Not all of us are fortunate enough to have the time, space, or means to cultivate our own personal retro arcade. Though many people would love the opportunity to chomp pellets on a vintage Pac-Man or destroy Space Invaders, finding original hardware can be tough. And let’s be honest, part of what we arcade veterans miss the most isn’t necessarily the games, it’s the atmosphere. That dim, dingy, and noisy environment of the arcade was one of the biggest allures of many a misspent youth. Thankfully, with physical arcades few and far between, virtual reality can now deliver the game room of your dreams!
Digital Cybercherries has recently released a new and improved NewRetroArcade version 3 to the public! Developed as an exercise in programming using Unreal® Engine 4, the arcade is a loving throwback to the grim and gritty game rooms from the ’80s and ’90s. The immersive environment is best-suited for users of the Oculus Rift virtual reality technology, but is also available for non-VR play.
The big appeal of NewRetroArcade is not just the ability to play retro video games, but the detailed accuracy of everything surrounding the virtual space. A finely-tuned physics engine allows users to interact with objects, throw darts, shoot basketballs, and bowl strikes in the 10-pin bowling alley. As you hop from game to game, you can also insert your favorite cassette tape into the boombox to jam to your favorite tunes. Complete with blacklight carpet, it seems the only thing missing is the smell of stale pizza.
The free download only offers emulation technology to run the different consoles and systems, but not the actual game ROMs themselves. When I asked the developers about the legality of the virtual reality game room shown in the video above, Digital Cybercherries responded:
The NewRetroArcade does not actually come with ANY illegal ROMs whatsoever, users may be directed to locations where files and packs can be obtained but nothing is shipped with the game itself. If you download it fresh and choose not to download the game packs, you’ll still have a functional environment with great internet-streamed music and a few good mini-games like bowling, darts and basketball. People do have the option to use the Arcade Builder inside the Launcher to modify the Arcade, adding their own ROMs and custom arcade cabinet art. Even custom SNES cartridges, posters and the music can be changed by people to make their own little slice of retro-heaven.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of legal options out there for retro game ROMs including these arcade classics directly from the MAME developers. Regardless of what games you personally install, the product itself is outstanding. Get it and enjoy it while you can, however. There’s no guarantee that NewRetroArcade will continue to be supported since now that Digital Cybercherries has mastered Unreal Engine technology, their focus has shifted to their first actual title release currently under wraps. For now, simply enjoy this masterfully crafted bit of retro nostalgia.
But I want an arcade, a real arcade where I can take my kids and give them a half-roll of quarters each and let them walk around and discover games, but NOT GET TICKETS. I want to try to get the high score on Galaga and play Shinobi for the 100th time and still not get very far. I want to walk up beside someone playing Street Fighter and hope that I am better than him.
Now, I am sad.
See if you can plug into the collector community where you live. Some of the best retro game rooms are in your neighbors basements.
How about this http://pcardboard.com/3d-virtual-reality-helmet-medium 3D Virtual reality Helmet? Who have tried already?
I heard what its the same as Oculus but cheaper just using smartphone.
@nailscars A man after my own heart! Thanks for that.
I heartily agreed with Preston: “And let’s be honest, part of what we arcade veterans miss the most isn’t necessarily the games, it’s the atmosphere.” My son is a gigantic vintage coin-op fan, and we have pins in the basement, a way-over-the-top Hyperspin setup on the PC, and a modded original Xbox with dozens of emulators on it too (for travel!), but he has to be content to hear me do my best to paint the verbal picture of what it was like to actually visit those dedicated dark rooms back in the day, with the unforgettable electronic symphonies of sound and pixels within.
Preston is also right about your local collector scene–chances are good there’s someone nearby who can give your kids a good taste of what we remember so fondly–thankfully, no quarters required, and no ticket counter in sight! You should also try visiting a game show like the SFGE. Your face will hurt on Monday from smiling all weekend.
Thanks for letting us know about NewRetroArcade, Preston! My son is going to love it.
I take it this is PC only Preston? Typically an Unreal (or Unity 3D) based game can be released on just about any platform painlessly… but maybe with the MAME emulation in here it’s a bit more complicated than normal. I didn’t see any Mac specific info on their site. Sad about that.
have the same idea a long time ago, is cool that someone finally do it! downloading right now! 🙂
guiga2@hotmail.com