So, these are pretty adorable

[celerystalker]

I'd been hearing about these mini arcade games, but hadn't paid much attention because the first two were basically Tiger handhelds. These aren't the arcade ROMs, but closer to the NES versions of Q*bert and Centipede. Q*bert is the real star, with a diagonal stick and all, as Centipede uses a 4-way stick that doesn't at all replicate the trackball. Still, both have full color, lit LED screens and play like an NES game in these cute little cabinets that are just right for a WWF figure or ninja turtle. Plus, my son loves them.

[Tanooki]

Your guess is correct. They are the NES versions of the games, hacked. You probably are wondering about Centipede. Atari Flashback 1 was a NOAC, the 7800 version was hacked into a NES ROM which is what this is. Q-Bert is the NES game, they had to remove the pic of the nerd and NES pad explaining the poor controls of how the D-pad did diagonals, but since they couldn't re-code it, they put a Loading... screen over that (yet pause the game you get the konami pause jingle.) Centipede won't do diagonals but is totally playable, Q-Bert is improved since it's now stuck with diagonals. I've had them since they came out on my desk and they're fun to mess with.

Future releases are Asteroids and Frogger which they showed shell/demo boxes of at some trade show in the last 30 days.

[Steve W]

I assumed they'd be Famicom-on-a-chip hardware, it's good to have it confirmed.

How good is the screen quality? Photos I've seen make it look like it's very low quality.

Here's hoping somebody will put up info on how to mod these things with a Raspberry Pi Zero into a multi-arcade machine. That is, if the screen can handle it.

[celerystalker]

I assumed they'd be Famicom-on-a-chip hardware, it's good to have it confirmed.

How good is the screen quality? Photos I've seen make it look like it's very low quality.

Here's hoping somebody will put up info on how to mod these things with a Raspberry Pi Zero into a multi-arcade machine. That is, if the screen can handle it.

The screens look pretty good, actually. Way better than you'd expect.

[mailman187666]

I bought these games too. I haven't taken them out of their boxes yet though. I'm not sure I like the idea of leaving them unopened since the battery could corrode over time. I skipped the pacman and space invaders machines since they were pretty much like Tiger handhelds. I like the full color versions.

Anyone know when the next 2 games are coming out?

[celerystalker]

I believe they come out in fall of this year.

[Videogamerdaryll]

I believe they come out in fall of this year.

Awesome,TY I can't wait..

[celerystalker]

Yeah, the next 2 are Frogger and Asteroids, which should be pretty nifty this fall. I've had a little more time to play with these current ones, and I've gotta agree with the majority. Q*bert is the best so far. Centipede is ok, but I have a cabaret and it just seems wrong on a horizontal screen with no trackball. Q*bert plays like a champ!

[bb_hood]

awww soo cute!

[Niku-Sama]

I wonder why the first 2 used segmented lcds and these use full color LCDs

[Tanooki]

Probably being cheap, or it cost them more to license copies of the arcade sounds. I'd rather the future ones coming (Asteroids and Frogger) to use a hacked 7800 to NES conversion like Centipede or a Famicom release straight up again. The LCD games I've tried the in store demo and they suck, and the sounds help it suck no less.

[Koa Zo]

These have been really hard to track down. Of the 4 WalMarts in my area only one had just the PacMan and Space Invaders units.
There is very little on the internet about these and the only place Q*Bert comes up for sale is eBay.

[celerystalker]

These have been really hard to track down. Of the 4 WalMarts in my area only one had just the PacMan and Space Invaders units.
There is very little on the internet about these and the only place Q*Bert comes up for sale is eBay.

They'recin stock constantly around here. Must be some kind of metro distribution priority.