probably be cost efficient via and LED light.

Our Recommendations

This is a must have for your at home arcade collection if you are looking to 1Up your game room. We highly recommend you purchase a riser to give the unit that extra foot of height for stand up play. These can be incredibly hard to find. We have managed to secure several through Walmart, which not only has the best price ($40 vice Gamestop's $50) but they get the most stock on a weekly basis. Tip: While it may not be available for online shipping, you can check to see if it is available via your local stores for pick up. I suggest playing around with the zip codes on the site to see if there is one in a neighboring town. We have found frequent shipments of large quantities to Walmart stores, so it may be easier to get in general very soon but if you see one, get it because they sell as fast as they arrive.

We also recommend the Pac-Man lights you can find at Walmart. You can see a couple of them in one of our shots. They let off a nice glow to give a true arcade feel.

That's all for now. Check back for more reviews, next up Rampage (Midway Classics Cabinet)!

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