For the money, an incredibly compelling product, especially if you have limited space (as I do). Looking forward to seeing more variety in these partycades with more games.
@@smg4reblooperd182 MAPPY's actually on the Namco/Pac-man Legacy cab. Between that cab and this DEFENDER partycade, I actually have a very nice little set of the classic games.
It is inexcusable, beyond just being Lazy. It's not like any other arcade unit will have the proper controls. Arcade1Up is horrible at marketing and has constantly dropped the ball. I doubt they will rectify this (although they could and should when they release a CouchCade version). I have no faith in Arcade1Up's ability to put out well thought out products.
Thank you kindly Wilson! For those still looking to pick one up, keep checking QVC's website. STREET FIGHTER's gone in and out of stock at least twice this week (out now).
I was really hoping they would release Robotron 2084, Defender, Stargate, Joust, Sinistar, Smash TV, Bubbles, and Root Beer Tapper. I would have paid a premium for all of those in one cabinet.
It has been sort of confirmed that a Smash TV, Total Carnage cabinet is coming with the two stick layout. I am assuming that ROBOTRON 2084 will be on there.
The problem with Sinistar (and with including it on this partycade) is that the arcade machine had a 49-way joystick. With the arcade1up's 8-way joystick, it's not really all that playable; especially since the game is so hard in the first place even with a proper joystick. It actually can be made nicely playable in MAME using an xbox's (or i suppose playstation) analog joystick, with some tweaks to the analog sensitivity settings in MAME.
If you use a PS3 controller or an X Box controller when playing Sinistar it becomes much more playable like the original because those controllers have full 360 capabilities. I was able to kill Sinistar my first try with a PS3 controller in the USB port
On point. Agreed, cabs like this ought to include only games appropriate to the controllers included, with exceptions that make sense, ie include 4 way or 2 way games with an 8 way stick, though 1up or others should be thinking of switchable retrictors in the sticks, even manual only.
ordered mine the other day for $176 (coupon for first time buyers wiped out tax, swagbucks gave me 12 percent cash back so from the $199 price it's a $24 rebate). i've bought a few of these in the past (the 12-1 ms pacman one and the centipede machine) along with a few of the full size ones. i highly recommend these products if you have the cash to spare (and these smaller machines are easy to use and don't take up much space).
Mine arrives Wednesday, Huge Defender fan and I cant wait !!! At first I was going to gut it and Modify my Rampage cab, but i think Im going to hang it on wall to save space in my room. Thanks for the review and as always thumbs up. P.S ....my daughter has already claimed the Rampage cab once I make my final call so at least its staying in the family and leaving the game room.
Space saving is a serious positive. Going to do a follow up video seeing how practical it is to hang on a wall; will my knees bump against the wall. VERY interesting product.
Awesome review brother! Absolutely love the game lineup on here with Gorf and Sinistar on there too. And it has a great look to it with that light up marquee. Thanks for sharing! 👍
@@evilgeniusentertainment thanks man! And I’m wondering if A1UP does a Defender countercade with this same game lineup. I’m keeping an eye out for that one.
Seriously considering getting it. Debating this over the Midway Legacy Defender. I already have the OG Rampage (& don't want to get rid of it...Nostalgia), so I don't want THREE cabs with those similar games. Great review EGE!
Thanks David - that means a lot. Yeah, I think my point about these games being "B-list" is pretty close to the mark - you can find RAMPAGE, JOUST, and GAUNTLET on several machines. I'd like to see 1 partycade with a truly new lineup....
My buddy wanted one so I could install a 60 in 1 vertical jama kit from DIY arcade. This has a better button layout than his pac-man party Cade I gave him. Should be upgrading it as soon as I get a little time
Scuba - been thinking about a 60-1 build myself. Just be aware that this cab is set up primarily for horizontal games (if you were wanting to keep the bezel art as is)
60 n 1 must be vertical screen plus this has the proper controls for Defender. I made a 60 n 1 out of one of my Pac Man Partycades but I'm leaving this one alone. Defender with proper controls is too cool
I bought one of these and I am loving it. Defender, Joust and Tapper are some of the best games ever. Lighted marquee looks killer. PS3 controller works great as a second controller in USB port
@@evilgeniusentertainment PS3 is working for me and I heard X Box controllers work too. Yeah you may have an issue with the USB. Man I am playing the crap out of this machine
got my machine last week, can confirm xbox 360 controller works for it (it's a 3rd party controller, works great). pressing the start button on the main menu screen will show you what button each input uses (the right thumb stick isn't used, but the left stick and d-pad both can be used). it made playing klax (the big reason why i bought it, because it was the game my mom spent the most time playing back when i was a kid and now have a way to play it on one of these machines, with the rest of the game being a bonus) a ton easier (the joystick is okay, but can be a bit rough when trying to move and drop tiles. also found an hour of use ended up making me need some pills to recover, while the controller let me sit better in my chair and kept the pain away).
Thank you my friend - good to know! You still digging that STREET FIGHTER partycade? (see his review here): ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yU5LmmizYmI.html
The partycade form factor and weight are on point. Bought this one, Super pac and Ms pac 40th partycades. Scored the Super pacman for 180 shipped Arcade purists and collectors like to poo poo 1up, both the company and the machines. Some criticisms are well deserved, but like anything, it's a balance. Imo, the partycades at around the $200 mark new are a no brainer. At that price, they are probably less cost than the parts, wood cutting, artwork, assembly for a diyer. Yes, you could use better sticks, buttons, cpu and monitors, but as a finished product for home use, it hits a lot of the right notes.
I’m a huge fan of Defender, and Wizard of Wor is one of the best classic arcade games ever in my opinion. I’d get this if I hadn’t just ordered an iiRcade.
I wish so! But there's actually been a few games now with micro USB, and no joy so far! Even with OUTRUN, which A1up added a game to over the USB, no break throughs in adding more.
I agree about stargate. I can get the partycade right now for 200. but defender is my favorite out of the selection. if it had stargate i would be driving right now to go get it. i still may. idk
It's funny, b/c I'm selling off most of my A1ups right now to try and get a pinball game. Went to play DEFENDER on a multicade, and it was a disaster. That dedicated control deck is pretty special if you're a DEFENDER-head.
@@evilgeniusentertainment I seen in a group i'm in. A guy turned a 1 up into a stargate machine. graphics and everything. he told me what he did to it to make it that way. but i'm new to modding. like never done it new. but learning through video's
Not sure there was enough room on the control panel for Stargate since it adds an extra button... wish it was there, but I'm sure that's the reasoning behind its exclusion. I would've bought this if I didn't already have a Multi-Williams cab.
Even beyond the DEFENDER layout, this is a nice way to break into the hobby - nice selection of games, handsome cab, good size screen, yada. Def enough to whet an appetite....
I really like the accurate control layout as compared to the cab. And yes adding Stargate should have been a no brainer. I love defender so I would still buy but adding Galaga or Donkey Kong would have been killer
I wonder why A1up hasn't gotten that license yet - can't be too expensive, and IMO is the better game. The DEFENDER partycade still sells like hotcakes as far as I can tell; seems like a no-brainer for a full size cab....
They really need to make a partycade of Burgertime since the other was a limited run but include the sequel, Peter Pepper's Ice Cream Factory. Also hope they do same with Q*bert.
It occurs to me that if they did put this out and included Startgate, they'd have to extend the deck to include the "Inviso" button, maybe that's why did didn't include it this time around. Just a thought.
@@evilgeniusentertainment Hi, I probably didn't articulate my point well enough. I'm sure we'd all love that extra button and Stargate, no doubt about it. But I meant the extra button would require more design and cost to the company, and perhaps that is the reason they didn't include it with the Defender partycade. If Stargate didn't require that extra button odds are it'd be on the cab now. Just a hunch. Cheers.
I'm supposed to pick this one up tomorrow like new with the box for $300. I've been looking for the Galaga partycade for about 4 months with no luck. Wasn't really looking for Defender but what these things go for now i jumped on $300
Lack of wifi for only leaderboards not an issue for me, take a pic of the scores screen with your phone, upload wherever and call it a day. Now, wifi for software updates, fixes, and accessing a games store to add more games, and play muktiplayer over the net, like gauntlet, etc? Hell yeah.
Not everyone wants wi-fi devices in their homes. Some people take apart smart tv's, & xbox's to remove the chips so no unwanted radiation is present. Although loads of radiation is just pouring out of smart meters outside of home's. There is little that can be done to change that.
You could always wear you favourite tin foil hat to protect you from the evil waves! You know electric cables also radiate evil waves? Make sure to rip them all out of your walls! And microWAVES don't forget them, they even put it in the name.
I have a soft spot in my heart for GORF. And it's easily the best version/emulation of it that I've played. A lot of the older games w/voice simulations tend to mess up retropie builds. I'd guess that we will, eventually, see a dedicated ROBOTRON cab. Probably a SMASH TV cab too.
@@evilgeniusentertainment from the latest reviews I'm seeing, lack of games is tron's smallest problem. Flight sticks that stop working, dead spinners, and I heard discs of tron can freeze up.
I have seen people talking about swapping out the brains from the Defender 3/4 and defender partycade. Does anyone know how difficult this is? I just put my Defender 3/4 together today and I was considering purchasing the Defender partycade so I could do the swap.
Bryan, I was thinking doing that too. What I personally would do is also take the deck/stick/buttons from the Partycade, as well as the screen. Essentially just using the shell of the 3/4 scale cab (remember, they both use the same size screen). Then I'd put the guts/monitor/controls from the 3/4 scale into the mini and make that a 2 player unit.
Magnus, far as I know they don't. BUT lots of people do sell just the PCBs on ebay/facebook. Probably not for the newer games like DEFENDER yet, but eventually.
Yeah, not having Stargate is odd. Likely they licensed the bundled and Stargate was not included in this specific bundle, and the bundle that included Stargate cost a lot more, or there were other reasons the Defender+ Stargate bundle was not right.
I just received it and I think it's great. the Centipede trackball works great and the tempest spinner works awesome. they must have made changes from the previous models then. What is this obsessive need to mod every single unit out there?!. if these are such pieces of shit, just fucking return it.
I tend to agree - Either I leave it stock (well, I'll lit marquees if it doesn't have one), or do a total mod by adding a pie or whatever. I do like leaving them stock - the UI is very good on them so guests can figure it out w/o me looking over their shoulder....
They are good iconic arcade games on these partycades but i also wish they would start putting late eighties to early nineties game's in it that's my favourite era, also the buttons are not responsive enough they are like foot pumps but for fingers, lol.
Dan - pretty sure it's the exact same stick found in ever other A1up cab, which I find to be decent. A pretty easy swap out if it does crap out on you.
did this not come with legs? because my other 2 partycade machines did, putting them on (which takes about 1 minute), allows for use on a table with no real sliding around (but then again, i'm lefthanded and grip the side of the machine with my right one*, so that might also be keeping it in place). *no idea why i do that, just something i've been doing since about 1986 (first time i played ms pacman in arcades).
For me as an early 80s guy, Defender, Joust and Gauntlet are all killer apps! I mean: Forget all those stupid nearly identical fighter games of the 90s.:-)
I've been dreaming of them putting out a Williams Stargate, but so far nothing. But I'd buy this version of defender in a hot minute, but I haven't found this game anywhere, no vendors seem to have it, not ebay, nowhere. It's all about the controls, if they're not the same as the original it's not even worth the time. Can't figure out why they didn't make the bigger version authentic as well, feels like it borders on the idiotic. Can this machine be had anywhere? Anyone?
I'd keep checkin QVC - it's been in and out of stock there all month. Personally, I like STARGATE more than DEFENDER. I think that maybe based on the success of the DEFENDER partycade, A1up might put out a legit 3/4 size version, but who knows?
See, I don't think so. Adding 2, non-A list games certainly shouldn't raise the price. And I think it's a bit of apples and oranges - if you want the 3/4 scale form factor, it really matter how many games are in a partycade/countercade. It certainly wouldn't kill the 3/4 side of their business. Partycades are aimed at a very specific audience (essentially those just entering the hobby or only looking to grab 1 game). That, and I think if you put in 12 games, and changed the line-up a bit, they might even be able to attract long time 3/4 scale owners.
@@evilgeniusentertainment 2 points here: Price and Space. I have 2 3/4 Machines and if Partycades would be available in Europe i would think about letting the 3/4's go. I mean they have the same screen and games but are half the price. The downside are the small control panels, though.
A couple questions It seems like it would get really annoying after a little while that you can't put your wrist down during game play especially during Defender constantly hitting the thrust and fire ? The arcade version control board you could rest your wrist and part of your forearm..They could have easily made the control board deeper and still kept the units low profile. Also, Does the 2" smaller screen size than the original arcade bother anyone ? Thanks
Probably not a big profit margin on these cabs. More of a way to into the good graces of QVC/HSN. BUT, they still have DRAGON'S LAIR on their website, something that might not even see the light of day. So we got that going for us!
It would be a no Brainer if you had wall space for it. Sinister is a weird choice with an 8 way controller making it essentially unayable, but the defender controls look great.
@@evilgeniusentertainment You kmow juat using buttons for left/right and thrust a la Asteroids would work just fine. We don't need joysticks just use your Asteroids skills. Too bad
Nobody mentioned it but being a Defender and Joust fan, having a 2 way joystick make a big difference in gameplay. I wouldn't buy because of that. Nice review though.
It should be - screens should be compatible; easily swappable if not. Might have to drill out an extra hole or two, maybe get longer wiring, but yeah, should be pretty easy.
I'd be very surprised if they do. At least, not any time soon. But to be honest, I'm surprised they even made a DEFENDER cab (albeit w/o proper controls), so anything's possible.
@@evilgeniusentertainment I wouldn't mind having one, I don't own any arcade 1 ups just all original arcade games, but this might be my first if I find a good spot for it. But I'm sure they'll be out of stock then. Thanks for responding......
Why do they NEVER make what I want. I would like this as a full-size machine, dedicated to Defender but with other games included as a compromise. Between the two machines that they offer neither are for me, as I'm not going to be able to get this sitiing at the right height and be usuable/ look good.
Ha! That's pretty good.... Well look, branded cabs look better then multi-cades. And to be fair, these multi-cades look pretty freakin' amazing. The ALU is still the best 2 player solution, but I can see it needing a 2.0, branded, version to come out sooner then later. And no, I don't mean TETRIS.
Lol "no wifi" as a deal breaker is just silly. Defender, Joust, Gauntlet! Wow. Sadly I can't buy it in the UK so had to order from the US (ouch) but not even Arcade1Up has it in stock any more. Defender, Joust and Gauntlet in one machine. Wow!
Dude, you crazy for calling Defender a B-list game. It has the same replay value as PacMan. Who gave you the authority to post a RU-vid video? I want a name, a phone number, and an email address. I wanna know where they live! I wanna know where their mama live! 😡
Warren, I'll say this - DEFENDER is a classic, one deserving the correct controller layout. And as far as I know, this partycade is the only new cab that does. Which is why I'm probably not going to mod it.....
You really didn't look hard, they have them in Australia also. look at QVC UK for the other ones, they came out there first. everytime i post the links, the comment gets deleted. later -1
Stick to a pi/ these are so cheaply built and controls are awful. I’ve a space invader 1up and swapped out joystick also asteroids having to replace with a proper spinner for tempest. Considering these are officially available I’m surprised their still in business
@@evilgeniusentertainment I live in Ireland. They sell very limited amounts of arcade 1up. They released the mortal kombat legacy but not many stores stock arcade1up machines because they are a slow seller here.
It's completely a B-list game when compared to Pac-Man or Street Fighter or MK. Literally not close. Now of course it might be your favorite game in the world, and that's cool. But it's lower than whale crap in terms of what a retailer like Walmart thinks. Cheers!
3 big reasons right off the bat: firmware upgrades, leaderboards, and being able to play with friends in the 2 player games like JOUST. All of those things will be on all A1up cabs moving forward, at least the 3/4 ones.
