Bring the Arcade Home! New Wave Toys 1942x Replicade Unboxing & Review

In this episode, we unbox and test out the New Wave Toys 1942 X Replicade 1/6 scale arcade cabinet.

Back in the '80s, going to the arcade was a regular adventure. Here you can try to rescue a princess, escape the police, or be part of the rebel alliance & a traitor. As many arcades closed over the years, their cabinets found their way into collector's homes, but these were not cheap. For those who wanted to bring the arcade experience home, you often had to pay thousands of dollars. This is where New Wave Toys comes into play with their Replicade series of cabinets.

Designed from the ground up to emulate the arcade experience perfectly in 1/6 scale, these desktop cabinets make it possible to get that arcade experience for a fraction of the cost. One of the most popular arcade cabinets of all time was 1942, and the follow-up 1943. New Wave Toys has put both of them in one unit which is what you see here, the 1942 X Replicade.

One of the things that they pride themselves on is using arcade accurate ROMs for their cabinets. This means that you are getting as close to an authentic gaming experience as possible. They also work diligently to replicate the graphics on the sides, the coin slots on the front, even the backlit marquees, no detail was overlooked. One interesting thing in the menu that I found was the fact that you can add scan lines if you so desire that look.

One of the really cool features about the 1942 X is the inclusion of an external controller. You connect this by a USB cable, and New Wave Toys even indicated that other third-party USB controllers may be compatible. That's very exciting! I've used their external controller before on their Street Fighter cabinet and found that they work quite well. One unfortunate thing is that, unlike that Street Fighter cabinet, there's no storage built in the 1942 X for the controller when not in use.

You can power the 1942 X via a micro USB cable, which is included, and an external AC adapter, which is not. There is also an integrated battery for you to play completely wireless. I have found in the past that battery life on these cabinets is very, very good, yielding many hours of gameplay between charges. I will also say there is a low voltage cutoff built into the unit, so if you forget to turn it off you're not going to ruin the battery. Not that I've done that. Many times. D'OH!

Gameplay is nothing short of exceptional, something I expected with an arcade accurate ROM. I did not expect the speakers to be as boomingly loud as they were. Like holy cow! As I played, I found myself liking the joystick on the cabinet better, but the buttons on the controller better. I'm not a fan of micro switches, and I thought the buttons on the cabinet were a little bit too low profile for my fingers.

Why it RoX:
- Aesthetically beautiful and arcade accurate
- Includes 1942 and 1943
- 2-player compatible
- Included external USB controller
- Scan line options
- HDMI out to connect to a television
- Reasonably priced
- Great battery life

What could be improved:
- Buttons on the cabinet are too low profile for my tastes
- HDMI outs can look blurry on larger displays
- No integrated storage for controller
- It takes a very long time to boot
- AC adapter not included

Should you buy one?
This is not the first time that 1942 or 1943 has been made available for collectors, so this cabinet does have some competition. The ROM is 100% arcade accurate, they did a terrific job with that. The display is sharp, and the gameplay is fantastic. All of this said this is a great display piece for anyone's collection, and the included USB controller makes it even more playable. The construction quality is amazing, and the reasonable cost reduces the barrier to entry. If you are a fan of shoot 'em ups, this is definitely one you need to consider for your collection.

#NewWaveToys #1942x #Replicade #Arcade

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(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)