Gaming
We really want Arcade1Up’s 30th-anniversary ‘The Simpsons’ game cabinet
Harken back to an era of pixelated arcade titles and actually funny episodes of The Simpsons
The retro gaming cabinet makers at Arcade1Up have unveiled a new, full-sized offering of The Simpsons side-scrolling beat ‘em up brawler classic to celebrate the title’s 30th anniversary, and ay caramba (sorry) does it look awesome. Released in 1991 by Konami, The Simpsons arcade multiplayer saw quarter-feeding contenders playing as Homer, Marge, Bart, or Lisa as the family sets out to rescue the youngest family member, Maggie, after she’s abducted by Smithers and Mr. Burns.
In addition to Arcade1Up’s upcoming release supporting the full four-character, in-person multiplayer experience, the cabinet will also include WiFi connectivity allowing for global team-ups in case you happen to be playing by your lonesome and need some help. Although The Simpsons 30th anniversary cabinet doesn’t have a price tag just yet, similar four-player products from the company retail for around $499.99, so it’s probably safe to say this one will fall somewhere within that ballpark.
Pre-ordering on Arcade1Up’s site begins on July 15, with the promise of an additional, surprise title included with each cabinet purchase. We know a full version of that lost, bizarro Simpsons Dreamcast crossover is unlikely, but hey, we can dream(cast). Sorry again.
Plenty of other options to choose from — Miniature, retro arcade players are all the rage these days for reasons we don’t feel we need to explain (they kick ass, duh), but diehard, nostalgic gamers still have a number of really great, full-size cabinet titles available on the market, as well. Earlier this spring, the indie developer iiRcade released both full-size and “bar-top” editions of its own cabinet alongside its own digital marketplace for third-party games. Meanwhile, big names like Sega have been releasing their own official mini-cabinets for a while now, while boutique offerings like this Steve Aoki / Capcom collaboration have managed to sell out in the blink of an eye.
Suffice to say, there’s never been a better time to get back into the games of our collective youth (or, at least, games very similar to the games of our youth). Hopefully, the latest wave of physical arcade cabinets won’t go the way of that creepy, abandoned Sega R360 rig just hanging out in the Irish countryside...