While Oculus VR continues to disappoint users by repeatedly postponing the release of its virtual reality headset, technology demos compatible with Oculus Rift are becoming more complex and more attractive. This time, NewRetroArcade lets us step into a virtual arcade room, loaded with the music and neon of those classic times.
The Golden Age of Arcades
I admit that my experience with arcades was during what we might call their "twilight", but it is something I would definitely love to experience again. The simple act of leaving a token on the glass and putting pressure on whoever is playing at that moment, and then feeling exactly the same is priceless. The magic of arcades was replaced by other spells, such as the web, graphics, and multiplayer gaming. All of them have been very effective at recruiting new players, and they have greatly benefited the market, but why do we keep looking back more and more? Articles about emulators, arcade reproductions, and modifications of old consoles have multiplied almost virally. Indie games with retro graphics enjoy enormous popularity, and modern multi-million-dollar developments keep on disappointing. Something is failing, and the classics seem to have the answer.
Inside the Virtual Arcade
The problem is that arcades have disappeared, but the NewRetroArcade project brings them back, at least virtually. A dark hallway, neon lights, and then glory: Rows of arcade machines, walls covered with posters of '80s movies, a boombox accompanied by a box full of cassettes, consoles scattered around the place (Game Boy and Super Nintendo for now), a dart game, and even bowling tables are part of the environment. From a more technical point of view, NewRetroArcade is a complex front end for different emulators (such as MAME), and its compatibility with the Oculus Rift places it in a completely different category.
Hardware Requirements
One detail to keep in mind is that NewRetroArcade demands powerful hardware. Besides rendering the entire room in 3D with its effects, shadows, and reflections, it also needs resources to process the emulations. While it is possible to lower the graphical quality, the most likely outcome is poor game performance (choppy audio is a good indicator) when the computer is not up to the task. On the other hand, NewRetroArcade offers a builder to create our own arcade cabinets, and in its installation guide we can find a link to a pack of ROMs (which must be separate for obvious reasons). Personally, I think the real arcades were better, but NewRetroArcade presents itself as a more than decent alternative.
