Attention all you 80's arcade fanatics! These new officially licensed, fully working, keychain arcade cabinets by Super Impulse, are just too cool. I found mine at Toy"R"Us the other day and set me back 20 bucks. Was it worth it? Well, let's take a look, as this self-proclaimed, worlds smallest fully functional arcade game, is a sight to behold.
It looks as if there are four total cabinets currently available. Pac-Man, Mrs. Pac-Man, Galaxian, and Space Invaders. We're gonna examine Pac-Man, as it was the only one left on the pegs. These fully functional games run on three AAA batteries which are included. Pac-Man has all the telltale markings of its much larger counterpart. Accurate sideart along with a lighted marquee add an overall exceptional portrayal. Get out those reading glasses though, as the color LCD screen measures roughly 1.5 inches! For those with good vision, you won't have a hard time viewing this tiny display as its surprisingly sharp.
Checking out the game-play and I have to say I'm impressed. On the control panel, you have a 4-way thumbstick and two buttons. To start a game, there's an on/off switch on the back. Switch it on, press any button, and get to playing. The sounds are all there and sound very accurate and loud. It looks to be running some sort of emulation which isn't surprising nowadays as the technology keeps shrinking. The frame rate is a bit slow but is very consistent. This little game is just as addicting as the quarter-munching giant.
Oddly, this is marketed as a keychain. The keychain novelty is a bit far-fetched. Although small, honestly I can't see anyone carrying these games around in their pocket. Overall this little arcade is impressive and will no doubt bring smiles to just about anyone who get their thumbs on it. It would have been cool to have implemented a coin slot of some sort, but being this cabinet is slightly shorter than a deck of cards, that demand would definitely need some tricky engineering.
Great job Super Impulse! This mini-marvel is nostalgically delicious.