Let’s be real, the Quarter Arcades Taito Bubble Bobble is practically made for retro gaming nerds like me. I’m a sucker for the whole “Honey, I shrunk your console,” vibe in general, but Numskull’s playable mini arcade cabinet is far from being just a novelty. In fact, it proves that hardware can serve as both gorgeous decor and a completely playable device simultaneously, which is impressive given its absurdly tiny controls.
Priced at $249.99 / £219.99, the Quarter Arcades Taito Bubble Bobble machine’s price isn’t for the faint of heart. By that, I mean you have to be really into the idea of having a micro arcade cabinet to pay this amount, and even then, its MSRP is a bit lofty. Before getting my hands on the tiny time capsule, I wasn’t convinced I’d want to pay over $200 for a system that can only run one game. However, through clever design and tremendous quality, the unit actually nails its objective of somehow feeling exactly like the real deal.
