It feels like few companies actually listen to their users, but Arcade1Up once again proves its ears are open to fan requests with two new scaled arcade machines that retro coin-op enthusiasts have been begging for: a stand-up version of Ridge Racer with a steering wheel and pedals, and a beautiful recreation of the classic Tron cabinet — complete with blacklight accents.
The new additions to Arcade1Up’s three-quarter scale lineup follow the company announcing a machine based on The Simpsons arcade game from the ‘90s, which is widely considered to be one of the most enjoyable four-player beat-’em-ups of that era, and a title that fans of the company’s miniaturized cabinets have been asking for for a while.
Preorders for the Tron cabinet will officially start on Oct. 19, and in addition to what appears to be a very faithful recreation of the game’s artwork, which was mostly sourced from the Disney movie the game was based on. The futuristic looking light-up flight stick controller is still here (which would have been impossible to ignore in the dimly lit arcades of the early ‘80s) and Arcade1Up has finished the cabinet with iridescent paint accents that will appear to glow thanks to a black light hidden beneath the overhead marquee.
The gameplay is still the same, but as with all of Arcade1Up’s arcade cabinets, the CRT technology of yesteryear has been replaced with modern LCDs, and this machine has been upgraded with wifi to provide access to a worldwide leaderboard for those chasing high scores.
Those who frequented arcades while they were still around might remember that Ridge Racer was most commonly distributed as a sit down machine with a racing seat that made the game feel more like a simulation (it definitely isn’t a sim racer) but Arcade1Up’s version features a more compact standup design with a rumbling steering wheel and two-way shifter below the screen plus a gas and brake pedal on the bottom that can be operated with the player’s feet.
A 17-inch LCD screen makes the machine’s five included racing titles — Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer 2, Rave Racer, Ace Driver, and Ace Driver: Victory Lap — feel all the more immersive, while a headphone jack will make family and/or roommates happier about your new obsession. Like the Tron cabinet, Ridge Racer also includes wifi so it can display an always up-to-date international leaderboard. You’ll have to wait until Nov. 22 to preorder, with final pricing to be revealed.