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Alice Goes to Wonderland Pinball: A Kickstarter We (Reluctantly) Can’t Ignore

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At ausretrogamer, we’ve maintained a firm stance against featuring Kickstarter projects, aiming to shield our readers from the uncertainties that often accompany crowdfunded ventures. However, the upcoming “Alice Goes to Wonderland” pinball machine by Wonderland Amusements has managed to capture our attention, challenging our usual reservations.

A Bold Promise: Affordable, Mechanical Pinball for the Home

Wonderland Amusements pledges to deliver a fully mechanical pinball machine at 80% the size of a standard unit, all for under US$1,000. This proposition is undeniably enticing, especially for enthusiasts eager to bring the tactile joy of pinball into their homes without breaking the bank. The machine draws inspiration from Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale, aiming to blend classic pinball mechanics with whimsical “Alice in Wonderland” themes. The company has showcased vibrant artwork and animations that promise an immersive experience.

The prototype AGtW is looking good!

The Team Behind the Vision

The leadership at Wonderland Amusements comprises industry veterans with impressive resumes. CEO and Creative Director Jerry Cummings brings over 35 years of product development experience, having collaborated with giants like Disney and Mattel. Product Development lead Andres Quiros boasts a background in entertainment and gaming, including pivotal roles at Arcade1Up and as the founder of New Wave Toys. Their combined expertise suggests a team capable of navigating the complexities of bringing such a product to market.


source: Wonderland Amusements on YouTube

A Cautious Enthusiasm

While the project is ambitious and the team experienced, it’s essential to approach this with measured optimism. The challenges of manufacturing a mechanical pinball machine at this price point are significant. Potential backers should weigh the excitement of the concept against the inherent risks of crowdfunding. As always, we advise thorough research and consideration before supporting such projects.

For those intrigued, Wonderland Amusements’ Kickstarter campaign is slated to launch in March 2025. You can sign up for notifications on their Kickstarter pre-launch page.

Note: This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute an endorsement of the project.

The RepliCade Mini Tempest Is In Da House!

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Being an early backer on a Kickstarter has its perks, you can usually pick up a product for an early bird price (way cheaper than its inevitable retail price) and you get to use / play it well before anyone else does. The only down side is the usual delivery time frame, so the wait can be agonising.

After waiting patiently, our Replicade Mini Tempest arcade machine has finally arrived! Joining its sibling, the Replicade Mini Centipede, these machines are a sight to behold! With great quality inside and out, it’s like someone got a shrinking gun and used it on the real arcade machines – they are that damn accurate! Don’t believe us, then check out the pics below. Oh yeah, the spinner, albeit on a smaller scale, feels almost how we remember playing Tempest over three decades ago!

 

 

 

Introducing the RepliCade Mini Centipede Arcade Machine

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When we backed New Wave Toys‘ RepliCade: Mini Centipede Arcade Machine Kickstarter, we only imagined how good it would be. Well, we have received our limited edition RepliCade Mini Centipede and let’s just say, we are totally blown away by it!

The level of detail, from the cabinet styling, artwork, light-up marquee, control panel overlay, old school P1 and P2 player select buttons to the fire button, coin slots and the beautiful trak-ball, New Wave Toys should be commended for a prefect recreation of Atari’s iconic Centipede arcade machine – it truly needs to be seen to be believed!

The Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin approves of the RepliCade Mini Centipede Arcade Machine

OK, we know what you are thinking, it looks great, but does it play well? In short, it plays perfectly, we cannot fault it one bit! The trak-ball feels oh so right (you can adjust its sensitivity) even though it looks small, it feels great under the index finger. The concave fire button also feels right, with no lag at all. The emulation used is as if it was yanked right off the Centipede arcade board, it plays unbelievably smooth. Just on this, New Wave Toys are using their proprietary RepliCade high-performance chipset for smooth, lag-free gameplay. It runs on a closed system that boots directly into ROM. By pressing the right coin slot, you have access to all the options that the original machine had in the arcades. Seriously, these guys have thought of everything!

The RepliCade Mini Centipede Arcade Machine comes highly recommended. The design and level of detail of this replica mini arcade machine is simply sublime. Dona Bailey and Ed Logg would be quite impressed with what New Wave Toys have achieved. We now look forward to their next creation in their RepliCade series, the Mini Tempest Arcade Machine!

PS: The Atari 25c insert coin keychain (bottom of this article) was available to Kickstarter backers only! The generic 25c insert coin keychain is available via Amazon!

 

Replicade X Tempest Mini Arcade Machine: The Early Bird Catches The Cool Worm

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If you were like us, you may have backed New Wave Toys’ first Kickstarter which was a Replicade Centipede mini arcade machine.

When we got the note that their Replicade X Tempest mini arcade was now live on Kickstarter, we jumped on it right away! Yes, we broke our first New Year’s resolution – no backing Kickstarters in 2018, but we made an exception for this, cause it is that good.

The Replicade X Tempest Kickstarter has already blown past its goal, so this will happen and we can’t wait! For everyone that went gaga at our photos of the insert coin light up keychain, here is your chance to grab one by backing this campaign with as little as $25USD.

Instead of regurgitating all about New Wave Toys’ Replicade X Tempest mini arcade right here, why don’t you go and check out the Kickstarter now and decide for yourself.

source: Replicade X Tempest on Kickstarter