Whilst we pride ourselves on designing bespoke arcade machines for YOU and no 2 machines are the same, there are 3 main cabinet types to choose from:
- Cocktail table
- Bar top
- Tall standing
The style you choose will very much depend on how much of a serious retro gamer you are and/or the room you'll be putting it in. We tend to find the more serious gamers opt for a full standing cabinet, whilst customers wanting something for more casual use will want a cabinet to fit their living space, so opt for the cocktail table. Let's look at each style in more detail, highlighting the pros and cons and other considerations you'll need to be aware of when choosing your style.
Cocktail table
Serious gamers tend avoid this table type, for the simple reason, it's not designed for fighting games and most other 2 player games. It can however be played in 2 player mode for many platform games (Burger Time, Pac-Man, etc) where players sit opposite each other and the screen flips for player 2's game. However, that said, quite a substantial amount of room is required for a table set up for 2 players, we estimate around 1.8m to comfortably sit a person either side of the machine.
Something else to bear in mind with the cocktail table set up, many games were never designed for this set up. Standard 2 player fighting games such as Mortal Kombat and Golden Axe would be a bad experience for player 2 as they would be viewing the screen upside down. That said, when playing in 1 player mode, the cocktail table is great and of course, its far easier to stand (or sit) and watch a game on the table than it is with the other set ups.
Pro: looks great in most rooms
Con: not suited to 2 player fighting games
Full standing cabinet
This type of cabinet is by far and away the most popular choice for the more serious gamer, or someone who has a specific room to place it in, a bar area, or games room make an ideal setting for these cabinets. Currently we only supply 2 player set ups (please comment below if you think we should do 3 and 4 player set ups), ideal for most standard fighting games in 2 player mode. We generally supply these with 19" screens, which in our opinion is ample, but we can do larger if required. There is no denying, these cabinets do not look good in someones front room, they are very niche and require the right environment. But, when in the right place, they look stunning.
Standing at around 160cm tall, they are a real eye grabber. These cabinets are very heavy and its not recommended you move them very often, or at all, unless you have 2 strong people on hand! These were the most popular cabinet type during the 80s throughout video arcade halls. They allow 2 people to comfortably stand and play the games simultaneously (2 player mode).
Pro: best experience for 2 player games
Con: needs the right setting/room to look good
Bar top cabinet
Our least popular choice, but fitting the needs of people who may have limited space, or don't want their machine on constant view. The cabinets are far lighter, so much easier to move, but are made to the same standard and quality as our other cabinets. These cabinets are designed to simply stand on a table top or even a kitchen work surface. Customers often specify space as their primary driver so we make these cabinets as thin as possible, but this often compromises the playability for 2 player combat games, as player controls are very close to each other. However, that said, the games still work just as good and when playing solo, the problem of space is removed.
The major drawback on these machines is stability. The cabinets are fitted with anti-slip feet, but this simply isn't enough to stop the cabinet moving when trying to pull off that killer move.
Pro: very light and movable
Con: more compact and difficult to play with 2 players and can slip during game play
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