Arcade -- Engadget

arcade posts

Stand-up console plays Nintendo DS and Sony PSP games, somewhat defeats the purpose

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Jul 6th 2009 at 10:13AM

Depending in your level of geekness, an extravagant mod can be pretty cool. And arcade consoles are damn near always really cool. But making a stand-up console game out of your beloved Nintendo DS? That is pretty amazing. And throwing in a Sony PSP for good measure -- well, that might just elevate your project to a work of art. We don't have too many technical details on this bad boy (after all, the hacker is in Japan -- and there is a bit of a language barrier) but you we think the video of the thing really says it all -- if not in so many words. Peep it for yourself after the break.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Stand-up console plays Nintendo DS and Sony PSP games, somewhat defeats the purpose

AMD's ATI Radeon E4690 brings HD, DirectX 10.1 support to embedded GPU arena

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 1st 2009 at 8:56AM

AMD's newfangled ATI Radeon E4690 may not be the next Crysis killer, but it should do just fine in next-gen arcade and slot machines. All kidding aside (sort of...), this new embedded graphics set is said to triple the performance of AMD's prior offerings in the field, bringing with it 512MB of GDDR3 RAM, DirectX 10.1 / OpenGL 3.0 support and hardware acceleration of H.264 and VC-1 high-definition video. The 35mm chip also differentiates itself by integrating directly onto motherboards and taking on many of the tasks that are currently assigned to the CPU, but alas, it doesn't sound as if we'll be seeing this in any nettops / netbooks anytime ~~soon~~ ever. Video after the break.

Continue reading AMD's ATI Radeon E4690 brings HD, DirectX 10.1 support to embedded GPU arena

Video: RB2000 featured in new, improved Robo Catcher

by Darren Murph, posted May 22nd 2009 at 8:33AM

Ah, a childhood favorite revisited. Years back, our hearts were taken by the one and only Robo Catcher, and now it seems the famed toy snatching game has seen a revamping that features JR Robotics' RB2000 as the main grabber. The entire unit has also been freshened up in the design department, and the addition of a joystick control system brings it up to speed with all of its "just a claw game" rivals. Hop on past the break for a look at what you're missing out on here in the states.

Continue reading Video: RB2000 featured in new, improved Robo Catcher

Sega's Storm-G arcade experience puts the "g" in puking

by Paul Miller, posted Mar 28th 2009 at 7:26PM

An uncompromising vision of a future world dominated by roving, power-up-collecting bobsled gangs, Sega's new Storm-G arcade game puts a "spin" on things by rotating the rider a full 360 degrees in accordance with the action. It's not exactly the most immersive arcade experience ever produced -- at some point you'd think Sega would get tired of rolling people down virtual tubes -- but it does look pretty wild and stomach-wrenching. The folks at Akihabara News got to try it firsthand at Sega's Joypolis in Odaiba Japan, and found the experience rather exhausting. Check out the video after the break.

Continue reading Sega's Storm-G arcade experience puts the "g" in puking

Xbox 360 arcade cabinet - the games you love at a price you can't afford

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Feb 11th 2009 at 10:17AM

When you kids are ready to get serious about your gaming, let us know. We just spoke with our man Justin at Solomods, and he has a custom-built Xbox 360 arcade machine that he's willing to part with for a mere $2,250. This original Midway arcade cabinet was once home to The Simpsons game, and aside from the addition of the Microsoft game console it's been repainted and fitted with a new monitor and front-loading disk tray, two joysticks, a 60GB hard drive, WiFi, and display and volume control. Additionally, your favorite wireless controller is supported, and if you order now he'll throw in an illustrated owners manual. How awesome is that? Available for pick-up somewhere in the badlands south of Cleveland, Ohio -- hit the read link to get in on some of that action. More pics after the break.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Xbox 360 arcade cabinet - the games you love at a price you can't afford

Microsoft's New Xbox Experience storage "solution": Free memory cards, discounted hard drives

by Richard Lawler, posted Oct 13th 2008 at 9:28PM

Microsoft's New Xbox Experience has been pored over and dated, but now that Major Nelson has revealed it requires "at least" 128MB storage available to work, where does that leave ~~suckers~~ Core and Arcade SKU Xbox 360 owners? Enter the Xbox 360 Memory Upgrade Program, doling out free 512MB MU's or $20 20GB HDDs to Core owners, and a $30 20GB HDD + 3 months of Xbox Live package to Arcade owners looking to upgrade. November 19, Xbox Live becomes a storage-only affair (that goes for Netflix streams too, requiring 8MB of free space), so grab your serial number and console ID from the current Xbox 360 Dashboard and hit the registration website. Impressive customer service gesture to extend functionality for all, or more evidence of a short sighted and flawed dual-SKU launch plan that's cost gamers and developers alike? All we know for sure is we've probably figured out where the profits from those $149 120GB HDDs are going.

[Via NeoGAF]

Microsoft officially slashes Xbox 360 prices in Europe

by Thomas Ricker, posted Sep 16th 2008 at 3:35AM

We're getting reports that the rumored Xbox 360 price cuts for the UK have gone official. After our exclusive peak (pictured above) at the Woolworth's catalog, Microsoft has stepped up and slashed prices across the board for the Queen's own population of punters, boffins, and geezers. Starting Friday, the pricing drops to £130 for the Arcade, £170 for the 60GB Premium console, and £230 for the 120GB Elite.

Update: The rest of Europe too: Arcade (€180), Premium (€240), and Elite (€300).

[Via Gadgetoid]

C-MACC'S arcade cabinet plays every game, emulated or not

by Donald Melanson, posted Sep 15th 2008 at 12:59PM

We have to admit, the sight of any arcade cabinet will brighten our day a little bit, but this so-called C-MACC's (Complete - Multi Arcade Console Computer System) cabinet built by Over-Clock UK forum member Mayhem is a considerable cut above the rest, with it not only able to play every emulated game out there, but seemingly every non-emulated game as well. That, as you might have guessed, was done by cramming a PS3, an Xbox 360, a Wii and a few other consoles into the cabinet alongside a decently-spec'd PC, with some authentic arcade controls nicely rounding out the rig (it even has some side-mounted buttons just for pinball games). All told, Mayhem apparently sank £5,000 (or about $8,900) and a few months of his life into the project, but he doesn't seem to have any regrets, and we certainly can't blame him. Hit up the link below to catch up with the project from the beginning.

[Thanks, Michael]

New $199 Xbox 360 Arcade bundle rumored to include motion controller

by Donald Melanson, posted Aug 22nd 2008 at 5:03PM

We've already heard plenty of talk about the Xbox 360 Arcade dropping to a mere $199, but a tipster to Xbox 360 Fanboy is now claiming that there's more than just a price cut in store for the entry-level bundle, with it also supposedly in line to get a motion controller as a pack-in. According to the source, who's supposedly "close to Microsoft's marketing department," the new bundle will include the usual Arcade games and 512MB memory card, as well as the forthcoming Fall update pre-installed, said motion controller, and some motion-controlled mini-games developed by Rare. Supposedly, it'll be released in time for the 2008 Holiday season, which may or may not mean that it's the same $199 Arcade bundle that's rumored to be on track for a September release. That same source also says that the motion controller will be sold separately and bundled with an even more expansive list of games, but word on a price or release date for it seems to be a bit harder to come by.

Radio Shack ad confirms Xbox 360 price cuts?

by Joshua Topolsky, posted Aug 21st 2008 at 12:16AM

According to our good, dear, beautiful friends at Joystiq (and Radio Shack, incidentally) the Xbox 360 family is going to be seeing those rumored price cuts in the very near future. Falling right in line with that chatter we heard at the beginning of the month, a leaked Radio Shack circular seems to indicate that there will be reductions across the board for the console, with the 60GB version clocking in at $299, the Elite running you a cool $399, and the Arcade setup dropping to a totally affordable $199 (we're looking at you, potential Xbox LIVE opponents). Sure this could all be some Photoshop wiz's idea of a hilarious joke, but we're keeping the fingers and toes crossed over here. Target date for truth? September 7th -- so stay tuned.

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

by Paul Miller, posted Aug 19th 2008 at 12:08PM

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]

Mole sez Xbox 360 price cuts coming in September: Arcade for $199

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 1st 2008 at 5:09PM

Microsoft's 20GB Xbox 360 Pro already stooped to $299, but one particular mole -- the same one who correctly called the 60GB edition of the console -- is suggesting that further slashing is in store. To be specific, we're talking about a $199 Arcade (no HDD), $299 Pro (60GB HDD) and a $399 Elite (120GB HDD), all of which should be available at those prices sometime next month. Furthermore, it's likely that Microsoft will toss out a few bundles in order to reel in the holiday shoppers, though details are sparse about which ones we'll be seeing. Our take? Hold off just a bit -- we get the feeling this here is more than hot air.

Cyclepong 2.0 beautifully weds exercise with Pong

by Darren Murph, posted May 19th 2008 at 4:50PM

It's unofficially official: humans will never, ever stop figuring out new ways to play Pong. Further proof of said statement comes in the form of Cyclepong 2.0, an update to a marvelous project that combines the art of biking with the joy of playing Pong. Put simply, the inventor created an arcade-like installation with a pair of exercise bikes, an LCD screen and customized software that enables a pair of individuals to pedal forward and back in order to move their pixels. For those in England (Suffolk, to be precise), you can actually get in a game for yourself at Southwold Pier, but everyone else will have to be satisfied with the demonstrative video posted after the jump.

Continue reading Cyclepong 2.0 beautifully weds exercise with Pong

Force Dynamics 301 driving simulator takes on Super Mario Kart

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 4:15PM

While most of the cool kids are off whizzing around courses in Mario Kart Wii, the gurus at Force Dynamics are reminiscing about the one that started it all. Apparently the firm has tweaked its 301 motion platform to actually control the kart in the SNES hit, and the rider's chair even leaps up along with Mario, Peach or any other jumping character you choose. Sure, it's missing those absolutely brain-melting Wii graphics (but not by much, if you catch our drift), but we'd probably take a ride in this over an hour with the Wii Wheel any day. Check out the full video waiting after the break.

Continue reading Force Dynamics 301 driving simulator takes on Super Mario Kart

Sega dissolves Korean subsidiary, nixing $330m Yokohama arcade complex

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 1st 2008 at 1:21AM

Aside from planning to axe 400 jobs as part of Sega Sammy's most recent "turnaround efforts," the outfit will also be closing the doors to its Korean subsidiary. Currently, Sega Korea is "handling the domestic distribution and sales of video game software, as well as the operation / sales of amusement facilities and machines," and reportedly, the closure will be executed in the name of "global business optimization." As it stands, there's no set date for the branch's dissolution, but just in case your smile wasn't turned upside-down already, the company also stated that it would discontinue the development of a ginormous $330m arcade complex slated for construction in Yokohama, Japan -- if you couldn't guess, that one's being shuttered so the firm can "focus its efforts on its core business to improve its performance" in short order. Seriously though, what the hell kind of company would spend $330m on arcade, anyway?

[Via Joystiq, image courtesy of USMC]