Update 08/18/21 – Arcade1Up have officially confirmed Simpsons Bowling will be thE 2nd game in The Simpsons Aracde Machine.
As most of you know, I’ve been a proud supporter of Tastemakers Arcade1Up line since the beginning.
I’ve reviewed multiple cabinets, covered major release announcements, and created a definitive guide to modding an Arcade1Up cabinet. The reason that I’m bringing all of this up is because as of late, it appears Tastemakers have taken the Arcade1Up line into a new direction, one more catered toward a “niche” market.
At this year’s E3 they showed off 5 new cabinets, 4 of which are priced between $600 – $700 dollars. The only one currently not priced is the Ms. PAC-MAN™ / GALAGA™ Class of ’81 Arcade Machine. Now I fully understand that these cabinets come with all the fixings such as a back-lit marquee, WI-fi features, riser, and stool. So the pricing is understandable. However, what if someone just wants the cabinet excluding the riser and stool? This use to be an option for those not looking to make such a large financial investment. By removing the option to purchase a more budget-friendly option, they are in turn cutting off potential cabinet collectors.
Yesterday, Tastemakers announced that The Simpsons Arcade Machine is now available for pre-order at Arcade1up.com, GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy for $699.99 with a November 2021 release date according to GameStop’s product page. The Simpsons Arcade Machine includes the following:
• Wi-Fi
• Lit Marquee
• Matching Riser
• Clear Deck Protector
• 30th Anniversary in 2021
Games
• The Simpsons
• Plus a BONUS game – more info coming soon
Now many following this year’s offering will know this cabinet was originally advertised as having Simpsons Bowling. We (media outlets) were told to remove all images or mention of Simpsons Bowling from our coverage. However, if you see the images they have provided us now for this release the trackball is clearly visible on the controller deck.
So is this game included or not? And if not is it safe to assume this “bonus game” will be one that requires a trackball? I reached out for clarification and once I receive one, I’ll be sure to update this post. So what do you say? Any plans to pick up The Simpsons Arcade Machine or any of this year’s Arcade1Up cabinets?
