# The Arcade1up Mortal Kombat Cabinet Pops! - REVIEW **Source:** RetroRalph **Type:** video **Published:** 2019-05-13 **Duration:** 13m 24s **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLjEZMOc9tg --- ## Analysis RetroRalph reviews the Arcade1Up Mortal Kombat cabinet, highlighting design improvements including red edge molding, bat top joysticks, upgraded acrylic overlay, and responsive controls. While praising the overall build quality and nostalgic value at $300, he notes minor graphical differences from arcade originals and suggests potential future button/joystick upgrades for enthusiasts. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Arcade1Up upgraded the edge molding to a thicker red tape material compared to old cabinets — _RetroRalph direct observation during unboxing and setup_ - [HIGH] The cabinet includes bat top joysticks, which is a nice touch upgrade — _RetroRalph direct observation of hardware_ - [HIGH] Arcade1Up improved the acrylic overlay fit so it appears to sit under the buttons like arcade machines, improving aesthetics — _RetroRalph direct observation comparing to older Arcade1Up models_ - [HIGH] MK3 graphics on the cabinet are lower resolution than MK1 and MK2 logos — _Chris (community member) pointed this out; RetroRalph confirmed upon closer inspection_ - [HIGH] Buttons are responsive despite not being clicky; input lag is minimal across all three games tested — _RetroRalph direct gameplay testing of MK1, MK2, and MK3_ - [HIGH] RetroRalph has not experienced significant quality issues with Arcade1Up products — _RetroRalph personal statement based on his collection experience_ - [MEDIUM] Arcade1Up kept the cabinet price the same despite adding the acrylic overlay and other upgrades — _RetroRalph observation; not independently verified_ ### Notable Quotes > "Right when you take it out of the box and you put it together, you're going to notice that this cabinet pops, man." > — **RetroRalph**, ~1:30 > _Initial strong impression of cabinet aesthetics driven by red edge molding design_ > "The acrylic top... the old ones they didn't butt up to the buttons really well and I just thought that didn't look good. So these, it almost gives the appearance that it's under the button, which is how they do it in the arcades." > — **RetroRalph**, ~4:30 > _Detailed design improvement feedback showing attention to arcade authenticity_ > "The only thing that I didn't notice is what my buddy Chris did... he did notice that the Mortal Kombat 3 graphics weren't as high-res as the Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 logos." > — **RetroRalph**, ~6:30 > _Quality inconsistency in graphical assets across game versions_ > "I think if you're trying to reproduce that nostalgia back in the day when you used to pump quarters into Mortal Kombat in the arcade, and you're not gonna be that particular about certain things... I think it does a really good job recreating that experience." > — **RetroRalph**, ~17:00 > _Balanced recommendation positioning cabinet as nostalgia product rather than arcade-perfect replacement_ > "For $300 dude it's kind of cool." > — **RetroRalph**, ~22:00 > _Value proposition assessment; price point justifies compromises for casual/nostalgic players_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | RetroRalph | person | YouTube content creator specializing in retro arcade and gaming hardware reviews | | Arcade1Up | company | Manufacturer of home arcade cabinets and retro gaming products | | Mortal Kombat | game | Classic fighting game franchise; three games featured on cabinet (MK1, MK2, MK3) | | Tyler | person | Owner/operator of Arcade Graphics; shipped pre-release Mortal Kombat cabinet to RetroRalph | | Chris | person | RetroRalph's colleague who contributes to 'Ralph's Retrospect' segment; identified MK3 graphics resolution inconsistency | | Arcade Graphics | company | Graphics/artwork supplier for arcade cabinets; helped RetroRalph obtain pre-release Mortal Kombat cabinet | | Final Fight | game | Game referenced as part of cabinet side art alongside Mortal Kombat branding | ### Topics - **Primary:** Arcade1Up cabinet design improvements and quality, Hardware controls (joystick, buttons) responsiveness and upgrade potential, Graphical fidelity and comparison to arcade originals, Price-to-value proposition for home arcade cabinets - **Secondary:** Arcade1Up customer service and quality control handling, Modding and customization of home arcade cabinets, Nostalgia and arcade experience reproduction ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.78) — RetroRalph is impressed with design upgrades, responsive controls, and value at $300 price point. Acknowledges minor graphical compromises but frames them as acceptable trade-offs for casual/nostalgic players. No major complaints about quality or functionality. Recommends purchase for target audience. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Arcade1Up responsive to customer quality issues and issues are being resolved quickly according to RetroRalph (confidence: medium) — RetroRalph: 'Arcade1Up seems to be, from what I can see, pretty responsive to issues as they occur' - **[product_strategy]** Arcade1Up upgraded Mortal Kombat cabinet with thicker red edge molding, bat top joysticks, and improved acrylic overlay fit to arcade standard without raising price (confidence: high) — RetroRalph detailed observations: 'this red, you know, tape they put on the side... it's definitely thicker than the old cabinet' and 'they kind of made an improvement on the acrylic top because the old ones they didn't butt up to the buttons really well' - **[product_concern]** MK3 graphics on cabinet are lower resolution than MK1/MK2 logos, suggesting inconsistent asset quality (confidence: high) — Chris identified the discrepancy; RetroRalph confirmed: 'he's right, it is a little lower res' when zooming in on MK3 artwork --- ## Transcript Test your might. Test your might. Mortal Kombat! Get over here! Fight! Mortal Kombat! Alright guys, here it is. The Mortal Kombat Arcade 1-Up Cabinet. I'm super excited to have this. Tyler over at Arcade Graphics happened to tell me that there was some in Pennsylvania and I'm like dude you know could you ship it to me I'll pay you can you ship it to me and this was before they started Trickle Out West so he packed it up super nice reinforced the living hell out of it and it got here safe so thank you Tyler and if you're looking for graphics for this cabinet or otherwise go to Arcade Graphics I'm not being paid to say that by the way he's just a really good guy and he runs a pretty good business there so you know would love to give him some support. So anyways, super awesome that he did that. So, all right, initial thoughts. Right when you take it out of the box and you put it together, you're going to notice that this cabinet pops, man. I mean, it just like pops out at you and it's because of this red, you know, tape they put on the side. So I'll call it edge molding because it's not T-molding. It's more of like a tape, but it doesn't, it's like part of the edge. I'm not really sure exactly how they apply this, but it's definitely thicker than the old cabinet. So that's a positive, right man? I mean, I mean, it's cool that they're making these little upgrade details on the cabinet. Uh, the other things you'll notice is, um, the screen. So this was, this was just something that happened to me. It may not happen to you, but there's a protective film that kind of says, stop, you know, contact support. If something happens, um, when you peel that off for one, sometimes, uh, the material gets stuck on the screws. So what I do is I unscrew the screws and take the material off. Otherwise it sticks on and sometimes when you try to like scratch at it you might scratch the bezel so just be careful there. So I'll unscrew the screws and take the little plastic off. But it left a residue this time that it's never done to me before so I'm just gonna need to clean that off. The camera probably doesn't pick it up. The other things I'm really excited about about this cabinet is the bat top controllers. They put the bat tops on there or the bat tops on the joysticks so that's a really nice touch. The overlay is labeled nicely with all the moves well as far as like the action buttons and what they do which I think is nice which they've done on on older cabinets as well that's a nice touch the graphics on the overlay are nice or on the control panel the other thing I really like so this is cool so they put the acrylic top on which I think is great that's a great addition to the cabinet and they kind of made an improvement on the acrylic top because the old ones they didn't butt up to the buttons really well and I just thought that didn't look good. So these, it almost gives the appearance that it's under the button, which is how they do it in the arcades. It isn't that way, but it still looks really nice and it's a great improvement over the other one. So props to them for number one, making good on the promise to ship the overlays and kind of improving the overlay a bit because I'm sure this is a low cost item for them, but you know, it's something that wasn't in the original build. So I'm sure that adds to the cost of goods for these cabinets a little bit And they put it in and kept the price which is nice And the fact that they done some upgrades and kept the price the same is also nice Keep in mind it a toy cabinet It not an arcade cabinet but I think it does a good job of reproducing the experience. The only thing that I didn't notice is what my buddy Chris did. Chris, who's on the channel, who does the Ralph's Retrospect, good friend of mine, he did notice that the Mortal Kombat 3 graphics weren't as high-res as the Mortal Kombat 1 and 2 logos. I don't know if I would have noticed that off the bat, but when I was pulling it out, because he said it to me, I looked at it, I was like, oh man, he's right, it is a little lower res, and I'll kind of zoom in on it for the camera for you guys. Last thing I'll say before we'll power it up and do some gameplay is, side art looks pretty damn cool, man. I'm telling you, they did a really good job with the MK and the Final Fight. I'm pretty impressed by these cabinets. They just look really nice. I mean, not that the old ones didn't, but I just feel like they stepped up their game as far as like the looks and overall quality. So I think that's a good thing. Outside of that, you know, that's kind of it. I'll film some gameplay in a minute and you guys, I'll give you my opinion on that. I'm not going to film a ton, but I'll just, you know, there's a lot of videos out there already about that. But, you know, there's some people that, I already have some people that have kind of fed into my mind, some opinions on gameplay. So I do want to check it out and see if I agree with them or not. So, all right, we'll get to that and then we'll wrap this thing up. Alright guys, as you can see with the volume on all the way it's really loud so I'm going to turn it down one. Everyone's sort of complained about that but this is Mortal Kombat 1. I'm going to give it a shot. I always play as Scorpion so... Alright, a little cheap, but I won. So buttons are super responsive, so I can't really complain about the buttons. I can tell, you know, the joystick isn't awesome, but it's not bad for this unit. You know, so far so good. I mean, all I ask for is that it's responsive during gameplay, and it is. You know, it's not a Sanwa or anything like that, but it's not bad. Graphically, some people have complained, and if I have time, I'm going to try to do, like, a comparison of this game maybe running under MAME emulation. Just to kind of see if graphically it's that much different. you know, it's doing a pretty good job. I mean, I don't remember it being, like, quite as pixelated, maybe, as it is right now. Damn it. Shoot. I mean overall so far I mean as far as Mortal Kombat 1 it plays really well I gonna break out of here Alright guys so I go on to play MK2 Everything was good with MK2 as well. I didn't have any input lag from the buttons, which is great. I wasn't expecting any because when I played MK1 I didn't have any. But yeah, everything looks good. The gameplay is also good. The one thing I would say is, you know, I'm still not really noticing graphically much of a difference between this and how I've played it various different forms. A lot of people complaining about pixelation. I think there is a very little amount of extra pixelation that maybe I don't remember. But again, like I said, it depends on what you're comparing it to, right? I mean, nowadays you can run emulation and put lots of filters on things, so the filters can smooth edges, they can add scan lines and things like that. So yes, could Arcade 1-Up have maybe added some filters to maybe make it look a little cleaner? They probably could have, but I don't think it's that bad. But this is just me personally, I'm not, you know, as picky about that stuff. I think as long as you're having fun and you're enjoying the game, that's what really matters. Alright, now we're going to fire up a little MK3 and see how that plays. Alright, we're definitely doing novice. Oh, I love that. Stray Katana. Oh, damn. Dang it. Alright, let's do or die. Man, Katana gets pissed. That's the noise I make when I'm playing my NES Classic and the controller doesn't reach my couch. Alright guys, so here's my final conclusion. Would I buy this cabinet? Well, I did buy this cabinet, but would I suggest you buy this cabinet? I think if you're trying to reproduce that nostalgia back in the day when you used to to pump quarters into Mortal Kombat in the arcade, and you're not gonna be that particular about certain things that maybe aren one for one where the graphics maybe aren exactly the way you remember it if you can even remember back to when you playing it on a CRT then I think it does a really good job recreating that experience right the controls at least the joystick has been upgraded they did put a bat top on it which is awesome the buttons although not clicky are very responsive too so you know maybe down the road you might have to replace the buttons I mod these all the time if you guys watch my channel you know I mod them so I'm constantly swapping out the buttons a lot of times I don't ever really get much playtime on the actual stock buttons because I replace them so fast so just keep that in mind if I was ever gonna do if you if you're not a modder and there's maybe one upgrade that you might want to do down the road it's probably gonna be the buttons and maybe the joystick but that's okay those are relatively inexpensive mods and there's tons of tutorials to help you online to do that so not a big deal so if you can deal with maybe some of the graphics, maybe not exactly the way you remember them, but pretty close, then I think, you know, this cabinet would be fun and you'd have a good time and write your friend, a friend over and you're recreating that experience you used to have in the arcade. So I will recommend this 100% for sure. And, you know, there's been a couple people, you know, I listen, I'm on all the blogs and posts and stuff. There's been a couple people that have mentioned like some quality issues. I really haven't had a lot of quality issues with Arcade one up. So keep in mind, that's all about your personal experience. If someone has a bad experience with a product that usually sticks with them and that becomes representative of the, that the product is represented in a negative light to them, right? But it doesn't mean that just because one or two people have quality issues that all of a sudden all of them are bad, right? So I just think I haven't had any and I actually would be, I don't know, if I had one quality issue and they fixed it, that's okay. It's all about how a company handles the problem, right? If you have an issue with a product, but the company makes good on it and resolves your issue rather quickly, then you're usually pretty cool with the product company. Like, wow, they did a great job. I had an issue, that sucks, but they resolved it for me. So Arcade 1UP seems to be, from what I can see, pretty responsive to issues as they occur. So that's it, guys. I think if you're jonesing for some Mortal Kombat and you want to kind of have that experience like you did in the arcade, I think this does a decent job recreating it now It's not a replacement for the actual arcade cabinet with the real printed circuit board the game ran on obviously And a CRT but a lot of people don't have the means to do that Nor do they want to buy a system like that because there's a lot of maintenance has to go into something like that if a CRT Breaks that's pretty expensive to fix sometimes depending on what breaks on it And you know those arcade cabinets if you don't have the means to repair things Well, then for $300 dude kind of cool so anyways that's it for me please like the video if you found this interesting please subscribe to the channel for other content like this hit the notification bell so you can be informed when I upload other videos and thanks guys for watching and we'll see you on the next one Bye. _(Acquisition: youtube_groq_whisper, Enrichment: v3)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: b1925462-8c0c-4b68-ae42-b8eb9546f4a1*