Retro Arcade Enthusiasts Have Plenty to Celebrate Thanks to Quarter Arcades and New Wave Toys

Video games have been around for more than half a century. That makes early players, who were kids in the 1970s and 1980s, a ripe market for retro collectibles. There’s no denying that the market exists, with companies like Arcade1Up delivering fun recreations of classic cabinets, such as X-Men ’97, and many others. Another niche market in the retro gaming collecting community features much smaller, playable devices. These are much closer to handheld devices, but unlike Basic Fun’s Arcade Classics, the products from Quarter Arcades and New Wave Toys offer beautiful recreations of classic cabs with all sorts of features. They don’t only look fantastic sitting on your shelf — they’re also a lot of fun to play.

These 1:6 and 1:4 Scale Recreations Are Not Only Collectible — They’re a Lot of Fun!

Several companies specialize in recreating old arcade cabinets in various forms for consumers, and many are well worth a look. For collectors seeking a higher-end product, the two companies discussed here are worthy of your attention. Quartercades produces arcade cabinets built on a 1:4 scale, so they average around 17” tall. They’re designed and recreated by Numskull Designs, and there’s no doubt the staff loves what they do. They often release videos, engaging with their fans about what they should build next, and they have plenty of ideas for future cabinets. As of writing, the following are available from the company:

• Lunar Lander
• Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja
• BurgerTime
• Qix
• Zoo Keeper
• Elevator Action
• Space Invaders
• Bubble Bobble

These are older cabinets that you’ll have to find on eBay or a similar marketplace:

• Pepsi and 7-Up Vending Machine/drink cooler
• Pac-Man
• Pac-Man 40th
• Ms. Pac-Man
• Galaxian
• Galaga
• Bubble Bobble
• Dig Dug
• Space Invaders Part II
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
• Polybius Charging Hub

They also offer a range of accessories, including 1:4 scale trash bins, fire extinguishers, candy machines, and barstools. These make it possible to recreate your very own mini arcade, and it’s something collectors often do, sharing their rooms on social media. Future cabinets include the original Pong, Battlezone, and a Jukebox.

If You Prefer Smaller Cabinets, New Wave Toys Is the Place to Go

While both companies produce licensed versions of full-size arcade cabinets, their products differ significantly in terms of design and features. New Wave Toys specializes in 1:6 scale cabinets, which measure, on average, about 12″ high. The company also packs a variety of small goodies inside the box, including scaled-down reproductions of posters, tokens, controllers, and more. Just like Quarter Arcades and Numbskull Designs’ products, they’re lovingly crafted by artisans who have a clear love of retro consoles and classic arcade video games. These aren’t cheap plastic reproductions either. Like Quarter Arcades, they’re built using wood and other solid components. The final products are truly miniaturized and playable versions of the originals.

New Wave’s products are typically limited to a single production run. If you miss out on a launch, you’ll probably have to score an older cab off eBay or another marketplace. Because of this, prices skyrocket, so FOMO is real for collectors. Still, the company has many available on its website. As of writing, New Wave Toys makes the following:

• Tempest
• Street Fighter II Championship Edition
• Dragon’s Lair
• Space Ace
• Centipede
• 1942
• 1943
• Food Fight
• Q*Bert
• Missile Command
• Ghosts ‘N Goblins
• Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
• Frenzy
• Berzerk
• Crystal Castles
• Golden Tee

These are their other products that aren’t traditional video games:

• Zoltar
• Cigarette Machine USB Hub
• Art-o-Mat Machine USB Hub
• Change Machine USB Hub
• Slee-Ball
• Black Hole Pinball Machine
• Coca-Cola Classic Cooler/Vending Machine

The company also has multiple versions of many of its cabinets to suit your preferences, and they produce 1:6 scale items to create your own mini arcades. These include a variety of barstools, black-light posters, and more. Other products include mini-boom boxes and a 47-piece reproduction of Time-Out arcades, featuring an attendant with a quarter distributor, among other items.

Do you collect any of these? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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