The iiRcade Creates a Unique Ecosystem for Indies, Retro, and More

Satisfying clicks chirp from the base of the joystick, complimented by the tell-tale sound of buttons being rapped. Dim light reveals just enough to not mask the halls of lights and sound, a cacophony to some, a symphony to others. While the true height of arcades was lost before my time, it’s an era of creativity that I yearn to get a taste of. With gaming far more popular and more accessible now than it was prior, there are more ways to get a similar arcade experience at home. One of the more unique approaches is a series of systems from iiRcade, a unit I found recently that features its own online storefront stacked with officially licensed games. 

While firing up various beat-em-ups, shooters, or fighting games on an arcade cabinet may be excessive, there’s something to be said about how different playing a game can feel on one. The iiRcade unit comes in a few options but ultimately this is a two-player bartop arcade system with an optional stand for a height similar to a traditional cabinet. There have also been unique skins made available such as the Double Dragon, Dragon’s Lair, or RetroMania Wrestling (an indie tribute to pixelated wrestling games) with more likely to come later on. Each unit comes with 11 titles pre-loaded with highlights being Dragon’s Lair, Gunbird, and Double Dragon. The twist is that players can buy additional games to download to the cabinet. 

What interests me most about the iiRcade system is that there are several indies showing up on the market, typically modified slightly for better parity on the unit. This is how I initially discovered that iiRcade even existed; the developers of the indie Metroidvania Dandara noted that their game was available on the platform. There are a lot of gems on this platform with games like Sydney Hunter and the Curse of the Mayan (one we covered in review and with an interview with John Lester), Dead Cells (review here), Evoland 2, and there are more on the way. It’s not just pixelated-style games either. The iiRcade will soon have the brutality of Mutant League Football: Dynasty Edition on the unit. There’s plenty of indies we would love to see on the system too like Hollow Knight, Skellboy (Interview with devs on our podcast feed), or Little Nightmares. Even better would be a lightgun attachment and a port of Enter the Gungeon: House of the Gundead that is currently limited to a specific arcade cabinet for 2022.  

Now, with any arcade-style unit, there is the price to consider. Starting at $599 USD, getting into this ecosystem will cost a pretty penny and most hardcore arcade players will probably want the pro-version which has Sanwa parts at $799 USD. The system itself must also be constructed once arrived but our colleague and bastion of retro knowledge John Riggs mentioned in his review that the build process was simple enough.

We have asked iiRcade for additional insight, specifically about how users could modify or upgrade their unit and what the development side of the platform looks like. However, judging by the forums and resources on their website, it appears to be a vibrant community for devs and players alike. 

FULL SPECS

Display: 19" - 1280x1024 LCD

Audio: l00W, power amplifier, dual stereo speakers

CPU: 1.8GHz Hexa-Core

GPU: 800MHz Max Quad-Core

RAM: 4GB Dual-Channel LPDDR4X

Storage: 64GB

Controllers: Two 8-way Premium Sanwa-style joysticks/19 Premium Sanwa-style buttons

Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5

Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.2, Wireless Headset Support

Headset: 3.5mm Wired, Bluetooth Wireless

TV Connect: HDMI Out

OS: iiRcadeOS based on Android, Optimized for Gaming

Optional Cabinet: Premium MDF

Dimensions: Bartop 20" (w) X 21.5" (d) X 24" (h), approx. 40lbs

Of course, more information about the iiRcade is available on the official website.