There's a range of miniature, officially licensed arcade cabinet replicas on the way
Atari's Centipede is first.
New Wave Toys has launched a Kickstarter for its first officially licensed, fully playable miniature arcade cabinet replica, based on Atari's Centipede.
The RepliCade x Centipede cabinet, to give it its full, somewhat unwieldy name, is an "accurately reproduced 1/6th scale" model of the original Centipede arcade cabinet, and measures a small, but far from microscopic, 11.8-inches in height. It's the first in a planned line of similarly down-sized arcade classics.
According to New Wave, the RepliCade packs a fair amount into its diminutive frames. Each cabinet runs the original arcade ROM of Centipede, as beamed through a 4:3, 3.5" LCD screen, and runs off a rechargeable lithium-ion battery for relatively portable play.
The cabinet looks surprisingly authentic too - minus the obvious few feet. Each is made with a mixture of wood, plastic, metal, and rubber, and is finished with laminated vinyl on each side, displaying the original cabinet's artwork. There are even miniature trackball and button controls, and you can fiddle with the coin slot to get more turns.
Adding the final touch to the RepliCade is a proper backlit marquee so you can turn off all the lights in your house, pump your room full of smoke, and smear everything in salt and vinegar crisp essence for that true '80s arcade feel.
The cabinet has already been out and about in the wild, and looks pretty nifty in all it's miniaturised glory. The only real downside is that the finished machine will cost $160USD when it launches next year, placing it firmly in the "collectors" bracket of retro novelties. However, for those fond of the ol' Kickstarteroo, the pledge that will net you a RepliCade is positioned at a considerably lower $90USD.
As it happens, the RepliCade x Centipede cabinet has already met its $50,000 Kickstarter goal in just one day. Kickstarter backers should receive their units in April next year, if all goes well, with retail versions due a little later.
New Wave Toys is also in talks with other game publishers, so my dreams of an authentic Dragon's Lair cabinet the size of my head may yet still come true.