Retro Arcade Remakes and Atari are bringing reproduction circuit boards for several classic vector arcade games to market, giving operators and collectors another option when original hardware becomes difficult to source or maintain.
An update provided on 1 May 2023 confirmed that licensed Atari PCBs for Major Havoc, Black Widow, Gravitar, Warlords and Lunar Lander were available. Reproduction boards for Food Fight and Millipede were listed as coming soon.
The same update said development of the Warlords remake was progressing well, with full production expected to begin around July or August. The cabinet had also been substantially redesigned from the version shown at IAAPA, so further details were still expected.
Where the reproduction project began
At IAAPA 2022, Retro Arcade Remakes presented an Ice Cold Beer remake alongside a reproduction cabinet for Atari’s Warlords. Two reproduction PCBs were also displayed on the booth table: one for Taito’s Ice Cold Beer and another for Atari’s Lunar Lander.
The boards appeared briefly near the start of the event video, alongside the company’s larger cabinet projects. The Warlords remake was later seen at Midwest Gaming Classic, suggesting that the project remained active.
Retro Arcade Remakes had also discussed a new four-player arcade version of Atari’s relatively obscure classic Food Fight. At that stage, the project was still in the early part of development.
Three Atari collector boards released
The first officially available boards can be viewed through Atari’s reproduction PCB collection and selected arcade-parts distributors, including Paradise Arcade.
These are fully functional but unpopulated PCBs based on three Atari titles:
Each board carries printed gameplay instructions and historical information about its title. The PCBs are also individually serialized, adding a little extra interest for collectors documenting their hardware.
Why are the boards unpopulated?
All three released games are vector titles, which may explain why this particular group was chosen. It was not clear why Lunar Lander was not among the first three released boards, or whether other vector games such as Asteroids and Space Duel might follow.
The decision to sell unpopulated boards has prompted discussion among arcade enthusiasts. Retro Ralph questioned the choice, while one likely explanation is the difficulty, cost or scarcity involved in reproducing and sourcing the required components.
For restorers, a bare board is not a direct plug-and-play replacement. Installing the necessary parts requires care, particularly when working with delicate pins and vintage-style components. Anyone planning a hardware restoration should also consider specialist arcade parts and professional arcade repair services before starting.
A useful option for ageing arcade hardware
These reproduction PCBs could appeal to owners who need a replacement for an ageing board, as well as collectors who want historically themed hardware for a display. They may also suit a broader restoration or custom-build project, although the unpopulated design means additional work remains before a game can be operated.
For readers planning a complete cabinet rather than a board-level restoration, RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide provides a useful starting point, while the arcade blog covers more industry and retro-gaming news.
Would you use one of these boards as a replacement in an original cabinet, display it as arcade hardware, or wait for a populated version? The next releases will show how far this reproduction programme can expand.
Leave a Reply