The 10 Best Commercial Arcade Machines
Special Honors
Dreamcade Vision 40 This custom made, four-player cabinet from Dreamcade houses a 40-inch LCD and a trackball. The company offers bespoke packages so that you can add hundreds of different games, and you can even add light-gun releases and a casino pack. The build quality is high too, however it can get rather costly as you include more and more options. dreamarcades.com
Editor's Notes
July 06, 2020:
Modern cabinet and cocktail versions of classic arcades benefit from the latest hard drives and electrics. This means that the loading speed and sound is better than the original games while retaining their look and charm. The majority of the machines listed will appeal to a sense of nostalgia as much as style and function.
It should be noted that "commercial" in this context refers to the cabinet or table-top design as well as the titles available. Not all of the units featured are 100% coin-operated, rather many of them have the option to convert to an after-market coin operation or come with both coin and free-play options.
The models in this ranking can be split between the cabinet and table-top categories. A notable outlier is the Creative Arcades Tilt Top 145335, which allows you to choose between both playing styles, offering more versatility and a better overall gaming experience. The Arcade 1Up Space Invaders and the Arcade 1Up Golden Tee machines make the list not for their game choice or playability, as both of these are limited, but because they are early arcade icons that have stood the test of time. The N2fun Star Wars is an easy choice as it offers a PC-like gaming experience, fire TV, karaoke, wireless internet and 12000 games on its hard drive, making it very good value despite its high price tag.
Since many of these machines can come with a large number of titles, we were able to factor replayability into our decision-making process. With that in mind, we looked for models that offered good value for the money, like the Creative Arcades Tilt Top 145335 and ABIncVideo 00129SH, both of which boast over 3,000 games, and the Doc and Pies Cocktail 412, which features over 400, but comes at a very reasonable price. We also feel aesthetics is going to be important for anyone buying nostalgic arcades like those on this list, which is why we like the Chicago Gaming Ms. Pac-Man with its replicated 80s artwork.
Size and weight also have to be a consideration when it comes to installation or transportation between venues, as some of these larger units are used for special events. For instance, the Prime Arcades Upright 3,016 is over 100 pounds heavier than the ABIncVideo 00129SH, which should be taken into consideration when deciding their respective purposes, as both have similar games.