Awesome video! I would love to have one of those :) The only problem with these upgraded My Arcade's is that the price went from "Wow that's an awesome faithful to the original gadget/gimmick to have, gonna recommend it to everyone!" to "that's pretty cool but nah might aswell buy...(insert a bunch of things)" That's how it is with the pricing in The Netherlands, it's a jump from 30 to 60 euros (!!). Don't get me started on the Streetfighter II unit, which is 80!
Wow! I love those early 16 bit games. Really neat when they figured out parallax scrolling and how to make the backgrounds scroll against the foreground. Must've blown the minds of Gen Xers. (sadly, I grew up in an era when everything had already been accomplished, graphics-wise and each subsequent generation was more of a refinement than a drastic, groundbreaking shift.)
We didn't know what a parallax scroll was back then. My friends and I always just said, "Have you seen the graphics? It's almost real!" Little did we know.
I totally forgot to mention this but I used to have a Contra LCD from Konami back in the 90's. Limited in gameplay but still fun. If you can find one at a reasonable price you should get one. 👾
One thing that I think My Arcade could do that isn't game-related: include some stickers and badges in the box. Retrobit does that with their NES Data East collection, and as nerd, it was really cool to see them go the extra mile for the fans.
At the moment, it seems that all of these little units, be they My Arcade or Basic Fun, have dried up. I think additional swag like you suggest would be a great value-add for a future wave. (Which we all know is coming... just a matter of time!)
The arcade was definitely superior to the NES version. So much more badass and gritty. I wish this thing held more than just 1 game tho. Super Contra should have been on here, especially for that price.
Another great review. I’m really tired of the bat-top stick + Dpad combo, keep that for the non-premium units. That said, there’s a good chance I’ll be getting this as although I prefer the NES version, I still like arcade Contra a lot and am impressed it seems to be the proper rom with no compromises. Plus, Contra is second only to Gradius for my favorite Konami franchise (hey, Arcade Gradius would be a great Premium addition if anyone at My Arcade is by any chance reading, just please use a nice metal shaft ball & stick on these from now on). The arcade marquee lighting up is nice too! But I still need to order my Premium Space Invaders unit so will save this one for a future purchase.
Seeing how they can do arcade roms, I'm really hoping they do a Bubble Bobble re-release with the original rom _and_ two player support. $50 though, I feel is a tad bit much, but regardless, this is big steps in the right direction.
Also, fun fact about this machine: When it was first showcased during My Arcade's 2019 toy booth, not only did they show an early version of this machine, but a not so good one at that. They used the original My Arcade mahcine model, meaning the arcade rom was showing with a bunch of black bars on the side, and ontop of that, it ran terribly with frame skipping and everything. So the final product here is a *huge* improvement compared to that early build.
@@GenXGrownUp Agreed, the price is definitely a bit much. I think it would've been neat if once you bought one of these COVS machines, inside was a code you could use on My Arcade's website to purchase the same machine for a discount price. I think doing that, while it would require more work, would get a lot more people on board with buying two of the same machines for two player.
found this for $30 at a goodwill... naturally grabbed it, and for that price I'm pleased (even though contra isn't exactly the game I'm best at). ps: street fighter my arcade might be coming out in april???
I'm surprised it was that expensive at Goodwill, but nice find nonetheless, Tumble. I haven't yet seen a date for MA's Street Fighter, do you have an info souce?
I just won one of these the other day at Round 1. Bummed that the classic Contra/Konami code doesn’t work but I guess that comes with it being the arcade port of the game. All around fun little cabinet and great review. Mind you if I hadn’t won it with tickets at an arcade, if I had the choice I would have bought it via Playstation or Xbox if I had the choice. Keeps cost low, and multiplayer included without shelling out $100.
Thanks! Oh, if I had to pick one I'd definitely go for the Karate Champ. Pac-Man is a dime-a-dozen, but those less popular machines are nice to have in a collection.
These things should be $30, tops. It's still nice to see My Arcade actually producing quality products now, versus the NES ROM-infested crap they were putting on shelves previously.
Yeah, Chubzdoomer, this one felt pretty pricey for what was delivered, for sure. You've seen the Space Invaders they did a few weeks back, didn't you? It's pretty remarkable and only $40. th-cam.com/video/toNj8jkGKxw/w-d-xo.html
These are cool but you either spend the money on arcade 1up stuff or the Neo Geo mini and the upcoming Sega Astro mini both which have like 30 plus something games. I don’t mind the arcade rom despite knowing contra mostly on nes, these mini arcades need arcade gameplay.
Maybe? That would've been a quick turn-around from July to February. The big-muscles/big-guns film was already a cinema staple in the early- to mid-eighties so I always assumed Contra got its primary inspiration from those films.
just grabbed one today, target had it on clearance for 14.99, i couldnt say no to that price :), they coulda tacked on super contra at least like the handheld :\
@@GenXGrownUp if you think thats awesome, target was selling space invaders for the same price too, the one in my area was sold out but the one on the other side of my city has 1 left, im stocked now :)
Looks great, as expected, though it would have been nice to see a proper sunshade top like all of the old arcade cabinets had instead of the wings. The graphics look excellent, but not exact to the original game (like you showed at the start), so I think this is a port of some kind. Could just be a limitation of the LCD screen. Also, the contrast is too high, making the shadows too bright. I don't see why all of these arcade mini releases don't use the actual original ROMS for proper accuracy in gameplay instead of NES or other ports.
For me personally? No. But only because I didn’t start collecting these things on the ground floor. Like pop figures, they seemed a very slippery slope. For a collector, you really gotta have em all.
You would also have to factor in how much you'll play it and if you have someone that will play along side you and how much a second one would be needed for me having two boys I needed two and they've got their use I'd give these around 4 coins because they could of done better like dropping the price to 80.00 USD when you bought two units same as on the other two premium ones because why should you paying more for less features but so far they have held up and have had no problems after much use that's a plus also I enjoy the channel.
@@GenXGrownUp If I were to recommend one in particular for you, I'd go with their Ms. Pac-Man machine. Seems like My Arcade and Basic Fun's offerings didn't do the game justice in your eyes, but Numskull's machine would easily blow them out of the water. The only problem I have is the lack of high score saving since it was one of their early machines, but besides that, it's phenomenal!
*years ago* Manager: Ok so we will make Mini Arcades with a game inside. Any advices? Dean: We should use the original arcade rom for every game. It's the more popular and iconic version. People would love it! Manager: No Dean. That's fucking stupid. We will use the NES ports. No matter if they are good or bad. *Today* Manager: Ok so this time we will make Contra. What do we do? Dean: We should use the NES version. It's the more popular and iconic. It also is much more playable and fun for some players. Manager: Dean, you are fired. Put the Arcade version.
If my arcade did one game with the arcade chip that will be Mortal Kombat with a mature rating system on the box. that will be way more better than basic fun
The Contra game should have had the NES Rom due to the NES being easier to play, the Arcade version is way too hard. The Cab having a "coin" button is a plus and all future games should have this for a more arcade feel to it. The cab art is inaccurate in that it used human models instead of arcade 8 bit characters. The 50 dollar price is steep, but NOT a deal breaker. The game NOT using the "Konami Code" is a mistake due to the game being too hard, it would have worked with the much better with the much easier NES version. Unfortunately I am on the fence with this one. I definitely want both the Space Arcade and the 40th Pacman Micro Game (My Arcade needs to get on the ball and release this one before the 40th Anniversary ends and then no one would care about it then. Thank for the review! 👾
Hi, Philip, and thanks for continuing to watch our stuff! I have to disagree with a couple of your points here, though. This is the ROM that belongs on this unit. Choosing the NES version because it's easier would be completely missing the point: this is an arcade cabinet and as such, it should have the arcade ROM. And it definitely shouldn't try to shoehorn in the UUDDLRLRBA code just because it exists. The closer I can get to the genuine arcade experience the better. I acknowledge that the Konami code is awesome and the NES version of Contra was perhaps more playable, but put those things in a unit called "My NES Contra" -- not in my "My Arcade" device! 😉
That deeper cab is probably because they wanted better speakers and acoustics (as much as thin plastic can provide). I wonder though whether this was at the request of Konami. Other than the Space Invaders with the deeper cab, which is a different form-factor than Contra, are there any other deep cab MyArcades?
You know, I really thought this was a new mold, but I was recently looking at the Bubble Bobble cabinet from My Arcade (which I don't yet own), and it appears to be the same shape as Contra. I'll have to double-check if/when I finally add Bubble Bobble to my collection.
@@GenXGrownUp I know you get these mostly for display purposes, but I watched a review of the pocket player version of that prior to this conversation. The poor screen scaling and use of NES ROMs is dissatisfying. I also don't think it sounded that great. It is an OK looking Bubble Bobble cab. I don't believe I saw BB cabs in real life which look that nice. I think there were only conversion kits.
@@WhatsOnMyShelf Bubble Bobble never had a dedicated machine, which is why all the Bubble Bobble machines you see online are different. I actually own the Bubble Bobble Micro Player myself, and while it does use the NES rom and has slight screen tearing, it's alright. The NES version has some improvements over the arcade, and My Arcade thankfully modded it so you always get the good ending which is great. The Pocket Player on the other hand, looks nice and everything, but they completely butchered the Bubble Bobble part 2 emulation which is a real shame.
@@SuperJumsNelson Really? That is interesting about the Pocket Player. I thought the two lines were just different form factors but used the same screens. Are you saying the mini cab performs better than the pocket player?
@@WhatsOnMyShelf The Pocket Player has 3 games. Bubble Bobble, Bubble Bobble part 2, and Rainbow Islands. I'd say both versions of Bubble Bobble run the same, although it's easier to control on the Micro Player. Part 2 on the Pocket Player just has several game breaking emulation problems, and a few glitches that make it unbeatable. It's a shame because this is a rare NES game, going for $400+ online for just the cartridge.
@@GenXGrownUp I think guys our age appreciate the fact that it's the orginal rom and stays true to the arcade experience. The nes version was nice but as an arcade purist, I'll prefer the actual rom of the game as it was back in the arcade.
Hello, I would like to ask a question. Does this ROM have a limit on lives and continues? A Contra Arcade ROM that I have here does not allow you to continue after three continues, regardless of the number of credits, so the game becomes practically impossible
I was thinking of getting the handheld edition that I’ve seen recently. I wanted to start collecting mini arcades, but not the cabinet form. It’s just not as practical as I want.
I wish I could advise, Alamo, but I havn't had any hands-on with the My Arcade Contra Pocket Player. I don't know if, like this Premium Micro Player, it uses the arcade ROMs or the NES ROMs.
I guess Ghouls and Ghost is more easy than Contra. Because Contra has more traps included and is more dificult to get special wrapons. But the games are same type of run and gun.
Did you not get a chance to watch the review, Aaron? I explain that it's for linking up two of these units for co-op play. Same as the forthcoming SF2 devices.
@@GenXGrownUp nice man you prolly got a good 500gb or bigger image then. Looks sweet man should elaborate on it a bit more someday. I know id enjoy that. I use a pi myself but as you stated only really good for older games. I know they do use the mame roms to reprogram the arcade rom chips. So they are the real rom sets. Hows that track ball work out? Check out sinden light gun on youtube thinking of doing a strictly light gun cab using some sort of pc set up. Im a sub now thanks for cool vids man.
No kidding, Derrick! I suspect they were forced to go with the pixel art look because of short-sighted likeness licensing agreements around the original cabinet photography. Who knew anyone would want to reproduce that art and sell it again some thirty years later?!
@@GenXGrownUpthanks for letting me know love your vids i also bought the street fighter arcade because of you and your great review keep up the good work!!
Sorry, I repiled 8 months late but I never did reach to support because i like with no joystick also the box was all hit and broken and it came a month late@GenXGrownUp
Contra was one of the few games were the NES version was superior than the arcade port. The arcade port had sloppy controls, and fewer levels than the NES game, plus this game doesn't have the ability to play two players at once. Not really seeing the point of it, esp. for $50.
I hear you, Jeff, although "superior" is pretty subjective. The NES was certainly tuned to provide a better long-form adventure as was expected by home players, but the visuals and sound of the original just lose too much in translation to the NES.
Thanks for the review. I purchased the Space Invaders game and love it but I will pass on this one. They probably would have had me if the controls were the same as Space Invaders instead of having coop play. I just don’t see too many people using that on this device even though that is a great feature in the arcade.
50 dollars. That's ridiculous. I would never spend $50 for something I would barely use. ***runs to spend 50 dollars on Game and Watch Super Mario Bros**
How much was a credit for Contra on the arcade machine? 25 cents? At $50, you'd "only" need to play Contra 200 times on this machine to get it to pay for itself xD
8:16 50 DOLLARS AND IT'S A BAD DUMP???? The barrels in the base stages are intended to go straight down, but most emulated versions of Contra are bad ROM dumps and they usually end up drifting off to the right. Only accurate rerelease is the Arcade Archives CONTRA version from hamster, not even M2s work on the anniversary collection got this right. What a joke, at 50 quid I'd at LEAST expect a perfect version. Pathetic.
@ I am aware, but Hamsters Arcade Archives release of Contra (from 2016 might I add) didn't exhibit the same issue. As for MAME, well everyone has an irrational hate boner for the arcade Contra games leading to a lack of interest in preserving proper emulation. 5 months later, my point still stands: this is a really lazy product. (Also, how do you know it's MAME? They don't tell you the specifics.)
I'd rather have a smaller handheld one with the nes version. But for $50 it needs to be nicer. This thing doesn't look that nice. The replicade sf2/ssf2 is so much better and comes with 2 controllers and 2 games.
50 dollars for this / for get it / I say wait to it’s cheaper in my opinion / a lot cheaper if you want it / it’s not worth it for 50 sorry / the light up marquee is cool thu / & 2 player options is cool also / but that’s it /
Not that I'm in the business of convincing anyone, but if that's your only complaint, I did some quick measurement & comparison, and verified it is indeed a 3:4 ratio.
@@GenXGrownUp In that case, I take it back. It certainly looks a bit 16:9-ish to me, but difficult to measure from the video. Too many chinese machines have done this, so maybe I am angered in advance for no reason. Thanks for clearing it up.
@@GenXGrownUp Aww, thanks! I just recently got the My Arcade of Karate Champ and the Arcade Classics Tetris. Can you give me the token ratings for those right here?
@@cackers4752 What, and spoil the surprise of watching my reviews?! :) th-cam.com/video/qO_QTfeUofI/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/7W_PcWbe5X0/w-d-xo.html (Spoiler alert: 4 & 5 respectively)
Incorrect. I just did it! 😊 The pocket version is much closer to the control scheme if you grew up playing Contra on the NES. But if you're an OG arcade player, joystick is the way to go.
They finally put arcade roms in and they get to the game where the NES rom would have been the better and more preferred version. lol
Oh, the brutal irony!
As soon as I saw the vertically oriented screen I though "Oh, no..." The ONE arcade game I would rather have the NES rom of.
Every famiclone system out there has NES Contra all over it. I'm glad they made the arcade version.
If only you could select between NES and ARCADE roms
Yes I need two of these please Contra mini Arcades please
🤘🏻😜🎸🎼
Awesome video! I would love to have one of those :) The only problem with these upgraded My Arcade's is that the price went from "Wow that's an awesome faithful to the original gadget/gimmick to have, gonna recommend it to everyone!" to "that's pretty cool but nah might aswell buy...(insert a bunch of things)"
That's how it is with the pricing in The Netherlands, it's a jump from 30 to 60 euros (!!). Don't get me started on the Streetfighter II unit, which is 80!
Yeeesh! That can be a tough pill to swallow at that price! 💸
Wow! I love those early 16 bit games. Really neat when they figured out parallax scrolling and how to make the backgrounds scroll against the foreground. Must've blown the minds of Gen Xers. (sadly, I grew up in an era when everything had already been accomplished, graphics-wise and each subsequent generation was more of a refinement than a drastic, groundbreaking shift.)
We didn't know what a parallax scroll was back then. My friends and I always just said, "Have you seen the graphics? It's almost real!" Little did we know.
? But ps2 to ps3 is a huge change in graphics Nintendo 64 to gamecube a massive change in graphics are you 10 years old ?
I totally forgot to mention this but I used to have a Contra LCD from Konami back in the 90's. Limited in gameplay but still fun. If you can find one at a reasonable price you should get one. 👾
I loved this game as a kid... The arcade Contra was the best!!
That's the one I knew best. Never had an NES, though for many that's the "real" version. I'm with you, though!
@@GenXGrownUp is this version like the arcade one??
@@gmoney9153 Did you not watch the review?
@@GenXGrownUp yes I did I just watched it again. Thanks for the review!
One thing that I think My Arcade could do that isn't game-related: include some stickers and badges in the box. Retrobit does that with their NES Data East collection, and as nerd, it was really cool to see them go the extra mile for the fans.
At the moment, it seems that all of these little units, be they My Arcade or Basic Fun, have dried up. I think additional swag like you suggest would be a great value-add for a future wave. (Which we all know is coming... just a matter of time!)
The arcade was definitely superior to the NES version. So much more badass and gritty. I wish this thing held more than just 1 game tho. Super Contra should have been on here, especially for that price.
That would've been a great addition. Missed opportunity for sure.
No kidding, Super Contra would very likely have had my wallet getting itchy for this. Super Contra PLUS NES games would have been a no-brainer!
The handheld version of this does indeed have Super Contra too
If anybody is interested these Contra units are on clearance for $14.99 at your local Targets .. happy hunting !
Thanks. I'm hearing that from a lot of sources. Unfortunately, I checked all the Targets in my area and came up dry.
Another great review. I’m really tired of the bat-top stick + Dpad combo, keep that for the non-premium units. That said, there’s a good chance I’ll be getting this as although I prefer the NES version, I still like arcade Contra a lot and am impressed it seems to be the proper rom with no compromises. Plus, Contra is second only to Gradius for my favorite Konami franchise (hey, Arcade Gradius would be a great Premium addition if anyone at My Arcade is by any chance reading, just please use a nice metal shaft ball & stick on these from now on). The arcade marquee lighting up is nice too! But I still need to order my Premium Space Invaders unit so will save this one for a future purchase.
Absolutely love that you can't continue with free play. That makes it worth it, right there.
It's the OG!
Seeing how they can do arcade roms, I'm really hoping they do a Bubble Bobble re-release with the original rom _and_ two player support. $50 though, I feel is a tad bit much, but regardless, this is big steps in the right direction.
Also, fun fact about this machine: When it was first showcased during My Arcade's 2019 toy booth, not only did they show an early version of this machine, but a not so good one at that.
They used the original My Arcade mahcine model, meaning the arcade rom was showing with a bunch of black bars on the side, and ontop of that, it ran terribly with frame skipping and everything. So the final product here is a *huge* improvement compared to that early build.
For sure, Person. I'm glad they waited and took their time with the release. Still a tad pricey, but certainly an improvement over the old style.
@@GenXGrownUp
Agreed, the price is definitely a bit much. I think it would've been neat if once you bought one of these COVS machines, inside was a code you could use on My Arcade's website to purchase the same machine for a discount price. I think doing that, while it would require more work, would get a lot more people on board with buying two of the same machines for two player.
found this for $30 at a goodwill... naturally grabbed it, and for that price I'm pleased (even though contra isn't exactly the game I'm best at).
ps: street fighter my arcade might be coming out in april???
I'm surprised it was that expensive at Goodwill, but nice find nonetheless, Tumble. I haven't yet seen a date for MA's Street Fighter, do you have an info souce?
Premium edition is definitely good! All the other products are in the Famicom version ㅠㅠ
Yup!
I just won one of these the other day at Round 1. Bummed that the classic Contra/Konami code doesn’t work but I guess that comes with it being the arcade port of the game. All around fun little cabinet and great review. Mind you if I hadn’t won it with tickets at an arcade, if I had the choice I would have bought it via Playstation or Xbox if I had the choice. Keeps cost low, and multiplayer included without shelling out $100.
Hi, great video! I was wondering what one u would buy the Pac-Man or karate champ?
Thanks! Oh, if I had to pick one I'd definitely go for the Karate Champ. Pac-Man is a dime-a-dozen, but those less popular machines are nice to have in a collection.
If it goes on sale for significantly cheaper maybe, otherwise I might wait for their 40th Anniversary Pac-man, and Street Fighter 2!
These things should be $30, tops. It's still nice to see My Arcade actually producing quality products now, versus the NES ROM-infested crap they were putting on shelves previously.
Yeah, Chubzdoomer, this one felt pretty pricey for what was delivered, for sure. You've seen the Space Invaders they did a few weeks back, didn't you? It's pretty remarkable and only $40. th-cam.com/video/toNj8jkGKxw/w-d-xo.html
This is cool! I hope My Arcade and/or 1UP releases Arkanoid, ONLY with the the round paddle controller though. Without it, it will be a flop imo.
Oh, for sure! On a "premium" style Arkanoid cabinet, "no spinner" = "no purchase!"
I second this as even the NES version had a paddle controller. I really hope they can pull it off. I mean they have the Taito license so hopefully!
4:38 Rare footage of Jon not throwing away the instructions 😱
It was a false flag operation. Turns out I didn't really need those instructions after all!
These are cool but you either spend the money on arcade 1up stuff or the Neo Geo mini and the upcoming Sega Astro mini both which have like 30 plus something games. I don’t mind the arcade rom despite knowing contra mostly on nes, these mini arcades need arcade gameplay.
I always felt CONTRA was based on ALIENS (1986)
Maybe? That would've been a quick turn-around from July to February. The big-muscles/big-guns film was already a cinema staple in the early- to mid-eighties so I always assumed Contra got its primary inspiration from those films.
Holy hell I did not know about this
I will soon own this game
Haha! Happy to be of service.
just grabbed one today, target had it on clearance for 14.99, i couldnt say no to that price :), they coulda tacked on super contra at least like the handheld :\
Great find! It's a steal at that price, Stylez.
@@GenXGrownUp if you think thats awesome, target was selling space invaders for the same price too, the one in my area was sold out but the one on the other side of my city has 1 left, im stocked now :)
@@TheeActiv8dStylez Dang. I'd definitely pick up another SI given a chance at that price!
I believe the pocket version includes super contra.
Right you are! But what version will it be, I'm wondering.
I've also seen a micro arcade Contra based on the NES version.
The NES version is pretty widely available. I appreciate that the arcade ROM was used here.
Looks great, as expected, though it would have been nice to see a proper sunshade top like all of the old arcade cabinets had instead of the wings. The graphics look excellent, but not exact to the original game (like you showed at the start), so I think this is a port of some kind. Could just be a limitation of the LCD screen. Also, the contrast is too high, making the shadows too bright. I don't see why all of these arcade mini releases don't use the actual original ROMS for proper accuracy in gameplay instead of NES or other ports.
I'm hoping the next time these manufacturers decide to spin up a line of these that they'll switch to original arcade versions exclusively.
Contra my nontra! Lets frikkin go!
What do you think, Mur? Worth it at the $50 price for you?
For me personally? No. But only because I didn’t start collecting these things on the ground floor. Like pop figures, they seemed a very slippery slope. For a collector, you really gotta have em all.
Been waiting for this. I get mine next week. What’s hilarious is that this is the only time I would prefer the nes version rather than the arcade!
I knew that would be a divisive issue for a lot of Contra fans!
2:19 smoked 😆
And plenty more times, too! 😁
If they could get the TMNTs games on those, that would be cool.
I suppose you've seen this one, right, John? th-cam.com/video/C-RELgoP88Y/w-d-xo.html
You would also have to factor in how much you'll play it and if you have someone that will play along side you and how much a second one would be needed for me having two boys I needed two and they've got their use I'd give these around 4 coins because they could of done better like dropping the price to 80.00 USD when you bought two units same as on the other two premium ones because why should you paying more for less features but so far they have held up and have had no problems after much use that's a plus also I enjoy the channel.
Thanks for watching, DMac! 😀
Hey John I just got back to work yesterday since over a year now I can get a lot more games. Because of covid 19
Congrats, Greg.
@@GenXGrownUp Thanks John
Hey John I'm making room for the 4.1 scale Arcade from numscull arcade in my apartment anything bigger will not fit Galaga at Wal-Mart lol
Those Numskull units are tempting me, for sure.
@@GenXGrownUp
If I were to recommend one in particular for you, I'd go with their Ms. Pac-Man machine. Seems like My Arcade and Basic Fun's offerings didn't do the game justice in your eyes, but Numskull's machine would easily blow them out of the water. The only problem I have is the lack of high score saving since it was one of their early machines, but besides that, it's phenomenal!
So TMNT, you will need to buy 4 cabinets. And X-Men, 6 cabinets?!
That kind of seems like a non-starter, doesn't it? 😉
*years ago*
Manager: Ok so we will make Mini Arcades with a game inside. Any advices?
Dean: We should use the original arcade rom for every game. It's the more popular and iconic version. People would love it!
Manager: No Dean. That's fucking stupid. We will use the NES ports. No matter if they are good or bad.
*Today*
Manager: Ok so this time we will make Contra. What do we do?
Dean: We should use the NES version. It's the more popular and iconic. It also is much more playable and fun for some players.
Manager: Dean, you are fired. Put the Arcade version.
Sounds like you were there!
@@GenXGrownUp I wish so I could slap the manager
This Looks Great. 😃👍.
Thanks for watching!
Great video. Thanks for posting this. Have a nice day.
Have a nice day
If my arcade did one game with the arcade chip that will be Mortal Kombat with a mature rating system on the box. that will be way more better than basic fun
Well, they have that premium SF2 coming soon. If that does well, perhaps they can snag a Midway license for MK as well.
The Contra game should have had the NES Rom due to the NES being easier to play, the Arcade version is way too hard.
The Cab having a "coin" button is a plus and all future games should have this for a more arcade feel to it. The cab art is inaccurate in that it used human models instead of arcade 8 bit characters. The 50 dollar price is steep, but NOT a deal breaker. The game NOT using the "Konami Code" is a mistake due to the game being too hard, it would have worked with the much better with the much easier NES version. Unfortunately I am on the fence with this one.
I definitely want both the Space Arcade and the 40th Pacman Micro Game (My Arcade needs to get on the ball and release this one before the 40th Anniversary ends and then no one would care about it then.
Thank for the review! 👾
Hi, Philip, and thanks for continuing to watch our stuff! I have to disagree with a couple of your points here, though. This is the ROM that belongs on this unit. Choosing the NES version because it's easier would be completely missing the point: this is an arcade cabinet and as such, it should have the arcade ROM. And it definitely shouldn't try to shoehorn in the UUDDLRLRBA code just because it exists. The closer I can get to the genuine arcade experience the better. I acknowledge that the Konami code is awesome and the NES version of Contra was perhaps more playable, but put those things in a unit called "My NES Contra" -- not in my "My Arcade" device! 😉
Lol, a nes rom.
Thanks for the video! nice gears hat.I think contra mite have inspired gears of war😁
And thanks for watching, Edward. I got this hat in the GoW Pop Vinyl Collector Box a couple years back: amzn.to/2EfWr6X
That deeper cab is probably because they wanted better speakers and acoustics (as much as thin plastic can provide). I wonder though whether this was at the request of Konami. Other than the Space Invaders with the deeper cab, which is a different form-factor than Contra, are there any other deep cab MyArcades?
You know, I really thought this was a new mold, but I was recently looking at the Bubble Bobble cabinet from My Arcade (which I don't yet own), and it appears to be the same shape as Contra. I'll have to double-check if/when I finally add Bubble Bobble to my collection.
@@GenXGrownUp I know you get these mostly for display purposes, but I watched a review of the pocket player version of that prior to this conversation. The poor screen scaling and use of NES ROMs is dissatisfying. I also don't think it sounded that great. It is an OK looking Bubble Bobble cab. I don't believe I saw BB cabs in real life which look that nice. I think there were only conversion kits.
@@WhatsOnMyShelf
Bubble Bobble never had a dedicated machine, which is why all the Bubble Bobble machines you see online are different. I actually own the Bubble Bobble Micro Player myself, and while it does use the NES rom and has slight screen tearing, it's alright. The NES version has some improvements over the arcade, and My Arcade thankfully modded it so you always get the good ending which is great.
The Pocket Player on the other hand, looks nice and everything, but they completely butchered the Bubble Bobble part 2 emulation which is a real shame.
@@SuperJumsNelson Really? That is interesting about the Pocket Player. I thought the two lines were just different form factors but used the same screens. Are you saying the mini cab performs better than the pocket player?
@@WhatsOnMyShelf
The Pocket Player has 3 games. Bubble Bobble, Bubble Bobble part 2, and Rainbow Islands. I'd say both versions of Bubble Bobble run the same, although it's easier to control on the Micro Player.
Part 2 on the Pocket Player just has several game breaking emulation problems, and a few glitches that make it unbeatable. It's a shame because this is a rare NES game, going for $400+ online for just the cartridge.
Wish they would do a Kadash or Magic Sword
Oooh, Magic Sword would be great.
I’ll just get the Contra Collection on the Nintendo switch. It’s only $19.99.
That uses the NES ROM, I think. Is that right?
@@GenXGrownUp it does but it also contains the arcade version and the pal version. And a few other contra games.
That's rather cool. I was expecting a nes rom instead of the actual conta rom from 87.
Yeah, that's O.G. Contra, right there!
@@GenXGrownUp I think guys our age appreciate the fact that it's the orginal rom and stays true to the arcade experience. The nes version was nice but as an arcade purist, I'll prefer the actual rom of the game as it was back in the arcade.
They did retain the NES title theme, the arcade version a similar sounding but different title theme.
I stand corrected, that was Super Contra. I apologize for my mistake.
Super Contra is not included on model.
Hello, I would like to ask a question. Does this ROM have a limit on lives and continues? A Contra Arcade ROM that I have here does not allow you to continue after three continues, regardless of the number of credits, so the game becomes practically impossible
That's right. The arcade game limits your number of continues, forcing you to start from the beginning and get GOOD! 😁
Hello
Is the Galaga game any good ? I saw one at Walgreens for 25 bucks ., my least favorite one I’ve bought so far is Spy Hunter
Have a look, Billy: th-cam.com/video/yaRUDsNHWSQ/w-d-xo.html
I bought the bobble bobble mini arcade and then realized didn’t include the arcade version of the game. Not anymore
Check for reviews first if you're ever in doubt. I covered Bubble Bobble: th-cam.com/video/uPu7hcrhFHw/w-d-xo.html
I was thinking of getting the handheld edition that I’ve seen recently. I wanted to start collecting mini arcades, but not the cabinet form. It’s just not as practical as I want.
I wish I could advise, Alamo, but I havn't had any hands-on with the My Arcade Contra Pocket Player. I don't know if, like this Premium Micro Player, it uses the arcade ROMs or the NES ROMs.
@@GenXGrownUp it’s the arcade rom. I’ve taken a look at it online.
I guess Ghouls and Ghost is more easy than Contra. Because Contra has more traps included and is more dificult to get special wrapons. But the games are same type of run and gun.
Now I have a legit version of the arcade rom. Still trying to figure out what that red cable is for tho..
Did you not get a chance to watch the review, Aaron? I explain that it's for linking up two of these units for co-op play. Same as the forthcoming SF2 devices.
@@GenXGrownUp I was being sarcastic. Most of us geek nerd gamers don’t have any friends.
Sorry, I get it now. We really need a sarcasm punctuation mark!
@@GenXGrownUp kind of late, but my friend group uses "/s" to denote sarcasm
How long do the batteries last?
Mine haven't run out yet, so surely several hours.
You have any full size arcades? Channel is cool man.
Hey, Joshua. I have "all of them" in my emulation cabinet that you can see here: th-cam.com/video/Libvn77WWyA/w-d-xo.html Thanks for the kind words!
@@GenXGrownUp raspberry pi?
@@operationrestore3308 No, not enough horsepower for the more modern games. PC.
@@GenXGrownUp nice man you prolly got a good 500gb or bigger image then. Looks sweet man should elaborate on it a bit more someday. I know id enjoy that. I use a pi myself but as you stated only really good for older games. I know they do use the mame roms to reprogram the arcade rom chips. So they are the real rom sets. Hows that track ball work out? Check out sinden light gun on youtube thinking of doing a strictly light gun cab using some sort of pc set up. Im a sub now thanks for cool vids man.
At $50 could they not afford to pay the 2 male models a couple pennies to have the actual accurate arcade side art and marquee?
No kidding, Derrick! I suspect they were forced to go with the pixel art look because of short-sighted likeness licensing agreements around the original cabinet photography. Who knew anyone would want to reproduce that art and sell it again some thirty years later?!
I can't wait hurry please lol
Hello my friend
Oh, my! It's a meeting of the Tommy Guns!😄
GenXGrownUp say hello to my little friend lol
Tommy Gun watch what ?
Does the 99 lives code work?
This is the arcade game, not the home console. UUDDLRLRBA doesn't apply here. 😊
in contra mini is there a pause I can't find it, thanks
No pausing at the arcade! 😉
Hey i was wondering the konami code work just wondering
The Konami code hadn't yet been invented at the time of the arcade release, so not present here.
@@GenXGrownUpthanks for letting me know love your vids i also bought the street fighter arcade because of you and your great review keep up the good work!!
@@GenXGrownUpi just got the unit and everything of the product was good except the box and the joystick the box was broken and there was no joystick
@@bykick1 No joystick at all?! Wow! I'm sure My Arcade would make that good if you reached out to their customer support.
Sorry, I repiled 8 months late but I never did reach to support because i like with no joystick also the box was all hit and broken and it came a month late@GenXGrownUp
Is Contra in stereo sound?
(🎧🎶🎵🎼)
Yes, it appears to be.
Nice
That isn't fully arcade accurate. The bombs in the 3D stage all drift to the right, which is a long standing MAME bug that only got fixed recently.
Cool to know, Jopie. Not being a huge Contra aficionado, I hadn't looked into this bug before. 🔫
Does ⬆️⬆️⬇️⬇️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️🅱️🅰️START work?
Not on a genuine arcade ROM. That came about about a year later when being ported to the NES.
Contra was one of the few games were the NES version was superior than the arcade port. The arcade port had sloppy controls, and fewer levels than the NES game, plus this game doesn't have the ability to play two players at once. Not really seeing the point of it, esp. for $50.
I hear you, Jeff, although "superior" is pretty subjective. The NES was certainly tuned to provide a better long-form adventure as was expected by home players, but the visuals and sound of the original just lose too much in translation to the NES.
Thanks for the review. I purchased the Space Invaders game and love it but I will pass on this one. They probably would have had me if the controls were the same as Space Invaders instead of having coop play. I just don’t see too many people using that on this device even though that is a great feature in the arcade.
I’m curious you couldn’t continue in the real arcade?
The arcade version only allowed three continues, after which you must restart the campaign.
You never reviewed The Mini Arcade Namco Museum
I just haven't reviewed it YET. Newer things keep making their way to the top of my video schedule.
Speaking of Namco Museum... th-cam.com/video/sxFsCuvbwvk/w-d-xo.html
Does the cheat code work?
Not on the arcade version, Jesse. The Konami Code was a byproduct of porting arcade games to home consoles.
I found it CIB to day in a second hand store for $8 :)
Great find!
50 dollars. That's ridiculous. I would never spend $50 for something I would barely use. ***runs to spend 50 dollars on Game and Watch Super Mario Bros**
That's what we keep telling ourselves, isn't it?! 😁
It's probably a better investment.
The g&w its about to free
FFFFFRist!
cuz that matters?
i got time. i put on the reminder
Sure. Why not! 😉
How much was a credit for Contra on the arcade machine? 25 cents? At $50, you'd "only" need to play Contra 200 times on this machine to get it to pay for itself xD
I've never looked at these from a return-on-investment perspective. I can already play them all via emulation - I just want the cool toy! 😆
@@GenXGrownUp I'll admit I had to do a googling to get the numbers right for that joke. Was trying to sound "grown up" XD. Dry humor
Viva
Lo estoy intentando.
Does the Konami code work on this lol
Ha. No, this arcade version of Contra predates the origin of the Konami code by several years.
This is nice but there's no way I'm spending fifty bucks for this I'll wait till it's on sale LOL
Can't really blame you, Chris. What would you consider the sweet spot for this unit? What's the "insta-buy" price?
@@GenXGrownUp my parents normally let me get one around 20 to $25 after that they wouldn't let me
@@GenXGrownUp how's it going on planning for the Rolling Thunder video that you're going to review can't wait to see it
I've got a review unit in stock now -- just looking for a slot in my production schedule.
@@GenXGrownUp okay no worries can't wait to see it
up up down down left right left right b a start
You know that doesn't apply to the arcade game, right?
Yes i know
Its just contra
@@michaeleash4475 The Konami code was introduced with home console ports of arcade games, but this original Contra predates its introduction.
I know that
What is it about the Namco museum that you don't like
I have no feelings one way or another. I haven't even opened the box yet. 😀
Speaking of Namco Museum... th-cam.com/video/sxFsCuvbwvk/w-d-xo.html
8:16 50 DOLLARS AND IT'S A BAD DUMP????
The barrels in the base stages are intended to go straight down, but most emulated versions of Contra are bad ROM dumps and they usually end up drifting off to the right. Only accurate rerelease is the Arcade Archives CONTRA version from hamster, not even M2s work on the anniversary collection got this right. What a joke, at 50 quid I'd at LEAST expect a perfect version. Pathetic.
Sharp eye.
Not a bad dump of the ROM but old MAME emulation bug. Newest MAME has this fixed.
@ I am aware, but Hamsters Arcade Archives release of Contra (from 2016 might I add) didn't exhibit the same issue. As for MAME, well everyone has an irrational hate boner for the arcade Contra games leading to a lack of interest in preserving proper emulation. 5 months later, my point still stands: this is a really lazy product. (Also, how do you know it's MAME? They don't tell you the specifics.)
I'd rather have a smaller handheld one with the nes version. But for $50 it needs to be nicer. This thing doesn't look that nice. The replicade sf2/ssf2 is so much better and comes with 2 controllers and 2 games.
up up down down code?
Not on a genuine arcade ROM. That came about about a year later when being ported to the NES.
@@GenXGrownUp gtknow
Hey John I just saw on Amazon They have a Pac-Man Monopoly board game for $24.49 dollars please check it out.
I reviewed that on our podcast when it was first released. Give it a listen! genxgrownup.com/ep92/
P.S. I go by "Jon" 😉
@@GenXGrownUp Okay
50 dollars for this / for get it / I say wait to it’s cheaper in my opinion / a lot cheaper if you want it / it’s not worth it for 50 sorry / the light up marquee is cool thu / & 2 player options is cool also / but that’s it /
that is the msrp / for gotten / good call / itll be a while / i forgive you / true dat / also true / seems like a lot /
⬆️⬆️⬇️⬇️⬅️➡️⬅️➡️🅱️🅰️ [start]
Not here, my friend. 😊 This is the original arcade version which predates the Konami Code by a couple years.
@@GenXGrownUp I knew you would get the reference
To me it looks like a vertically oriented 16:9 screen and the image is stretched. No thanks.
Not that I'm in the business of convincing anyone, but if that's your only complaint, I did some quick measurement & comparison, and verified it is indeed a 3:4 ratio.
@@GenXGrownUp In that case, I take it back. It certainly looks a bit 16:9-ish to me, but difficult to measure from the video.
Too many chinese machines have done this, so maybe I am angered in advance for no reason.
Thanks for clearing it up.
Fourth to like.
...but first in our hearts!
@@GenXGrownUp Aww, thanks! I just recently got the My Arcade of Karate Champ and the Arcade Classics Tetris. Can you give me the token ratings for those right here?
@@cackers4752 What, and spoil the surprise of watching my reviews?! :) th-cam.com/video/qO_QTfeUofI/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/7W_PcWbe5X0/w-d-xo.html (Spoiler alert: 4 & 5 respectively)
Not even close to being worth $60.
💸
45th like
ALL "MyArcades" are trash because of that STUPID joystick.
That's kind of a gross generalization.
I was never a huge fan of contra. One hit and your dead what kind of crap is that
That's the punishing nature of early arcade games. Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Galaga -- one-hit kills were the norm.
U can’t play contra wit this shitty controls . The pocket version is out now in eBay target . Would be lot better
Incorrect. I just did it! 😊 The pocket version is much closer to the control scheme if you grew up playing Contra on the NES. But if you're an OG arcade player, joystick is the way to go.
Ah that pesky my arcade want's our money once more!
It's almost as if they were a for-profit deal or something!
$35 tops!
Sounds fair.