Back in September of 2003 Kevin reviewed the older model of the Act-Labs PC USB Light Gun, but since then there has been an updated model released. The new model sports a much different form factor and actually looks like a real pistol having shed the previous model's "ray-gun" look.

A RetroBlast First: The "Stealth" Review

After many unsuccessful attempts by RetroBlast to secure a proper review unit of the recently released upright Midway Arcade Treasures game cabinet now available at Target stores nationwide, I decided to conduct a “stealth review” using a display unit at a local store. While I was unable to perform the usual dissection of the components, the in-store inspection and subsequent play testing provided all the insight needed to write this review. Is this unit a serious contender in the home use retrogaming cabinet market or just a poor attempt at recreating the arcade experience? Let’s find out.

Update: Check out Page 2 of this review for internal shots of the cab.

This roundup review is of the Wico 8-way leaf joystick, a true classic joystick which was used in many arcade games, but is no longer being manufactured. The original review of this joystick was of a "well-used" version, and there were some questions about how the joystick would test with a NOS (New Old Stock) version. Thanks to a generous loan by Robbie Fusinato, I have had just such an opportunity for testing.

The QuasicadePRO is Quasimoto’s top-of-the-line arcade game system. Just in case you don’t know, the QuasicadePRO enables you to hook up a Xbox, PlayStation 1 or 2, GameCube and/or PC in the cabinet and play games just like as if you were at the arcade!

    Adding LED lighting to a control panel adds that extra arcade "bling" that helps give your MAME cab a true arcade machine vibe — let's face it, arcade machines were not known for being subdued. The flashier the better, and since MAME even includes support for using the keyboard LEDs as indicatior in some games, you might as well take advantage of it.

    Of course, it's not quite as easy as just plugging in LEDs. Each LED will require a limiting resistor (or you'll burn it out), and you'll need to figure out what value of resistor to use and then wire everything up. Luckily, GameCab Inc. has come out with an LED Driver board that greatly simplifies the process.

Okay, so you've either decided to build a MAME cab and you're going to do it up right with a new, authentic arcade monitor, or you just got a great deal on an old arcade cabinet, and it has a working arcade monitor already in it. So, the next question is, how do you hook the arcade monitor up to your PC?

My recommendation? Get your hands on an ArcadeVGA card from Ultimarc. It's a "plug-n-play" solution to interfacing an original arcade monitor with a PC, and is configured with practically every custom arcade resolution you'll ever need. If you want a simple and quick way to get your MAME cabinet up and running, this is it.

Kevin Steele
February, 2005

The Ultimarc joysticks arrived wrapped in brown packing paper and the ball-top upgrades were additionally encased in lengthy Ziploc plastic bags. All items were perfectly intact despite the long hop over the pond.

The Happ Controls Ultimate joystick is a bit of an anomaly in the Happ lineup of joysticks. Why? Because, quite honestly, it's a lousy joystick. There is not much I liked about this joystick, and I'm afraid this review is going to seem more like a laundry list of complaints than a balanced examination.

The Quest Begins