When Arcade1Up launched its NBA Jam cupboard in 2020, it was a much-needed salve for my family’s Boomshakalaka-loving hearts as we spent an inordinate period of time at residence attributable to, on the time, a brand-new pandemic. It was the primary Arcade1Up cupboard to characteristic Wi-Fi connectivity, permitting you to play in opposition to others who owned the cupboard. Much like all of Arcade1Up’s different titles, although, it was on the smaller aspect. Now, the corporate is addressing that exact problem with its NBA Jam: Shaq Edition system.

Size and form

The Shaq Edition of NBA Jam is Arcade1Up’s greatest cupboard thus far, at a whopping 67 inches tall. For comparability, the corporate’s unique NBA Jam cupboard was 57.8 inches tall in case you purchased the model that got here with the add-on riser. It’s not simply the peak that makes this cupboard stand out, although.

The Shaq Editionalso way more carefully resembles the unique arcade cupboard. Though the artwork on Arcade1Up’s first NBA Jam cupboard was based mostly on the unique recreation, the form was definitely not. Now, with the Shaq Edition, you get up to date cupboard art–complete with Shaquille O’Neil silhouettes on the sides–and a form that is much more paying homage to the arcade traditional.

Size is not the one improve on the Shaq Edition of NBA Jam, although. The cupboard includes–by far–the greatest marquee on an Arcade1Up cupboard but. Instead of a block of wooden with a lightweight in it, this cupboard recreates the look of traditional light-up marquees almost completely, by having the marquee paintings and the sunshine be separate items inside the cupboard. It’s price noting that the sunshine is evenly distributed throughout the marquee, with no bleeding to be seen. It seems improbable.

In phrases of the cupboard itself, the one factor that hasn’t modified a lot visually is the management deck. Both the unique and the Shaq Edition management decks are 31.5 inches vast. The new deck is a bit longer, however not by a lot. As such, it nonetheless isn’t the best factor on this planet to cram 4 associates collectively to duke it out in a basketball recreation. At the very least, the display screen is nineteen inches diagonally–2 inches greater than the earlier launch. It’s not an enormous deal, however it’s a good bonus that ought to assist with visibility in case you do have 4 gamers on the system without delay.

The video games

When it involves the video games included–NBA Jam, NBA Jam: Tournament Edition, and NBA Hangtime–you know precisely what you are getting. These are ports of the unique video games that seemingly have not been tinkered with (except for just a few gamers being omitted, like the primary cupboard) and look like the very same copies of the video games which can be on the corporate’s earlier NBA Jam launch. The Shaq Edition additionally accommodates the identical Wi-Fi performance as the unique cupboard, permitting you to play with associates who personal both of Arcade1Up’s NBA Jam machines because of a brand new downloadable patch that permits the 2 variations of the cupboard to speak with one another.

The worth

Put merely, the visible presentation of the Shaq Edition of NBA Jam blows Arcade1Up’s earlier model out of the water. As you’ll be able to see within the side-by-side photograph above, the brand new cupboard makes the outdated one look roughly like a toy. However, you are additionally going to be paying a premium worth for it. NBA Jam: Shaq Edition retails for $700, in comparison with $550 for the usual NBA Jam cupboard. And not like the usual model, it does not include the branded stool. What it does present, although, is a extra true-to-life arcade expertise than the earlier cupboard. What’s extra, it is solely round six inches shorter than a typical arcade cupboard, versus the usual version which is over a foot shorter.

The true worth will change based mostly on the particular person, although. If you are somebody who desires to get as shut as you’ll be able to to recreating the NBA Jam arcade expertise with out spending $3,000 on a used cupboard, it is a nice possibility for you. Then once more, you are additionally spending $700 on three classic video games, which is rather a lot to ask for. That mentioned, it is fully attainable you are a fan of the model and have already invested hundreds of {dollars} in Arcade1Up merchandise. If that is the case, the notion of shopping for a much bigger NBA Jam cupboard won’t be all that unusual.

Regardless of the place you stand, although, this cupboard represents a really attention-grabbing turning level for Arcade1Up. The firm realizes there’s a market on the market for bigger cupboard reproductions and is actively assembly it. Both the Shaq Edition of NBA Jam and the corporate’s Golden Tee 3D Golf are bigger, whereas a “Pro” line of cupboards which can be the precise measurement and form of arcade classics are within the works, starting with Killer Instinct–and they even include arcade-accurate SuzoHapp controls.

Ultimately, it comes all the way down to what you are in search of in a house arcade expertise. NBA Jam: Shaq Edition could value a bit greater than the usual Arcade1Up cupboards, however what you get in return is a really shut resemblance to the unique arcade game–certainly the closest Arcade1Up has gotten to this point. If that is necessary to you, you have discovered the fitting cupboard. However, do not anticipate the management deck space to have a bunch of additional room because of the brand new mannequin. Cramming across the machine with three of your folks will nonetheless be a little bit of a good squeeze. Still, this cupboard is larger, it seems improbable, and the gameplay is pretty much as good now because it was within the ’90s. Boomshakalaka!

Arcade1Up offered NBA Jam: Shaq Edition to GameSpot for evaluation.