Can you buy the Capcom 90s Marvel fighters anywhere these days?

[dataDave]

If you're fine with emulation, there are definitely other ways to play, but you're not getting a cab.

Those cabs are all running some form of software emulation. That's the main problem, besides the cheap screens and controls. I'd expect an FPGA implementation considering the price and more importantly the space that they take up.

The real dream is a MiSTercade housed within an Egret-II or similar. A peerless, definitively arcade perfect experience with the added convenience of a ROMs library. Hardly accessible, though. I let three Egret-II cabs slip through my fingers last year.

[QualityChimp]

I'm absolutely not disagreeing with anything you're saying, it's just that if you want to do things the licensed way, these are a good shout.

I too would like a candy cab stuffed with ROMs. Not sure where it would go, mind you!

I'm still envious of everyone in the "setups" thread that has a cab (or 5...)

Asura, I was the same as you in that I would have one game at a time and rinse it.
I'm trying to do that for the kids too, so they appreciate something.
Proper old man shouting at clouds vibe, but I think growing up today you lose that skill of waiting for things.
All the films are streaming somewhere, you don't have to wait until Christmas or Easter for a big cinema hit to come on telly.
TV shows are binged in a weekend, rather than weekly drip-feeds with something to talk about with friends.
Albums are streamed, but the algorithm just plays the most know tracks, so you never get that album experience, saving up your pocket money and poring over the artwork, lyrics and liner notes, listening and relistening until you get your faves or appreciate the deeper cuts.

Same with games. You're overwhelmed by choice and FOMO that even if you're playing a game you're loving, you're wondering if you should be playing something everyone else says is better.

I totally get your experience of playing something "crap", but still rinsing and loving it.

[egparadigm]

Enjoying the chat. If we’re talking not very legal ways, demos can be played as full games on 360 if you have an RGH or Jtag.

[Nu-Eclipse]

As much as I'm unlikely to buy one, I don't have a problem with Arcade1UP cabinets either, tbh.They're fulfilling a desire in the market for enthusiasts who want something close to an authentic coin-op experience without wanting to spend way over the odds in time and money for the original cabinets.

Emulation has improved exponentially in recent times but, as Chimp says above, it still isn't the authentic coin-op experience when all is said and done.

[MartyG]

I reckon a lot of those 1Up cabs are sold as mostly decoration pieces, rather than something people use on the regular.

That's the thing with the MiSTer - I don't dispute it's decent kit with near or even perfect replication in some cases, in terms of value for money, for something casual, emulation is largely a minimal cost outlay. If you know you're going to put hours and hours into retro games, then that along with a retroTINK it's likely worth the investment - but you've got to be using it on the regular to get the value out of it.

[dataDave]

then that along with a retroTINK it's likely worth the investment

I'm sure you already know this, but there's an extremely capable scaler already built into it if you're not using a CRT, with 4X/5X/6X modes.

The new TINK-4K is better, though (if getting up close to the screen and scrutinising fake scan lines is your thing). It's on my list, but nowhere near being a priority. I want one for the Switch more than anything.

[dataDave]

Emulation has improved exponentially in recent times but, as Chimp says above, it still isn't the authentic coin-op experience when all is said and done.

This is the only part I'm in disagreement with. I'd rather take Sanwa controls, CRT screen tech, and FPGA emulation over something that discounts all of those in a cost-cutting attempt to physically resemble an arcade machine. Those elements provide me with the genuine experience, certainly over what's presented surrounding the screen.

Another good solution is to move near to an Arcade Club location. I swear, I wouldn't need any gaming hardware in my house at all if I lived near Bury.

[Escape-To-88]

Those cabs are all running some form of software emulation. That's the main problem, besides the cheap screens and controls. I'd expect an FPGA implementation considering the price and more importantly the space that they take up.

The real dream is a MiSTercade housed within an Egret-II or similar. A peerless, definitively arcade perfect experience with the added convenience of a ROMs library. Hardly accessible, though. I let three Egret-II cabs slip through my fingers last year.

I have this exact setup and it isn't arcade perfect due to sound emulation being imperfect on MiSTer, but with the board or CPS2 multi, you're bang on.

[Nu-Eclipse]

This is the only part I'm in disagreement with. I'd rather take Sanwa controls, CRT screen tech, and FPGA emulation over something that discounts all of those in a cost-cutting attempt to physically resemble an arcade machine. Those elements provide me with the genuine experience, certainly over what's presented surrounding the screen.

As great as all those mod-cons are, none of them makes it an authentic replica of the original coin-op cabinet experience. It just doesn't and I'm pro-FPGA emulation.

I stand by what I've said.

[wakka]

The actual cabinets of the Arcade1UP cabs look like they're really nicely put together. I also don't think the price is bad at all for what you're getting, at £500 to £600. I think it would be a bit much to expect FPGA and Retrotink quality upscaling for that money, considering you're essentially also buying a screen, controls and a pretty large piece of furniture.

It wouldn't be for me personally though. I would want a restored vintage machine if I had a single-game cab. It would bug me way too much that I was running software emulation on a low-to-mid range (probably) LCD. That aspect of it is just a bit naff, but it allows them to achieve the price points that they do.

[dataDave]

I have this exact setup and it isn't arcade perfect due to sound emulation being imperfect on MiSTer, but with the board or CPS2 multi, you're bang on.

That's possibly because you're comparing a digital recreation to hardware that's been through over thirty winters and summers. I can guarantee that no two identical boards from that era will sound exactly the same either, much like trying to compare multiple Roland TR-808/909 drum machines from the 80s. Running the digital audio through even a cheapo DAC with a low-pass filter applied will rein it in very, very close, to the point where it'll pass a blind test.

[Escape-To-88]

That's possibly because you're comparing a digital recreation to hardware that's been through over thirty winters and summers. I can guarantee that no two identical boards from that era will sound exactly the same either, much like trying to compare multiple Roland TR-808/909 drum machines from the 80s. Running the digital audio through even a cheapo DAC with a low-pass filter applied will rein it in very, very close, to the point where it'll pass a blind test.

In the most polite way dude, it won't pass a blind test, unless the listener is also deaf.

I'm a big supporter of FPGA, specifically MiSTer as I'd love to stop buying expensive arcade boards. I own two MiSTercades. I still buy boards.

[dataDave]

In the most polite way dude, it won't pass a blind test, unless the listener is also deaf.

Have you also ran the audio through an analyser for an objective test? Any conflicting results and a report to the devs would be a solid contribution to the community. I know Jotego is on with re-engineering the audio processing for his arcade cores, excluding QSound (CPS-1.5 and CPS-2). That's going to process things more efficiently, although I doubt it's going to sound much different.

Please tell me you're at least exporting digital to an external DAC before it hits your cab speakers(!?). The DE-10's onboard DAC is absolutely not fit for purpose.

[Nu-Eclipse]

Have you also ran the audio through an analyser for an objective test? Any conflicting results and a report to the devs would be a solid contribution to the community. I know Jotego is on with re-engineering the audio processing for his arcade cores, excluding QSound (CPS-1.5 and CPS-2). That's going to process things more efficiently, although I doubt it's going to sound much different.

Please tell me you're at least exporting digital to an external DAC before it hits your cab speakers(!?). The DE-10's onboard DAC is absolutely not fit for purpose.

All this right here only serves to underline why there will pretty much ALWAYS be a market for Arcade1UP to do what they do with their cabinet replicas.

There are Capcom CPS enthusiasts who wouldn't go to half of this bother, nevermind casuals.

[Escape-To-88]

Have you also ran the audio through an analyser for an objective test? Any conflicting results and a report to the devs would be a solid contribution to the community. I know Jotego is on with re-engineering the audio processing for his arcade cores, excluding QSound (CPS-1.5 and CPS-2). That's going to process things more efficiently, although I doubt it's going to sound much different.

Please tell me you're at least exporting digital to an external DAC before it hits your cab speakers(!?). The DE-10's onboard DAC is absolutely not fit for purpose.

Hey dude, yeah I'm aware of Jotego's work on this. I've reported a few findings on this directly to him, hence my reports along with several others have been part of the reason he's doing the CPS1 analogue audio emulation. However having spent the best part of a year working with him to get the Bubble Bobble core accurate, also with input from another FPGA community member, and him still unable to get that particular core accurate in more than one area, I've become a little disillusioned with it at this point and gone back to PCBs for my use on my cabs. He mentioned that those higher up the Patreon chain don't have much interest in certain older titles so as such he tends to go with their interests re: cores, which makes commercial sense if they are the ones providing the bulk of his monthly income. As such, it's soured me a touch on the project, but it's easily the most straightforward solution for most people and I plan to keep at least one if my MiSTer setups.

I use the MiSTercades for consoles almost soley, as the Reflex Adapt is a genuinely essential bit of kit and I have the option of also using the same gear with the MiSTercade SNAC remote. I just pipe the MiSTercade through my Sony Cube and/or my cabs if I fancy some MegaTech stylings. It's difficult to beat for ease of use and flexibility regarding consoles I find.