arcades

If your child is spending so much time with games that you're concerned about ergonomics, perhaps posture isn't the first thing that needs to be corrected. But every parent has different priorities, so here's something for those who care more about orthopedics than their progeny's brains turning to mush.

The "Synergy Arcade Cabinet" supposedly keeps your child upright while playing on what looks like an updated version of the old Pac-Man tables found in fern bars of the '70s. We're not sure how it would truly improve posture when they're bent over … Read more

Now that the long-rumored "bargain" PS3 now a reality (in Europe, anyway), how will Microsoft respond? Over the past few months, the company has refreshed the bulk of the 360 line: the $450 Elite debuted in April with a large 120GB hard drive, HDMI port, and (finally!) black color scheme; the Pro (a.k.a. "Premium") 20GB model got a $50 price cut and HDMI upgrade; and there's even a limited-run $400 Halo Edition (basically, the Pro with a military camo paint job) for $400. But what of the lowly Xbox 360 Core System? The … Read more

Whoever said geeks have no sense of humor was wrong--laughably so. Some of the funniest comics out there are Web comics (or those rendered for the Web,) written by techies, for the techies who love them. Here's a bushel of geeky favorites, in no particular order.

1. xkcd Randall Monroe, physicist, cartoonist, and at-heart romantic, is behind xkcd, a Web comic whose name curiously holds no mathematically obscure meaning. In his own words, Monroe's stick-figure style "occasionally contains strong language (which may be unsuitable for children), unusual humor (which may be unsuitable for adults), and advanced mathematics (which may be unsuitable for liberal-arts majors)." See? Funny.… Read more

Marriage can be so difficult. Just when you thought you've found eternal happiness, your spousal unit complains about every little thing. Take your latest purchase, for example: Who could object to a full-size arcade machine as the perfect living-room accessory?

Because Crave cares about you and your domicile happiness, we offer a solution from Surface Tension in its "Multi-Game Arcade Table." This cleverly constructed console (if it can be called that) lets you relive your misspent Space Invaders youth in an industrial design with a sleek metal finish suitable for the swankiest of lofts.

There is just … Read more

In case you missed it--or don't own an Xbox 360--Missile Command is now available for download as an Xbox Live Arcade game (the full version is $5). The game includes both the old-school and the modern, "completely restylized version featuring evolved graphics and the newly introduced Throttle Monkey mode." If that Monkey Mode isn't enough for you, there's always a little wide-screen HD and Dolby Digital surround sound to amp up the action.

So you're not willing to share your abode with a full-size arcade machine? Wimp. If you're the type who does things only halfway--or if you just want to stay happily married--you might be interested in this model instead.

The "Katana" from Dream Authentics is a customizable game machine that's intended to replicate the arcade experience of our misspent youth, save for one difference: It sits on a table top. The purist might object to this, as it's kind of like playing craps while sitting on a barstool; but if you're short on space (… Read more

Imagine you have a time machine, a pocket full of quarters and a Walkman with Siouxsie and Smiths cassettes (OK, you can bring your own). Your mission is to travel back to the '80s, the golden age of arcade games, and play your favorite one.

Which would you pick?

Would you sidle up to Asteroids, Frogger, Centipede, Donkey Kong? ... Need to jog your memory? Check out this News.com gallery of the classic games of the 1980s.

It's hard to get old-school arcade action with today's controllers. Whether it's the Wii's motion-sensing remote or the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3's wireless gamepads, they just don't capture the frantic, rugged joystick-beating and button-thumping of yesteryear. Don't worry, though. $200 will get you the glory back, thanks to X-Arcade.

X-Arcade makes retro arcade controllers, and the Tankstick is the company's beefiest, most fearsome unit. This massive controller weighs 20 pounds and sports two joysticks, 22 buttons, and a trackball. Most impressive is this bad boy's lifetime warranty; X-Arcade will repair … Read more

The "Megatouch Elite Edge Ion" may sound like a Sharper Image air filter, but the prosaically named machine could make game arcades look like the floor of the Bellagio. (OK, maybe the Flamingo.)

Although it resembles those irritatingly chipper video slots that feature dozens of ways to empty your wallet with every spin, the Megatouch is designed to play all types of non-gambling games--102, to be exact--ranging from trivia to sports, according to Chip Chick. It even has a joystick to go along with its touch screen, something you won't find among the nickel slots in … Read more