Pac-Man and Galaga cabinets to launch this June from Arcade1Up

SAMBRO and TASTEMAKERS have announced the launch of both PAC-MAN and GALAGA Arcade1Up affordable arcade machines, coming to the UK in June 2019. Officially licenced and featuring the original artwork and styling of the classic cabinets, Arcade1Up machines are stocked with timeless titles from the Golden Age of Gaming.

PAC-MAN to this day ranks as one of the highest-grossing and most recognisable characters in videogame history. Launched in 1980, the game became an instant hit as the perfect distraction from the myriad shooters and racing games which lined the arcades. Its success was followed by TV shows, film cameos, million-selling records, board games and sequels such as the included PAC-MAN PLUS (1982).

GALAGA (1981) expanded on the features of 1979’s GALAXIAN, taking the genre-defining multi-colour graphics to an unseen-before level for invaders’-style game. New and innovative gameplay features included multiple on-screen missiles, bonus stages and an enemy tractor beam to capture the player’s fighter.

The vision of US toy company Tastemakers, Arcade1Up started off as a passion project for CEO Scott Bachrach and his team. The vision was to replicate the feeling of playing in the arcades and pizza parlours of their youth… something they felt lacking on today’s console and handheld versions. Roll ahead to today, and the machines have met with critical acclaim, winning the prestigious TECH TOY OF THE YEAR AWARD at New York Toy Fair.

“Arcade1Up will transport you back to an era of button-mashing, neon lights and hours of addictive gaming fun,” said Scott Bachrach, CEO of Tastemakers, LLC. “It is a unique experience and truly brings back retro gaming the way it was meant to be played!”

“PAC-MAN and GALAGA are icons within the gaming universe. PAC-MAN was the first-ever video-gaming character that has inspired generations, won thousands of awards, inspired future games, appeared in countless movies, TV shows, pop videos and he’s an 80s icon that the world has loved for almost forty years. He remains today the most popular character in videogames and the most playable and addictive game out there. PAC-MAN and GALAGA are unique experiences and a cool piece of nostalgia for you to have in your own home.” Lee Kirton, SUB-CHIEF PAC-MAN Officer BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment EMEA.

Arcade1Up are ¾ scale replica copies of original arcade cabinets (full-size when used with an optional riser), complete with original artwork, authentic controls (including rotary sticks, rollerballs and joysticks). Each machine comes with multiple titles – the original-code versions of the games – complete with techniques and tactics to learn, hidden features to exploit. So, if you could master manoeuvres in Space Invaders, exploit using the edge of the screen in Asteroids or rack-up the extra lives in Defender back in the day… there’s nothing stopping you living that dream again!

The cabinets are priced at £349 each with the following titles:

• BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT’s PAC-MAN Cabinet: Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus
• BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT’s GALAGA Cabinet: Galaga, Galaxian
• Atari’s Asteroids Cabinet: Asteroids, Tempest, Major Havoc, Lunar Lander
• Midway’s Rampage Cabinet: Rampage, Defender, Joust, Gauntlet
• Taito’s Space Invaders Cabinet: Space Invaders Color, Space Invaders Black and White
• Capcom’s Street Fighter II Championship Cabinet: Street Fighter II Championship Edition, Super Street Fighter II The New Challengers, Super Street Fighter II Turbo