There are no shortage of reasons for not owning an arcade machine. They're expensive. They accept up a lot of space. Unless you're hacking it to run MAME and taking away the "purity" of the original game, their functions are pretty express. They're a pain to maintain. The listing goes on.

Just if I were to e'er own an arcade machine…just i…it would exist a Street Fighter Ii cabinet. One of the near symbolic machines in all of arcade culture, I accept vivid memories of that game blowing my mind when I beginning saw information technology and spent as well many quarters playing it over the years. All-time of all, information technology's all the same a dandy game worth playing today.

Arcade 1Up defenseless my centre when they announced a few months back that they were releasing new Street Fighter II machines. Having at present stumbled across them at my local Walmart, my listen is in a tizzy trying to figure out if this is the fourth dimension to finally make a lifelong dream of mine come up true. In order to sort my feelings out, I'm going to write out both sides of the statement and meet where I land at the end.

Pro – It's "affordable"

At $299 USD/$350 CAD, it's nearly as low as y'all're going to go for a complete Street Fighter 2 arcade cabinet. Some eBay searches showed that present you're paying a few hundred merely to get the motherboard for one Street Fighter 2 game. That doesn't include the screen, cabinet, buttons, or wiring. On top of that, you lot're getting Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter Two, and Super Street Fighter Ii Turbo all in one cabinet. Personally, I would have preferred Hyper Fighting over Champion Edition, just that's kind of splitting hairs. In a globe where I make this jump into being the owner of an arcade machine, this is as affordable equally tin can be.

Con – That'southward even so expensive relative to the amount of games information technology tin can play

You can play three versions of the iconic fighting game franchise on this machine, simply that'south information technology. Maybe you could hack it to run more, simply then you're taking abroad from the "purity" of the machine. Too, I know zilch about hacking arcade machines to play more games and don't really accept whatsoever interest of going down that rabbit pigsty.

Pro – Information technology's smaller calibration

The chiffonier is near 3/four scale relative to the original. Having a smaller footprint makes it easier to store in the house. Information technology also allows me to play while sitting downward.

Con – It's smaller scale

Why would I want to sit?! It's Street Fighter 2! You can buy a stand up to bring the height back to something that better approximates the arcade experience, but I however take concerns with width. With two players, I am concerned that in that location isn't enough real estate for two people to stand comfortably abreast each other and play.

Pro – New automobile means probably less maintenance

A make new cabinet with new buttons and a new LCD screen are a godsend. If y'all're trying to buy an bodily Street Fighter II from back in the solar day, it'due south probably been beaten into oblivion and would require a lot of fixing up. With this, y'all're expert to get.

Con – No customization

The ROMS that y'all go far the package don't give yous whatever sort of options. No mode to turn off the timer, adjust the AI difficulty, or set handicaps for individual players. Y'all're getting an arcade experience and nothing more.

Con – I own these games countless times and don't play them

From the SNES onward, I own a version of Street Fighter II on almost every console I take. On superlative of that, I just bought the fantabulous Street Fighter 30th Ceremony Edition earlier this year, which gives me fifty-fifty more than Street Fighter games, more than options, and the ability to play online. Fifty-fifty then, I however haven't put much time into it.

Pro – It'due south been a life dream of mine to own a Street Fighter 2 arcade cabinet

This may not be an authentic Street Fighter Ii arcade cabinet from the 90s, only it appears to exist a close enough facsimile of ane without the burden of trying to maintain a machine that'due south closing in on xxx years onetime. If I owned this machine, I think I would be comfortable with crossing this off of my bucket list.

So where do I go from here? I don't know.

I think what this ultimately boils down to is, "Do I want to spend $350 on a trophy?" In theory, I love the idea of fulfilling a childhood goal of mine to have a Street Fighter 2 arcade chiffonier in my firm. Nonetheless, it's a lot of money and I know I'yard not going to play information technology much. In the grand scheme of things, there are a lot of other good things I could do with that coin. It's sort of on my Christmas wish list, just I don't feel comfy asking Santa Claus to front the full toll of the motorcar that I know won't get much utilise. All of the rational thinking bated, the heart wants what the heart wants.

…let's re-evaluate when Battle Day comes.

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