Tiny Arcade Machines | Ashens

[@wigglyboots2]

I own all four of these and it is a joy to start them all up at once. The sound of the tiny arcade on my toy shelf makes me smile like a fool each time I start them up.

[@victoriamoonboots]

Anderson Helms This is so beautifully wholesome to read.

The lack of sound control surely gives it an authentic feel. You could always hear Pac Man above everything else in an arcade. Man, I loved Galaxian. That was my favourite for an awfully long time and seemed a big step forward from Space Invaders. It wasn't, but we were easily fooled back then by trinkets...

[@TheCatpirate]

I bought one of these for my dad. Being someone who grew up with arcade machines, seeing one so small it could fit in his hand blew his mind.

[@ardkoreable]

is it just for sale in the states?? want one to for sure but im in belgium

[@takki3942]

@@ardkoreable just order one from somewhere else online

[@Arrowdodger]

This is really tempting for use as a prop with some of my action figures.

[@daltonwilliams1723]

Arrowdodger they actually sell more realistic arcade machine props scaled to six inch figures...honestly about the same price too(without shipping from Japan) They even come with little chairs

[@BurgundyBurrito]

Dalton Williams tell me more please

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

You could make a cool diorama with these.

[@butterbutterbutterjoinsthebowl]

There’s tons of little tin candies shaped like arcade cabinets. There’s a Pac-Man one that’s great for the Pac-Man amiibo.

[@Thrakus]

Great idea , I want a street fighter one for street fighter action figures.

[@gamersinacontainer]

I saw a video of someone taking these apart. These actually have all 4 games on one chip so you can very easily add a selector switch and have all the games on one device.

[@PixelatedH2O]

I was going to comment the same

[@rusefoxghost]

Link?

[@misecia]

I think that’s over on Ben Heck’s channel

[@hakemon]

No, they are ARM based.

[@gamersinacontainer]

Rick Bennett yeah it was. Before those corporate scumbags took him out of it and rebranded the show.

[@1973Washu]

I think novelty keychains get a lower tax (or tariff) rate than electronic games get. That is why they bung a keychain onto it.

[@GamePlague]

Also kids can hang it off a backpack

[@thomasjenkins7506]

seems like a very japanese thing to do.

[@thewolfin]

Also gachapon is like that, and you're being compelled to collect all the games when really they're all on the same chip already

[@Ascendancy-]

1973Washu love your name/icon :)

[@TheLastPhoen1x]

clever

[@GmodPlusWoW]

If you went back in time 38 years and showed this to an arcade goer, it would probably blow their minds. And you'd both probably be silenced by some sort of Time Agency for the sake of preserving the space-time continuum. Assuming of course that there's only one timeline that can constantly be rewritten. Though frankly I'd subscribe to the theory of constantly branching timelines, wherein the mere act of going back in time is enough to split the timeline in twain, creating a branch where your arrival and existence at that point in time causes events to unfold differently to the timeline you started out in.

[@kitsunekid16]

GmodPlusWoW unless you go by the theory that you going back in time was already part of the timeline and nothing you do can change it

[@brianm6337]

Let me tell you about my Mandela Effect...

[@danielgehring7437]

I've developed a theory that while alternate timelines do exist, anything branching off of the main, 'trunk' reality is inherently unstable and either branches back into the real or decays rapidly and dies off due to its absurdity; however those branches that are realistic enough to continue existing and eventually reintegrate into the core reality cause marked shifts in what we determine to be that/this reality from their time apart. Thus, if you were to go back in time and not do anything silly you'd be fine.. unfortunately showing people in the past future technology would be pretty high up there on the silliness scale.

[@nicholastosoni707]

You might even say it's like a ball of wib---* is shot *

[@LickMyMusketBallsYankee]

I've got a theory about vampires and garlic but yours sounds more interesting.

[@InterstellarVulpine]

But does it also come with tiny quarters for you to put in it?

[@ericcollins7455]

Managed to pick up one from America £10.50 delivered ! The best thing is all 4 games are actually already installed in the game and selected by bridging a soldered joint on the main board. You remove the soldered joint and solder on a 4 position switch with a wire to each of the soldered joints and hey presto all 4 games on 1 console for free !

[@KingOfTheBeyond23]

I would buy one remove the stickers and put a Polybius sticker on it.

[@otamatune9153]

The new Polybius Classic Edition!!, Only available in the Wall-mart right next to a white van

[@Lost_n_Found_1]

Act now, while supplies last! *Not responsible for driving anyone to the brink of insanity

[@drunkenhobo8020]

Just watch Ashens doesn't try to heist it.

[@Wuerfel21]

That'd actually be a good ending joke for the movie: Ashens has the Polybius machine and after all that trouble, goes to Poundland and finds out they're selling mini versions of it

[@bland9876]

Daruny Beoulve supreme

[@keithfulkerson]

On these, I think you can access more games by messing with some jumpers on the board.

[@itsthatchrono]

You can indeed. Ben Heck has an episode all about it.

[@mattnova18]

Not likely on these, that was the NES ports on larger cabinets [rampage, defender, house etc]

[@chaowingchinghongfingshong3109]

itsthatchrono It does work with these, Ive tried it ^^

[@GermanPeter]

Hooray, finally! I got the Pac-Man one months ago and I really love it, it's so faithful to the original yet fits into your hand! Actually, I just remembered it DOESN'T save my high-score for some reason. It only displays it until I turn the system off, which kinda sucks. But if you write it down, it's fine.

[@danielgehring7437]

The funny part is, I know a guy who works as night security and his key ring is easily big enough to comfortably fit this and like a dozen more machines... but he would be the first to tell you not to do it because the dozens and dozens of keys it's sharing space with would crush the poor thing. Personally I'd hang it somewhere in my car, something that passengers can amuse themselves with when they're bored of talking or whatever.

[@ObbyTheBird]

I'd buy a Tiny Brown Couch and place it at my work desk. Please. I need it.

[@shinto29]

He made one ages ago in the Ashensbox!

[@ObbyTheBird]

Ohhhh, I completely forgot about that! Thanks for reminding me

[@DASyam-tb7qt]

shinto29 it's probably worth £78 gazillion now

[@megarollxrgmbroadcasting91]

Looks like the pac man I played on my flip phone in 2009

[@peachjackson3856]

I happen to own a miss Pac-Man table machine that I inherited from my father so I love seeing this.

[@WalcomS7]

I like these a lot more than the other smaller Arcade machine things because the screens are actually in portrait rather than Landscape.

[@ampedwales]

Those are very cool little novelties! Having seen Blanka, could you do a video on GI Joe Street Fighter figures, and the Mortal Kombat ones too, please?

[@silverfingerthesilverstack5062]

OMG that mini pacman is superb, never expected that high quality when you switch on, I think for how small they are they are great,

[@SuperCartoonist]

These would be great as a diorama of an Arcade room.

[@TheRealBobHickman]

BTW: All 4 games are in each machine, the game is actually determined by the solder link across A,B,C, or D. I have the space invaders one and added a 4-way switch so that I can play all 4 games.

[@stridermt2k]

With a simple 4-wire modification, all 4 games are playable on all of the units, along with a great little diagnostic mode! As usual, the youtubes have the how-to. Once you realize this, it's just a matter of choosing the cabinet style you like best. (Space Invaders for me!) Great stuff!

[@LoganPosthumous]

Well, my eyes are now destroyed. Thank you, Ashens.

[@TAGMedia7]

I learned about the Puck Man tidbit from Scott Pilgrim.

[@boy6named6zoen6]

TAG Media me too.. great movie that was.

[@Divinorumification]

Damn Stuart, those cuticles.

[@KieranJoshuaAllsopp]

The illuminating top is a nice touch... on the battery

[@MegaManNeo]

Thank you for reviewing these. Have seen these mini arcades in an online shop and thought about to buy one. Your review covers everything I need to know.

[@UncleFeedle]

I wish they'd extend the range. I'd buy all the machines they had in the arcade I used to frequent (while growing up in a crappy seaside town) and line them up on a shelf for those times when I felt like being 12 yrs old again.

[@JCstock]

It's actually quite authentic for old arcade machines. No audio control, loses high score without power.

[@vwestlife]

Looks like the collision detection is rather lacking -- at 3:45 and 4:12 Pac-Man clearly goes _underneath_ one of the ghosts and both of them emerge unscathed!

[@CiromBreeze]

Didn't that happen in the actual game too?

[@greenyoshi119]

VWestlife that happens in the original too, collision was wonky, you could just go through ghosts if you turned at the right time

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

Cirom Breeze If Pac-Man and a Ghost were swapping between two spaces on the grid the game wouldn't register the hit unless it was Clyde, because he would immediately turn around and catch up due to being programmed to always pursue and be slightly faster than Pac-Man.

[@CUCKREVIEW]

Whoa! Didn't expect to see you here!

[@Video-Games-Are-Fun]

clyde? thought it was inky, pinky, blinky, and sue as per the attract mode...

[@BryanMinnix]

I'd like to have a line of these on my shelf for display. They should be pretty easy to rig up to AC power so you could just leave them on in attract mode permanently.

[@mattymerr701]

I actually have an old working galaxian arcade machine thing. It was two player, and table style rather than cabinet. We got it from an aunt an uncle who owned a pub if I remember correctly. For some reason I also remember it saying "Space Invaders" on the sticker rather than "galaxian", not that it would be a bad surprise, considering it is the far superior game

[@acicon]

Great for toy photography. I wish they had these in my local toy stores.

[@SymphonicmetalTV]

i have one of these. Someone bought me one as a novelty for my birthday. It's good fun to kill a few minutes of boredom and feel like i's the 80s lol

[@Trishlicious]

That is a great little game... it looks exactly like the arcade. I think that is so cool.

[@SoraxSpace]

As if it wasn't small enough already, Tiny Arcade provides you with a genuine challenge with it's even tinier "try me!" window! How the bloody hell can you try it through that?!

[@ScowlieMeerkat]

The Galaxian one is worth it for that sweet cabinet artwork alone.

[@toodlebug500]

Pac-Man looks just like it did on the version I used to have on an old mobile phone. The screen was pretty much the same size too.

[@UberNeuman]

You liar. Those are all full-size arcade machines. You're trying to cover the fact of your freakishly large hands.

[@AceAttorny]

The world's largest sofa.

[@1973Washu]

And the world's sharpest knife™... he is indeed a formidable individual.

[@jaykambli9307]

UberNeuman what about the covering?

[@drunkrdm]

fe fi fo fum, i smell the blood of a small youtube commenter...

[@davidgutierrez8297]

He is the giant that Jack stole the golden eggs and goose from. Now he has to earn money by making KZbin videos.

[@Catboy.]

Got it for Christmas last year, and 7 months later it still works great

[@kekyoin1261]

Perfect for a gerbil

[@otakon17]

美的 or a mogwai.

[@maxscardanelli6185]

You've just reminded me of that Simpsons episode where Bart sends a gerbil into space. Or was it a hamster?... Anyway, that one. I'm off to watch it now.

[@mikebell2112]

The scale for that action figure makes them caberet machines. Kids go nuts for them.

[@ArmandoDy]

Stuart, there's 2 versions of these at Wal-Mart. Some are bigger, maybe twice the size. Seen Galaga recently. Great video. 👍😉👌

[@rugalheidbernstein9944]

I like to think that these things inspired SNK to create the Neo Geo Mini.

[@koga924]

These are 12 USD in a America, but there are bigger versions for 20, and 25. They're really popular here for some reason. Here's the ones I've seen so far for those that are interested: Bad Dudes, Burger Time, Dig Dug, Galaga, Galaxian, Space Invaders, Pacman, Asteroids, Frogger, Qbert, and a few others I can't remember. (I'll post when I go back to the market)

[@Video-Games-Are-Fun]

bad dudes is GREAT

[@koga924]

@@Video-Games-Are-Fun lol, I guess 'Karate Champ' is too, that one is also available.

[@Video-Games-Are-Fun]

karate champ is one of my favorite games on the nes, right next to super c and tmnt 2

[@koga924]

@@Video-Games-Are-Fun The absolute Legend.

[@bugdood1]

Don't forget Rampage

[@AtomicShrimp]

I think the hardware inside these might be a variant of the 'famiclone' consoles that are all over Wish - they're cheaper than this and typically have lots of games on them, although these little cabinets are probably properly licensed games, and I have to admit the cabinet design does have a certain appeal.

[@MDPToaster]

I wonder if Ashens will store these in the oven with his Arcade Board he and Dan nearly preheated.

[@TheCatpirate]

MDP_Toaster Maybe that will fix the sound problem in them

[@chamoo232]

I remember that video. Beer bread or something.

[@MDPToaster]

chamoo232 Wasn’t it Larry The Cable Guy’s Beer Bread?

[@chamoo232]

Pretty sure it was. I remember 2 videos where they went in Stu's kitchen and one was for a cheap soda fountain kit but they didn't use the oven then.

[@tiaxanderson9725]

That's surprisingly good. Plus it looks fairly easy to mod a tiny audio switch or toggle in it

[@sebman6031]

it's so 4k that I can see the little bit of flesh sticking out of Ashens's cuticule

[@Graytail]

Ashens, if you open up this machine and look inside you'll see eight little contact pads labled A,B,C,D. One pair will be bridged by a surface mount 0 ohm resistor. If you take that resistor off and bridge any of the other pairs, you get a different game! Yes, there are four games in this mini arcade range, and every machine has ALL the games in it. Fit a four position switch using those pads and you can select whichever game you want. Galaxian in a Pacman machine? THATS 80s!

[@Graytail]

The only down side to these machines really, is when you turn them on they'll run the demo once, then they go to standby. No sound or display =\

[@MrMickio1]

Kinda surprised you missed this when opening it up but the little part with letters A through D is actually a bunch of dip switches that are used to change the games! all 4 games are on the same PCB and with a bit of hacking you can change which game is played when you start it!

[@SpaceDave3000]

These have jumpers inside and if you attach dip switches to them you can play all the different games that these have been released with, they're all on the same chip, just with different "cabinets".

[@MelkiorMonster]

Good lord Blanca's posed perfect for that thing. Someone make a Street Fighter 2 paintjob on the little machine and that'd be a great shelf piece.

[@Mace2.0]

I got good ol' Space Invaders, and now it sits on top of my dresser, along side with a funko Emperor Claptrap, and two stacks of Sterlite drawers full of Hot Wheels, and misc. tools n' stuff.

[@Mace2.0]

Although, this is the only one that's a Taito game, it still has the same-mold-but-different-stickers type of ordeal like the others.

[@Zekium]

Small fact about those machines : Each machine actually contain the 4 games in it and the choice depend on a simple contact on the circuit. If you pause the video at exactly 8:00, you'll see A,B,C and D where only the C have solder in it. Some people hacked it using some sort of button to choose which part is connected and choosing the game.

[@testarossa7993]

I'd love it if they made something like this but shaped like a controller with the same screen and crammed with loads of genuinely good classic games. You could use it as a keyring and play it at work when noone's looking. Or even shove it up your bottom to smuggle it in places where such equipment is forbidden.

[@hicknopunk]

In Japan these were sold years ago in working and non working flavors. They had no keychain and were for doll houses. The usa ones look cheaper too, but cost less.

[@Stucc0Dude]

See the ABCD solder points on the back? The resistor on there is what sets the game. So if you solder a 4 ways switch to it you can have all 4 games on a single unit. Saw that on Element 14.

[@kendon81]

I want an arcade machine with mid 90's and early 00's classics and some light gun games.

[@bendubu]

Everything MUST have a keyring attachment!!! My dog hates his ✌🏼

[@Alb_01]

I had a Puck-Monster ...if only I had thought about the marker pen idea when I was a kid!

[@cheezburgerforcats]

Talking about the whole Pac Man name change thing immediately made me think of Scott Pilgrim. I'm curious if that's just me.

[@sebastianchristie8785]

cheezburgerforcats not just you

[@maxscardanelli6185]

cheezburgerforcats Not just you either.

[@alecsteve7138]

Haha, yeah, that was the first thing to come to my mind.

[@Pokemanic33]

Did you know that the original name for Pac-Man was Puck-Man? You’d think it was because he looks like a hockey puck but it actually comes from the Japanese phrase ‘Paku-Paku,’ which means to flap one’s mouth open and closed. They changed it because they thought Puck-Man would be too easy to vandalize, you know, like people could just scratch off the P and turn it into an F or whatever.

[@ChuffedDom]

That peeling bit of skin on your thumb is driving me nuts.

[@twitchster77]

I'm about to blow Ashen's mind! Maybe those aren't made for keys...but to hang off of your backpack or purse? That's why they have the fast/easy release rings?

[@UnlikelyYuusha]

Saw this video and even though I knew it wasn't gonna be the case I fully expected these to be Pop-Stations.

[@snowyicicle1335]

I'm collecting these. I have space invaders and the joystick is strange but it's cheap and it literally is really accurate to the games. I love them

[@AroundIndiana]

As tacky as it may be it's actually kind of cool

[@tncorgi92]

Dan Nerdcubed could make a little arcade from Lego and put some of these in it.

[@theatheistcowboy4227]

"It's too bloody big to go on me keys!" - Ashens (paraphrased) I think the hook is for whatever kind of bag you happen to carry, mate...

[@DanRC69]

If you have any pet mice, stick these in their cage. It'll entertain them (and you) for ages, until it gets covered in poop.

[@TheTrickzOBear]

Been a 2 year gap... same sofa love it!

[@theplasmapro8343]

Wait, this was produced by SI? Since when have measurement systems produced small arcade machines?

[@crackedemerald4930]

ThePlasmaPro hard times bro...

[@KernelLeak]

Nah, it was Swimsuits Illustrated...

[@velabuuv1081]

Ashens dont forget About your up coming Dolmio day you said You were going to eat pasta sauce until you puke

[@atomicetrigan]

He should do a live stream of it

[@leons.kennedy2747]

I put this in my calender :^)

[@velabuuv1081]

•TheKaisTzar • I rewatched it realized how close it was

[@raymondpjoyce]

whensa his dolmio day?/

[@velabuuv1081]

Raymond Joyce August 23rd 2018

[@MMDAMV]

I was expecting those dinky little LCD screens! They're proper full color screens!

[@JamesMossR33]

I bought Space Invaders from the US after watching Techmoan's video, and fitted a 4-way dip switch package in the back where the chain attached. Fiddly to do but I now have the 4 games (+ a test mode). When I think how many 10p pieces I pumped into these machines in the 80s. Space Invaders has a typo - TATIO

[@preferredimage]

7:59 if you mod those ABCD links, you can get one console to play all 4 games. Easiest way is to wire the joystick lines for up/down/left/right to those 4 pads and you are done!

[@christphern]

Ben Heck took one apart and discovered that they all share the same board. They just were wired up to have a certain game load. He wired a switch to his and made it so he could select whichever game he wanted without having to buy the others.

[@hellsingmongrel]

I remember seeing these sold as diy kits a few months back, where you put it all together and possibly had to print your own mini cabinet? But I wasn't able to get one at the time. I'd love one with Mario 3 installed, but I doubt Nintendo would allow that.

[@catzmacpherson3186]

All the purchasable games are already on the chip. look at the circuit board, unsolder the jumper across A.B.C or D and then solder a switch or jumper across either A -B- C or D to access a different game. 4 games in total

[@ChongMcBong]

i'm fairly sure that these have all 4 games on them, and can be selected by shorting solder pads on the board (or could add a switch to choose)

[@thewolfin]

Ben Heck has shown that all the games are on the same chip - they just use hardware jumpers (0 ohm surface mount resistors) to enable which game you get. Reminds me of the outrage over on-disc DLC. It makes sense though, you get that satisfaction of collecting them all, perfect to capitalize on, ala gachapon.

[@TheAweDude1]

Oh man, finally a device that can play all my classic arcade games and fit in the palm of my hand! What, oh no, not the tiny arcades machines. I was talking about my phone.

[@EmeraldJunkie]

It was an itsy bitsy, teenie weenie, little ol' arcade machiney, that he played for the first time today

[@marakarthegreat]

all we need now is a space harrier one

[@onedeadsaint]

I just realized you have 1.3 Million subs! wow!

[@jimneegs3887]

All 4 games are available on each of these keychains, you just have to flip a dipswitch inside. With some ingenuity you can wire the dipswitch to the joystick and avoid having to open the back!

[@jimneegs3887]

edit: Just remembered when I saw him open the back, it's not a dipswitch, you have to resolder a jumper I think.

[@nobetternickname]

i could be wrong but it looks like blanka has tippex on the bottom of one of his feet so that 'little johnny' can tell which toys are his. xD don't want to lose him in the playground now do we!

[@AdamBarnett256]

These seem much better than the slightly bigger Data East machines they were sharing shelf space with.

[@AnarchyEngineer]

Fun fact: those little cabinets contain all the games on offer. The game it comes with is controlled via a 0 ohm resister which bridges a connection (you'll see 4 pads in a row and 1 will be connected via a resister). You can cheat by wiring up a 4 way switch to those pads so you can toggle between the different games without having to buy new cabinets at stupid prices.

[@RobiticDuck]

As someone with a push to start car, I could use a Tiny Arcade on my key ring. But it would look rather odd next to my various keys and Swiss Army knife.

[@otakon17]

This reminds me of those tiny arcade cabinets from Gremlins.

[@luciascarlet]

I'm pleasantly surprised that these aren't just POP Stations

[@Sazandora123]

Oh gosh these are so cute. I need these in my life.

[@PaulPaulsen]

on the back of the board are 4 links labeled A-D, those are for selecting the game. these have all 4 games built in to the chip, and get selected there. people already "hacked" those by soldering a 4-gang switch to the bridges and are therefor able to switch between all 4 games on one arcade...

[@Michirin9801]

Good for the novelty, but if you *really* wanna play these games anywhere on a small screen just get them on whatever handheld you happen to own, it most certainly has a version of these because Namco loves porting their games onto everything and then some...

[@kat.]

Just saw these at a Walmart last week! $25 CAD. Very tempting...

[@CardiffDrumAndBass]

That's actually amazing. I want one.

[@simonj48]

If you really enjoy arcades, and retro vhs projector movies and a few handheld games... New Retro Arcade: Neon on steam, grab your vr headset and go to er the arcade(?). completely configurable arcade setup with what ever games you want to throw at it, including cab type and artwork. what ever movies you want on the 'cinema' and handheld gaming. Ashens should definitely do a review of it.

[@Dorelaxen]

I got 3 of these for Christmas last year. They are so damn cool.

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

I'm holding out for the Galaga model. I love the concept and the execution, but I've never been a tremendous fan of Pac-Man or Q*Bert so I can wait a bit.

[@bakonfreek]

They sell these at the box mart where my soul is currently traded as a commodity among the higher up personnel. That's all good, I get discounts and stuff on this if I really want one. The sell for like $12 (US) here but I can get them for $~10. Better yet, Walmart's site will be selling full sized MAME cabinets soon for like $300 or $400, each with 4 or 5 games.