Arcade1Up is now shipping their third generation of cabinets. With each generation they make improvements, and this time they have made no exceptions.  The new Star Wars cabinet is started to show up at Walmart and Walmart.com, and many are surprised at all the new features packed in this 3/4 sized arcade cabinet.

Overall, the Star Wars Arcade is bundled with Star Wars custom-branded riser and a light-up marquee. With an assembly of only 30 to 45 minutes, it includes everything you need to start playing.

Improvements include:

• Improved packaging to reduce the likelihood of shipping damage
• Higher-quality monitor
• Stereo Speakers (stereo audio where available)
• Brighter side art and graphics
• Kick plate graphics
• Star Wars themed cabinet design (no cookie cutter like previous models)
• Options to adjust emulation settings per-game
• Flight Yoke Calibration Menu

Packaging and Shipping

In previous models, some Arcade1Up customers complained that they received broken parts when unboxing their new toy.  Imagine the frustration after spending $300+ only to find you need to return the big bulky item back to the store, or call for replacement parts.  While many others reported no issues at all, quality control is extremely important to Arcade1Up’s success.

With the latest generation, it’s obvious that Arcade1Up took extra time coming up with better packing techniques, and that attention to detail is appreciated by many. Some parts include custom made styrofoam and others have special cushions near the corners to add extra protection.

 

Better Monitor

Light bleed was an issue in the first generation models. This was most noticeable on games with dark backgrounds like Galaga or the Atari cabinets. In the second generation models – Mortal Kombat and Final Fight – this was addressed by calibrating the monitor in the manufacturing process.  But Arcade1Up was still using the same supplier for both generation 1 and generation 2.

However, in this third generation of cabinets, Arcade1Up switch to a completely different monitor supplier, proving they are intent on making even more progress in customer satisfaction.  With a game like Star Wars Arcade, this is a must have improvement!  With the new Star Wars cabinet, the light bleeding is non-existence while still providing a great colors and brightness where needed; the change is noticeably better.

Tempest (Gen 1),Star Wars (Gen 3)

Emulation Options

Star Wars Arcade is the first from Arcade1Up to include options to change emulator settings.  Whereas Mortal Kombat does include its famous EJB settings in the Arcade1Up cabinet, these settings are included in the Arcade rom, not in an additional menu in the Arcade1Up game selection screen.

The Star Wars cabinet has a special settings menu for each game in the original trilogy. Because Star Wars and Empire Strikes Back (originally an Arcade conversion kit) are both vector graphics based games, each include options to adjust the vector glow. Whereas Return of the Jedi includes a scanline options. Both options can be toggled on and off so you can select which preference you like most.

All three titles include the features: difficulty adjustment, shield/live settings, disable attract mode music, and you can even reset the stored high scores.

While these cabinets are not made for everybody, it’s good to see how Arcade1Up takes feedback from the community seriously.