The Best Home Arcade Machines

In the fighting game genre, 1993's Mortal Kombat II may or may not be the GOAT, but it is inarguably the spot where the cresting wave finally broke and rolled back. Sending a sizzle of lightning from Raiden's hands to your opponent on the classic six-button arcade version remains a thrill, especially given the excellent sound from this Arcade1Up cabinet. This machine is relatively easy to assemble (budget 90 minutes) and comes kitted with eye-catching graphics, a bright 17-inch screen, and booming speakers. The plethora of punching and kicking buttons takes up a lot of space and means you'll be shouldering up to your opponent, which is fine unless they're overly annoyed about getting their spine ripped out by Sub-Zero.

In addition to four trips through the Outworld (the console is also pre-loaded with the original MK and two versions of the disappointing third installment), you get 10 more classics, including Paperboy (way harder than I remember!) and Toobin'. —Martin Cizmar

Your average Elder Millennial or Gen X dude with a space to outfit dude-type stuff can hardly ask for a better addition than an NBA Jam cabinet. One of the most iconic games of the ‘90s, thanks to its wildly popular console ports, the three-button gameplay is simple enough to make it immediately accessible to anyone while providing a deep basket of Easter eggs, cheat codes, and special gameplay modes to reward replay. Note that ’90s icons Bill Clinton and Hugo the Hornet mascot are missing from the arcade version here, and are only found on the console versions. But you get buttery-smooth arcade graphics, plus unlockable big head mode, rooftop courts, and other fun secrets. There's an online gameplay mode, though I didn't have much luck with it, and this cabinet only comes with three basketball games. —Martin Cizmar

We’ve been fans of Evercade since the original handheld, and the Evercade VS-R is our favorite retro console, but arcade fans should go for the wonderful Evercade Alpha (9/10, WIRED Recommends). WIRED contributor Matt Kamen described it as an unparalleled arcade gaming experience with a brilliant screen and controls in an authentic-feeling bartop cabinet design. Each themed machine features a different set of games, from Street Fighter to Mega Man, but you can also insert existing Evercade cartridges from the enormous library available. There are more than 500 titles now on carts that mostly cost between $20 and $30. This machine has an 8-inch screen, a light-up marquee with interchangeable art, and a joystick with six face buttons.

The arcade controls may be designed for one, but there are two USB-A ports for plugging in controllers for multiplayer or for games that work better with a controller. Kamen says it’s not the fastest to boot and only supports 2.4-GHz Wi-Fi, but found little else to complain about. The emulation is solid, and you can save your progress to make some of those lengthy arcade runs a little easier (there is a no-save Competition Mode for purists). It's sadly out of stock most places right now, but we expect a restock or new version to drop soon.

Few will remember SNK’s Neo Geo console from 1990, such was the dominance of Nintendo and Sega at the time, but it matched the performance of the company’s multi-video-system (MVS) arcade cabinets. The newer Neo Geo Mini emulates an arcade cabinet. It has a tiny 3.4-inch screen and a joystick with four buttons. It’s a little awkward to play on, so you may prefer to buy a Neo Geo Mini Pad controller. You get a power cable in the box, but you’ll need an AC adapter, and you can buy an HDMI to Mini-HDMI cable to play on your TV.

With 40 games presented in true arcade style, including a prompt to spend credits when you die, the emulation is excellent. Plus, SNK added the option to save and return to any point. It’s a fighting-heavy lineup of games, including series like Metal Slug, King of Fighters, Fatal Fury, and Samurai Showdown. There are some fun games you’ll struggle to find elsewhere, and the arcade cabinet design makes it a great desk ornament.

Nothing competes with a Stern King Kong pinball machine, but if you don’t have $7,000 spare, the AtGames Legends Pinball 4KP starts from $1,600 and offers the chance to play multiple digital pinball games. AtGames offers themed machines, including Star Trek, Peanuts, and The Addams Family machine I tested (the Premium Deluxe costing $2,350). This is a full-sized pinball machine that uses a 4K 32-inch display as the playfield with a 23.8-inch screen above to show scores and theming. The advantage of this setup is that you can change the table you are playing, and AtGames offers a large library of more than 100 tables.

You’ll need help putting it together, but it’s relatively quick and easy to do (I was unlucky and had a blown fuse on the board that took some time to figure out and fix—AtGames support is less than stellar). The controls are great, with flipper buttons, a plunger, and nudge buttons that include a vibrating rumble. It can’t quite compete with the tactile joy of a real pinball machine, but the ability to switch tables adds serious longevity. My wife and I had a ton of fun playing The Addams Family table, complete with authentic music from the show and little details like Thing popping up to claim your ball.

The Picade (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a mini arcade cabinet kit that comes in two sizes, with an 8-inch or 10-inch screen, boxes full of components, and instructions for assembly. It’s a fun project that only takes a few hours to put together. Add a Raspberry Pi, a USB-C power supply, and a microSD card with the RetroPie operating system, and you have an arcade cabinet that can play ROMs for just about any retro system you can think of. But you do need to supply your own game ROMs. (Playing licensed games you have not purchased is illegal.)

We had a blast playing Ms. Pac-Man, Super Bomberman, and Galaga on this desktop cabinet. The authentic arcade controls are durable and comfortable for intense sessions. Because it has a Raspberry Pi inside, there’s a lot of scope for customization on the software side, and you can also create your own cabinet art or switch hardware components to get the look and feel you want. The Picade is one possibility, but you can always use a Raspberry Pi to build your own retro gaming console and plug it into your TV. It’s a solid option to get several systems in one.