Retro Space arcade cabinet dispenses with (most of) the throwback formalities

Yeah, we get it, those arcade glory years were indeed glorious, but we're a bit past the point of needing a retro cabinet at home large enough to house an entire army of quarter gremlins just to rock a bit of MAME standing up. Retro Space chucks the cabinet chubbiness, keeps all those mashy buttons, robust joysticks and spinny white ball things we know and love, and adds in a full-powered PC and a 24-inch 1920 x 1200 LCD. It's a tad bit boxy, but we'll probably manage to overlook that for another decade or two. No word on price, but expect something in the two or three thousand dollar range.

[Via Boing Boing Gadgets]

[chefgon_ign @ Aug 19th 2008 12:12PM]

Building a full size MAME cabinet is still near the top of my lifetime To-Do list. It's a ridiculously expensive novelty, sure, but dammit it's fun!

[waffles @ Aug 19th 2008 12:25PM]

trust me, you will get much more satisfaction and play time out of it if you build it yourself. that said, i'd still trade it to get the tip of my finger back....

[Blackstar @ Aug 19th 2008 12:29PM]

Wait, so where do you put in the quarters?

[cmonkey @ Aug 19th 2008 12:31PM]

You can actually build one for pretty cheap assuming you have a spare computer and monitor or tv sitting around. My cab cost less then $250 in materials, though it is pretty plain looking. It's really the details like coin doors and custom vinyl art that add up.

[bonedog73 @ Aug 19th 2008 12:16PM]

How much does this thing cost? I want one!!

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:28PM]

"...but expect something in the two or three thousand dollar range."

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 12:21PM]

the cabinet could use some artwork.

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 12:54PM]

Your avatar could use some color.

[Vidikron (FU) @ Aug 19th 2008 1:59PM]

"Your avatar could use some color."

Says the person with no color to speak of in his avatar.

[konshuss @ Aug 19th 2008 2:46PM]

when engadget starts writing articles about my avatar, i'll dress it up a bit k?

[ChuChu @ Aug 19th 2008 12:21PM]

I like it. Less floorspace than a regular cab but retains all the good stuff. I'm not sure how interested I am in standing up for extended gaming sessions these days but at least now condo dwellers or people with limited floorspace can scratch that MAME cabinet itch.

[Kamokazi @ Aug 19th 2008 12:28PM]

Go to Wal-Mart and get some $10 barstools. Problem solved! (Or considering the scratch you put down for this thing in the first place, get some nice comfy ones from an actual furniture dealer.)

[Flashpoint @ Aug 19th 2008 12:25PM]

Theoretically...

Ben Hect could build a cabinet and put a PC inside that runs Crysis and instead of a joystick and buttons, you'd have a keyboard and mouse.

Then the artwork on the side could be of Nomad in his nanosuit.

Can you imagine what that would be like?

[Kamokazi @ Aug 19th 2008 12:30PM]

Probably almost exactly like the Games for Windows Crysis demo I saw at Microsoft's Digital Life booth last year?

[Dan Halen @ Aug 19th 2008 12:34PM]

Yeah I can imagine it. It would be like standing up and playing Crysis.

So, completely awful.

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 12:28PM]

Better be damn durable - I beat the hell outta those buttons when I was 10.

[riggs @ Aug 19th 2008 12:36PM]

cause u were using it wrong :P

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 1:13PM]

Dude, I got 100 extra lives in exchange for humpin' a turtle. I was doin' it right.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:55PM]

clearly you weren't

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 2:23PM]

Hey man, whatever an Italian plumber decides to do after downing a couple of shrooms is between him and his princess..

[RikF @ Aug 19th 2008 12:35PM]

Much as I try to avoid being a grammar nazi, in the interests of education I'd like to point out that you don't need the word 'bit' after tad. A tad is a small amount (a little bit, if you like), so this is like saying 'a little bit bit'.

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:49PM]

dude, don't talk about your johnson

[bioadam @ Aug 19th 2008 12:42PM]

I was in the market for a big yellow monolith my wife would demand I keep in the basement. Perfect!

[Juice5942 @ Aug 19th 2008 4:02PM]

Grow some balls and stop letting your wife dictate where you put your toys.

[Broken Haiku @ Aug 19th 2008 12:52PM]

....since when do I need a full HD monitor to run old arcade games? It'd almost be cheaper to get 320x200 bricks :^).

[Lowest Ranked @ Aug 19th 2008 1:28PM]

Since its a full-powered PC, you may want to do other things on it, including plugging in a keyboard and mouse.

[Castaa @ Aug 20th 2008 3:51PM]

The 1920x1200 display resolution makes for better looking 'vector scan' based games. Like Battlezone or Star Wars. Since those games are rendered with lines, not pixels.

[Mike @ Aug 19th 2008 1:35PM]

Looks like a copy of my slim cabinet I build about 5 years ago.

http://www20.brinkster.com/mymame/

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 1:48PM]

@mike

www.NoOneGivesAShit.com

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 1:57PM]

@phanbouy - umm, then why click on this post? (unless you're just trollin')

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 2:00PM]

@Jason - umm, because both bragging and spam in the same post is extra lame? (unless you're just clueless')

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 2:32PM]

You're right it's bragging - unless it actually just looks similar, which it does.
You're right it's spam - unless it's totally related to the topic and posted by joe schmo hobbyist.

If you're not interested in MAME projects, then by all means waste your time being a jackass on a post about a MAME project. GTFO, troll!

[phanbouy @ Aug 19th 2008 2:49PM]

sure, they're similar in design in the same way a road bike and mountain bike both have a chain and two wheels. copied, my ass. this one looks better. ;p

[Jason @ Aug 19th 2008 3:39PM]

Oh, I see it now. I somehow read right over the word "copy" like it wasn't there. Sorry, mike, but I've seen a bunch of MAMEs like yours - and many well before your circa 1999-designed website came out.

Why I did I have to fail along with you??

[arne @ Aug 19th 2008 2:43PM]

I kind of like the boxy. It is in itself a very retro look. Especially with the yellow color scheme.

[Mikkle @ Aug 19th 2008 2:49PM]

So... are you supposed to bolt that thing to the wall? Because it doesn't look stable in the least.

I guess it's fine if you're playing Ms. Pac Man, but I wouldn't want friends play SF2 or Track & Field on that thing, I'd be too afraid the entire thing would topple!

[Mikkle @ Aug 19th 2008 2:51PM]

So... are you supposed to bolt that thing to the wall? Because it doesn't look stable in the least.

I guess it's fine if you're playing Ms. Pac Man, but I wouldn't want friends play SF2 or Track & Field on that thing, I'd be too afraid the entire thing would topple!

[Level 5 @ Aug 19th 2008 5:11PM]

I'm out, simply because it breaks playing MK3. At least with my X-Arcade I can have a proper RUN button, even if I do have 2 BLOCK buttons.

[gs1s @ Aug 19th 2008 5:57PM]

How about some OLED buttons a la Optimus Maximus that change to display their function based on what game you're playing.