If your desk, shelf, or entire house is already turning into a shrine to classic arcade hardware, Quarter Arcades has just given you two more reasons to rearrange everything. The company has launched Lunar Lander and Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja in fully playable quarter-scale form.
Quarter Arcades has built a following by reproducing machines that feel more like tiny museum exhibits than toys. The pair released today takes that ethos and splits it between two radically different flavours of ’70s and ’80s nostalgia: slow, methodical space piloting and loud, punch-happy urban chaos.
Lunar Lander goes all-in on ’70s authenticity
Atari’s Lunar Lander isn’t the sort of game that shouts for your attention. It’s a game that grips you quietly, one descent at a time — and the new quarter-scale version embraces that mood.
I think most gamers over 50 have probably played on a genuine Lunar Lander machine or a clone.
The cabinet features all the period-accurate details: wooden construction, original side art, illuminated marquee, coin doors, and most importantly the analogue thrust control lever. There’s a 5-inch screen with a CRT-style lens, which at least shows Quarter Arcades is still committed to matching the look and feel of the original machine rather than chasing IPS brightness arms races.
It runs the original game ROM via a bespoke emulator, powered either by USB-C or the built-in lithium battery. In short, it’s as close as you’re going to get to a shrink-ray version of the 1979 cabinet without breaking into the nearest vintage collector’s garage.
Pricing varies by region, but availability is split between the US store and rest-of-world storefronts.
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja brings ’80s arcade swagger
At the other end of the spectrum is Data East’s Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, which takes the “President kidnapped by ninjas” plotline and leans into every cheesy action trope the 1980s ever produced.
Hands-up: I never played this game, so I’m actually more interested in this release than Lunar Lander.
This quarter-scale cabinet is built with the expected attention to detail: dual-player controls, joystick and buttons, illuminated marquee, and the familiar arcade artwork. Inside, you’re getting crisp pixel art, classic brawler sound design, adjustable DIP switch options, and high-score saving — a nod to the original machine’s personality rather than just a cosmetic recreation.
The rechargeable battery makes it portable enough to pass around or display wherever you like, though in practice it’s the kind of thing most people will park proudly on a shelf.
Again, availability is split between the US store and rest-of-world storefronts depending on where you are located.
Available now for collectors and nostalgia addicts
Both cabinets are available to order now through Quarter Arcades and selected retailers. You should also keep an eye on the Quarter Arcades store on Amazon.
Quarter Arcades has cleverly added two new units that cover very different genres and periods of retro arcade gaming.
Whether you’re a fan of zero-gravity landings or side-scrolling martial arts mayhem, these compact arcade units bring two very different slices of arcade history back into your home, and you don’t need to insert coin to play.
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Christian Cawley is the founder and editor of GamingRetro.co.uk, a website dedicated to classic and retro gaming. With over 20 years of experience writing for technology and gaming publications, he brings considerable expertise and a lifelong passion for interactive entertainment, particularly games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras.
Christian has written for leading outlets including TechRadar, Computer Weekly, Linux Format, and MakeUseOf, where he also served as Deputy Editor.
When he’s not exploring vintage consoles or retro PCs, Christian enjoys building with LEGO, playing cigar box guitar, and experimenting in the kitchen.
