Giving a taste of nostalgia in a compact, even travel-friendly way is New Wave Toys with their line of RepliCade machines. RepliCade’s are mini arcade cabinets that are actually functional and allow users to play a classic arcade game. Their current RepliCade lineup includes 1942, 1943, Dragon’s Lair (Black and Red Editions), Space Ace, Q*bert, Street Fighter II, and more. They have also recently announced the release of Missile Command in both Standard and Field Test Editions. Plus, a glimpse on their front page and it looks like Food Fight is their next upcoming RepliCade!

Personally, I got to try out the classic jumping-based title Q*bert RepliCade and it is definitely exactly what you would hope for. The machine functions very simply where you just hit the button on top to turn it on or off with the volume wheel right next to it. The design of the machine matches that of the real arcade cabinet, even though many of the different aspects don’t actually function. Really, you just have to press the left button replicating the coin slot to get a play credit.

One of the nicer touches to the machine is how it lights up when you turn it on. It looks quite literally, down to the lighting style, exactly like a miniature version of the actual arcade cabinets. In the picture above, you can see the back, sides, and front of the machine in both the off and on positions. I made sure not to use flash when I took the picture of it turned on so you can see the retro lighting in all of its nostalgic glory!

As for what comes in the box itself, you have a very well-packed cabinet in one piece with firm styrofoam covering it properly. Along with the cabinet, you will find a user manual, a small set of arcade tokens that are sized in accordance with the machine (you do not need to use the tokens to turn the machine on), and a charging cable. Since the cabinet runs on a battery source, you just need to charge it before you take it somewhere, but the battery does last quite a while so this shouldn’t be a concerning factor.

If you are looking for an awesome gift for a gamer friend you know or perhaps you are a fan of the classics and collecting cool nostalgic items, then these RepliCade machines might be just what you are looking for. They are completely functional, come in a specialized collector’s box, are just as easy to pull out and play with as they are to safely put back away, and each comes with everything you need to enjoy a good classic game from the past. Each RepliCade machine runs at a slightly different price, but will likely be within the range of $139.99 to $199.99 USD.