arcade

Last month Arcade1Up finally announced a racing machine — their first. They are known for recreations of classic arcade machines for home purchase, and have offered near-authentic versions of everything from Pac-Man to NBA Jam (the only difference is a flatscreen instead of a CRT, and the fact that their cabinets are vertically smaller and require a booster box to raise to proper stand-up size). A racing cabinet was long overdue, and the game representing their foray was one of the finest examples, Sega’s OutRun.

Arcade1Up has brought many classic arcade machines to the home in their original form, from Pac-Man to NBA Jam, and they’ve done a great job all around. But while they’ve faithfully reproduced maze munchers, fighters and sports games, there’s one genre they’ve ignored entirely: racers. We’ve always found this strange — racing games are one of the few genres that would truly benefit from a home arcade conversion, with their steering wheel controls and physical brakes being a cool part of the experience.