Arcade1Up Can Put a Full-Sized Pac-Man Arcade Machine In Your Home — But Is It Worth $500? (2024)

Only a few generations of gamers understand what hitting a local arcade may feel like, but even the most casual players have played at least one game of Pac-Man. A hit since its 1980 debut, it’s nearly synonymous with arcades—its iconography is as recognizable as Super Mario, and its play objective is so accessible a toddler could play it. That’s probably why Arcade1Up, a hardware company that specializes in producing arcade games with modern components for home use, chose the title for its mainline Deluxe series of arcade cabinets.

The Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe arcade game has 14 games in one 5-foot-tall cabinet, complete with a light-up marquee, a faux coin slot, stereo speakers, Wi-Fi leaderboards, and replicated cabinet art, all for $499. For the consumer who’s always wanted to put an arcade machine in their home, that’s a pretty respectable price. But is it worth it?

I called in a sample of the Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe arcade machine, unpacked and built it, and then play-tested it for one month to see if it would give me Pac-Man fever or just a short-lived nostalgia trip.

Easy Build

Because I’ve never tried or toyed with the brand's machines, my biggest concern with Arcade1Up has always been its setup. Could I possibly build this alone, without power tools or the need to call in a favor and pay a friend with pizza? The answer, shockingly and thankfully, is yes.

The arcade machine comes disassembled in a compact box. There are panels, an LCD monitor, a marquee, screws, and a printed circuit board included, all protected by thin sheets of styrofoam and extra cardboard. It takes a few minutes to separate all of the pieces carefully and a few more to read the instructions, but overall, it’s an easy build.

It took me about three hours to assemble the cabinet, shuffling wooden parts around, screwing in pieces I held up with my legs, and using nothing more than a screwdriver. For the most part, the instructions were easy to follow—they would read better if the assembly illustrations labeled which panel has printed artwork on it—but it didn’t feel frustrating. Yell0w caps smartly cover the screws, so all metal parts are hidden, and many pieces slot into each other snugly. It’s a simple project for two people at most, and is certainly user-friendly.

A Respectable Size

Most of Arcade1Up’s machines are a three-fourths scale of a full-sized arcade cabinet, hovering around 4 feet and requiring a stool or squat to play. The brand’s Deluxe series introduced larger sizes to its lineup, more faithful to the traditional arcade cabinet in size and appearance. In any case, it’s tough to imagine an arcade machine would fit in most living spaces, especially for those who live in an apartment like mine. But Arcade1Up seems to have perfected the home arcade cabinet.

According to Ace Amusem*nts, a manufacturer of custom arcade machines, the size of an original Pac-Man machine is about 6 feet tall and 250 pounds. The Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe machine, meanwhile, trims down that bulkiness. Fully built, it’s a little over 5 feet tall, nearly 2 feet deep, and 1.5 feet wide. And it only weighs 68 pounds.

This machine fits snugly in my one-bedroom apartment without feeling like a hulking thing that takes up a ton of space—its rectangular stature certainly helps. It’s also easy to move as the machine’s rubber feet glide with ease across my laminate floors as if it were on skates, and without leaving markings. Your mileage may vary with carpet, but adding the included wall anchor makes it feel stable and planted.

The Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe machine also has some fantastic details that make it stand out. This thing doesn’t take quarters, but a faux coin slot toward the front of the cabinet makes it look like it does. Its light-up marquee gives the machine a glow that feels like it belongs at a bar or an arcade from the ’80s. Its illustrated side panels are highly detailed and solid, and it feels like it’ll last a few moves. This thing looks attractive in my place, and it’s definitely invited friends to play a few rounds due to that presentation.

More Than One Game to Play

The Arcade1up Pac-Man Deluxe machine includes 14 games, some of which you might not have played before. Pac-Man aside, this thing is loaded with Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Pac-Mania, Pac & Pal, Super Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, Pac-Land, Galaga, Galaxian, Galaga ’88, Mappy, Rompers, and Rolling Thunder. That’s a lot in one package, similar to those old Namco Museum games you’d find for consoles in the early aughts.

Of course, the cabinet itself is decked out in Pac-Man artwork, which disguises the fact that it features so many games, but it’s probably a safe bet that if you’re purchasing this machine, you’d be doing it to play Pac-Man—everything else feels like a bonus.

I’ve already spent countless hours playing Galaga, and I’ve discovered a new game to fall in love with while digging around the menu: Mappy. It’s been fun watching friends come over and turn the arcade machine on to find that they could play games other than Pac-Man.

One unique feature of Arcade1Up machines is the inclusion of Wi-Fi-enabled leaderboards, which adds a layer of competition between other owners. You can see where you rank between the sea of other players within the nation for any game on your cabinet. I definitely don’t come close to anyone in the top 20 for a single game on my Deluxe Pac-Man cabinet, but it’s still an excellent feature.

The brand also has a companion app in which you can keep tabs on the newest cabinets from Arcade1Up, plus add other Arcade1Up members. You can also start chats with other users if you want to challenge them to beat your score.

Responsive Controls, Terrific Screen, Incredible Sound

Every game on the Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe machine relies on a single button or the machine’s joystick controller to play—as far as skill is concerned, they all feel simple enough to master. The joystick is easy to move and feels faithful to a real arcade machine, and, thankfully, doesn’t feel laggy or grossly sticky like you’d find at a movie theater or local laundry.

The movement is excellent and the buttons are responsive, without much delay between gameplay and input. And yes, this cabinet also supports two players in case you want to game with a friend.

The joystick has a metal stem and a screw-on red ball cap, while the buttons are faithful to the original Pac-Man arcade machine, with white, red, and yellow buttons. It also has two white switches, with one to toggle the device on and off—no, you don’t have to listen to Pac-Man’s attract mode on loop all day—and the other to adjust the volume.

The monitor is a 17-inch LCD screen that looks sharp and bright, which Arcade1Up claims is high definition, likely meaning it’s 720p or 1080p. That doesn’t matter much for an old-school arcade game that’s likely capped at 480p, but it’s still got enough power for crystal-clear clarity.

Its dual speakers may be the most impressive part of the machine’s hardware. The sound on each game is about as full and immersive as you can imagine for a home arcade machine.

The first time I booted the machine up, I immediately turned the volume down because it was shockingly powerful. You can mute the cabinet if you like silent play, but I highly recommend playing loud at least once for the full arcade experience.

Drawbacks

I love my Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe machine, but its software limitations are the most frustrating part about it. The brand spins modern sensibilities for old arcade games by adding Wi-Fi leaderboards, a high-definition LCD monitor, and dense construction. So why can’t users swap its included games out?

Most of these titles can be found on your phone’s app marketplace, so it feels like a missed opportunity to bake them into each cabinet without the ability to add more titles. It also feels like a travesty that the Pac-Man Deluxe cabinet is missing Ms. Pac-Man, although Arcade1Up also sells its own Ms. Pac-Man cab for those who absolutely need it.

Game limitations aside, the machine also skates around when I use the joystick too aggressively or accidentally lean on the machine, thanks to my laminate floors. I can fix it with a wall anchor, but due to my status as a renter, I’d rather not screw a hole in my walls. This isn’t to say that it’s unstable or in danger of tipping over (the cabinet is durable and level), but those who have shiny, slippery floors should be mindful.

Arcade1Up Pac-Man Deluxe Arcade Game, Reviewed

If you’ve always dreamt about owning an arcade machine or can’t shake the desire to relive your ’80s childhood without leaving home, Arcade1Up’s Pac-Man Deluxe is for you. This 14-in-1 arcade cabinet is a solid size for most living spaces, full of smart details like a light-up marquee and faux coin slot, replica artwork, incredible speakers, and a relatively affordable price—especially compared to the real deal. While 14 games is a lot in one package, some may consider it limited by today’s gaming standards. But if you need a conversation piece, a break from your other screens, or a nostalgia dump, this is a great (and relatively affordable) way to do it.

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