Admittedly, this space isn’t really about video games. However, with a mostly welcomed downturn in travel on the road over the past few months, I’ve been spending more time at home; which is always a treat. Inspired by one of my last business work trips that had a family tag on portion to it, I ended up purchasing an Arcade 1Up video arcade game for my house. How would my venture into retro gaming work out?

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Review: Arcade 1Up Class of 81 Deluxe Arcade Game – Ms. Pac Man / Galaga

For something completely different, I decided to step into the world of retro gaming. Since I’ve had the summer mostly at home, and not constantly on the road in hotels, I’ve decided to slowly wander into the world of retro gaming.

What is Arcade 1Up:

Arcade 1Up has developed a replica video game concept that gives people the ability to replicate a miniature arcade game in their homes. The company has developed computer hardware that replicates video games with modern components.

The company is a subsidiary of Tastemakers and was developed to address the retro-gaming market. Although the Arcade 1Up company has only been around since 2018, the company has reportedly sold almost four million units of these games. With numbers like that, they are likely around for a foreseeable future.

Getting Interested in Arcade 1Up:

This story all started when I ended up visiting my brother in law in London, Ontario, Canada. During that time, we ended up visiting The Tilt Arcade Bar in downtown London. His son, who was fifteen at the time, ended up being a retro arcade gamer. Over a few visits, I really got immersed in re-visiting all the old legacy arcade games from the nineteen eighties.

It is quite a feat to manage a modern arcade and I wholly took it for granted while I was there. Most of these machines are almost forty years old, with components that are almost completely obsolete. Most of the cathode ray tube monitors that were initially installed in these machines have long past their useful life. Any arcade manager would have to be an expert electrician handy man in order to keep these games running.

It’s fair to say that I spent a little time at The Tilt Arcade Bar. I don’t think MrsWT73 actually got to see me at all during the two and a half hours that I was there.

When we finally got over to nephew in law’s his house for a family visit, I was a little surprised to see brother / nephew in law had an Arcade 1Up Mrs Pac Man Classic machine in the basement. I tried. it out and I was pretty hooked from that point on.

Buying Arcade 1Up:

Finding a Store:

After some intensive research on You Tube and Reddit, I decided after a few months to go ahead and pull the so called “arcade trigger”. The Arcade 1Up distribution channels are pretty strong; games are available directly from its website, or through retailers across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Retailers in North America include Target, Walmart, Amazon, BestBuy and Costco (on a limited basis).

Based on my experience, retailers in Canada did not have many display models up for testing. Rather, you’d have to order online and have the items shipped directly to house or shipped to store. I was able to see some comparable models at the Brick furniture warehouse under different titles.

I also found that Canada also received titles about six months after they were launched in the United States. For example, the Class of 81 which launched in April 2023, was only making it to Canada retailers in September 2023; over 6 months later. Arcade 1Up doesn’t always give love to this smaller market.

Getting the Best Price:

The price point of these items is between $600 CAD and $800 CAD, depending on the make and model of the games. Pricing in the United States was actually more expensive in terms of a value proposition, with games at around the $499 USD price point (works out to about $675 CAD).

I found the price point to be relatively stable for the most part with the same pricing across the stores. I did notice that theArcade 1Up website priced in USD, but had a floating conversion to Canadian dollars making for a little bit of variable pricing happening if purchased from Arcade 1Up directly.

There were many reports in the United States of consumers being able to get these cabinets on sale after they had been sitting on shelves for a while. With an almost non existent supply chain in Canada, this wasn’t my experience. There seemed to be so few units for sale that getting anything on sale wasn’t all that likely. However, you may have an opportunity if there exists a lot of stock in your particular neighbourhood, so waiting for a sale is always a good idea, assuming your patience allows for it.

Lastly, there have been complaints about the rising price of these video games from when they were initially introduced. Each game requires Arcade 1Up to supply a LCD monitor, a small computer, a cabinet and pay the arcade licensee a licence for each game. As a result, it’s not a cheap experience and there are some fixed costs on the part of Arcade 1Up.

Deciding on a Classic / Deluxe or / XL:

In a confusing product line up, Arcade 1 Up offers Classic, Deluxe and XL models. The Classic version are about 4 feet tall, and may or may not be sold with a shoe box riser. The riser creases the side profile of the game, as it appears that the game is sitting on a cardboard box. The newer version(s) are marketed as “deluxe” that offer a full five foot in height, and look more like a 75% scale video game. The Deluxe models do not feature a riser. At the time of writing, there is only one XL version out exclusively marketed through Costco under the Pac Man title. It remains to be seen whether this expands into other titles..

With an odd supply chain methodology, Arcade 1Up appears to make a version of a game with production of a batch of units. After the game runs out, the title may go off line for a number of years. There does not always appear to be a steady state for some of the more obscure titles. For example, Frogger Classic was released about five years ago in 2018, has sold out, and hasn’t returned to sale date. Without a ready supply chain of the products, you’ll have to be decisive if you’re looking to buy something specific.

A thin ninety day warranty is offered by Arcade 1Up. A warranty extension to one hundred and eighty days was offered when I linked my arcade machine to the Arcade 1Up server through the QR code on final installation. Although, I didn’t get a copy or notice of this anywhere other than from a pop up screen on the Arcade 1Up smartphone app.

Clicking Through to Purchase:

I ended purchasing online through the BestBuy Canada accessed through the Aeroplan E Store. While I attempted to get 4 Aeroplan points per dollar, the category of the games did not qualify for points earning under Aeroplan’s terms and conditions. I should have purchased the game through Rakuten instead, and would have at least earned 1% cash back.

I ended up paying $649 CAD for one of the first 9 Arcade 1Up Class of 81 Deluxe units available in Canada at the very start of the product cycle two days after the Canadian launch date. Shipping was free for orders over $35, and my machine would end up shipping from Orelans, Ontario by Fed Ex Ground. It would take five days for the machine to arrive, although it was promised on the BestBuy website in 7-9 days. There were no local stores offering pick up of the items, so I was unable to drive to a local store for cash and carry.

UnBoxing an Arcade 1Up:

The machine arrived to the house and required a signature on delivery. Much like a piece of Ikea furniture, the machine is completely flat packed and you need to assemble it yourself.

Checking for Damage:

I had read reports of machines getting damaged during shipping, so I made sure to really check the box for any signs of damage. Damage included the possibility that Clicking to Purchase: panels inside the box may be scratched, dented or mangled. This would retract from the look of the machine and the retro statement it’s going to make wherever you display it.

My box had a little cover based damage. Fortunately, Arcade 1Up must have taken better care at packaging all the parts since the first generation. Once I opened the box, it was damage and mark free. If you purchase an item from the store or online, I recommend that make sure that you check for damage, before accepting the unit.

I dragged this 81.3 lbs (36.7 kg) box downstairs to get ready for the build. Much like a piece of software that can be copied, there were warning labels to call Arcade 1Up for any customer assistance after you got the box open.

Building an Arcade 1 Up:

The Arcade 1Up machines are flat packed with a lot of components squished into the box. I have purchased quite a few Apple products over the years. Receiving and opening an Apple product is a enjoyable experience itself that oozes refinement, excitement and elevated class.

Unboxing the Machine:

Unboxing anArcade 1Up machine is arguably at the very other end of that spectrum, and you’ll find yourself sorting through various boxes, cello wraps and other styrofoam bits in a wholly functional manner.

About ten percent of the build time was unboxing all the items and removing all of the cardboard, shrink wrap, and setting out all the components.

Similar to an Ikea build, all pieces are articles are numbered and easily marked. Even the usual wooden dowels made an appearance.

The instructions are really straight forward. It is clear from the build and the dowels that the machine will not stand up to substantial abuse. I wouldn’t leave this machine in a public place, or even a teenager’s room with out expecting some structural or electronic headaches to come your way.

Assembling the Arcade:

This Arcade 1Up Class of 81 Deluxe had twenty two individual arcade pieces that I promptly laid out on the carpeted floor. I’d recommend that you have a carpeted or smooth floor for assembly, instead of a wooden or tiled space, as you’ll be spinning around on your knees as you piece together the various parts of this machine. There are a few “on it’s side” assembly points, and having a jagged floor could potentially scratch those retro graphics on the side of the game itself.

I took about two hours and forty minutes to fully complete the build. I intentionally didn’t rush this, although it took the full evening after I had finished dinner (and the dishes). I had read reports of people completing these in a little over an hour. However, being my first build, I took my time and make sure everything was carefully lined up.

Building this was much like building Lego sets with my son, although in a slightly larger and bigger context. The excitement of seeing it all come together was there, and it was a fun experience.

Each piece is smartly identified with a letter decal that faces inward and doesn’t show outward on the machine. This allowed for some time savings, so you didn’t spend a lot of time having to peel markings off the machine once assembly was complete as all the letter stickers faced inside.

On the build itself, there were a few oddly designed screw angles. The assembly where I had to secure the monitor to the side of the arcade was probably the worst, as the design of the build didn’t allow to get a clean and straight angle in inserting the screw. Keeping in mind that you are screwing into fibreboard, I wanted to take a lot of care so that the machine wouldn’t end up with stripped screws and would fit together at correct angles.

I was initially a little horrified when I saw that lit up marquee on top of the machine. Arcade 1Up has received a lot of criticism about the quality of their marquee as they have been known to wash out or allow a lot of light through them that fades the black or other colours. There has been so much criticism, there are independent online stores that sell replacement versions for hard core gamers.

Checking for Quality Control:

When I popped open the marquee, I was a little disappointed to see a whole bunch of micro scratch markings over the front logos of the marquee. Fortunately, this turned out to be just protective film. Once the protective film was peeled off, the marquee looked like gold.

Eventually this thing took shape, and started to look like a real three quarter arcade cabinet. While I didn’t need two people to complete the build, having a second person around when I tipped this upright gave me some piece of mind since it was light screws and dowels holding this thing together.

A Final Inspection:

Once upright, the five foot tall machine looked like a great arcade cabinet that was very true to life and form of those arcade machines I used to play at Rico’s Pizza Parlour in Bellingham, Washington State, USA when I was growing up in the eighties.

The Class of 81 Arcade is split into two colour schemes. With a sharp Galaga black on one side, it has a bright blue Ms PacMan on the other side. I was quite attracted to the bright blue, as it really set the machine apart from many other stand up arcades and even the original Ms Pac Man machine, which was black and pink coloured.

Initially, MrsWT73 didn’t share my enthusiasm for the bright colours of the arcade cabinet. Her initial impression when she walked downstairs and saw this contraption in the middle of the living room floor was an expression that I’ll surely remember for quite some time. Fortunately, there were no comments or other “directives” that came, and she’s been really supportive so far.

With perhaps a little lack of refinement on the arcade assembly instructions, the sequence of instructions directed the removal of the protective film from the monitor as a very last step once the machine was upright. As a result, I ended up with part of the protective film trapped between the monitor and the cabinet build, resulting in this unsightly film that I’ll need to get rid of somehow with tweezers or some similar tool.

This was a bit high on the “pain in the rear” factor, since I’d have to disassemble the whole thing in order to fully get this film off. It wasn’t like an Apple product, where we have come to expect exceptional refinement with everything on the way it was put together.

Game Play on the Arcade 1Up:

After assembly, the machine started on the first attempt. The machines connect to home wifi for online leaderboard scores. After a small scramble to locate my home wifi password, the machine connected without any issues. Upon connection there was an immediate software update.

This particular unit offers twelve different games that a player can toggle through to select. The games included on the Arcade 1Up Class of 81 include:

• Ms PacMan
• Dig Dug
• Dig Dug 2
• Galaga
• Galaga 88
• Galaxian
• Mappy
• Rally-X
• Rolling Thunder
• Rompers
• Tower of Druaga
• King and Balloon

Configuring Game Settings:

Each game allows for individual settings of difficulty, initial lives and pixel smoothing. No quarters are required, and each setting retains an individual high score. For example, you’ll have a high score setting for an Easy Ms Pac Man and a Fast Ms Pac Man setting. The online leaderboards motivate players to chase high scores, and this is a great feature for gamers to keep them engaged.

Testing the Game Play:

It is fair to say that the games are very true to live. It was just like I remembered it in the full arcades about forty years ago. It is easy to toggle between games, and the lag time between software game loads is pretty minimal (5-7 seconds).

In terms of the joystick and button components themselves, the component to feel a little cheaper than the version used in the actual arcade games. This extended right down to the feel of the stick being less responsive and “tight” compared to what I remember back in the actual physical arcade games, and the buttons being a little softer and less responsive on tactile feed back.

While there are upgrades available for these buttons and joysticks, it is a shame that they don’t come with better components right out of the box at this particular price point. I’d certainly be willing to pay for an extra $30 to $50 for better components right up front.

A Few Refinement Imperfections:

I have been using the cabinet for about a month now on a daily basis. In other minor refinement annoyances, the joystick ball seems to want to rotate off the metal stick with regular usage. This means that some of the game between levels, you end up screwing the thing back on; which is distracting.

As a recently turned fifty year old man, it’s fair to say that I don’t put a lot of abuse into the machine unlike teenagers from the local arcade. I’ve ended up going online looking for solutions which has recommended using pliers, Teflon tape or Loctite (not recommended by some due to possibility of expansion and the joystick ball splitting). It’s a little surprising to see that they haven’t perfected this for a standard product with normal adult usage.

Despite these imperfections, I’ve really enjoyed having this thing in my basement. It’s great to be able to bounce downstairs and play a few video games. With smartphones having multi applications on it, having a retro arcade that only places one game (or twelve games in this case) is a truly unique throw back to the eighties. I just wish the refinement of the product would involve slightly higher quality components, build factor, and better product build overall.

My Thoughts on Class of 81 Arcade Game:

The Arcade 1Up Class of 81 is a great concept that allows for retro gaming to occur in your own home. For a child of the eighties like myself, it ‘s the perfect balance between retro and modern convenience.

The arcade was reasonably easy to set up, and so far I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of it. My only concerns are that the quality of components isn’t what I might have hoped. In addition, there seems to be a lot of concerns online about the sustainability of this product. I have to admit I am already experiencing some of these issues myself.

Here’s to hoping that I get a long life out of this neat machine.

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If you’ve purchased an Arcade 1Up Video game for yourself, how has your experience been ?

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