I am looking at this:
And this:
Are there better options out there?
[Moderating]
Moving to the Game Room.
Lots of way better and cheaper options. Spend a good amount of time here: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/ which tells you how to do EVERYTHING from full DIY to buying a complete system like the highly overpriced ones in your links.
If the forum is too much for you, this is an outstanding read: https://www.amazon.com/Project-Arcade-Build-Your-Machine-ebook/dp/B07KYT8S22/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1NJB0VSYE93IK&keywords=build+your+own+arcade&qid=1579926057&sprefix=build+you+own+arcade%2Caps%2C235&sr=8-7
I assume those on Amazon have legally licensed games on them, right? That would account for some of the priciness, but it still seems cheap for something like 3500 games. I mean, yeah, I know about MAME and how to get ROMs, but are these above board commercial products?
not from what ive seen … there are liscensed systems that are like every arcade game capcom ever done but those are usuaklly single company cabnients
+1
Read through the questions on the Amazon machines and you have to ask them for a list of games. So they don’t want to/can’t advertise what they have. Suspicious.
On the other hand, X-Arcade lists their 250 included games with registration and trademark symbols, so 99% legit. X-Arcade has a strong reputation to uphold. Even with X-Arcade, once you go past the 250 games and want to add more, you’re back into the gray area of MAME ROMs.
The only way to be 99% legit is to buy the actual arcade boards for each game, at which point you’re allowed to download and play the backup ROM.
I came across this site last week. Not quite as many games as the one you linked to but the cabinets are WAY cheaper.