Arcade1Up Countercades are perfect for those with limited space or anyone who doesn`t want to spend $500 on a full-size home arcade machine. Unfortunately, it seemed Arcade1Up had ceased production of these compact units, with all Countercades being discontinued. We hadn`t seen any Countercades in stock since last holiday season, so it was a pleasant surprise to find the Arcade1Up Class of `81 Countercade unexpectedly available on Amazon this week.
The Class of `81 Countercade, themed around Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga, also includes Dig Dug. This cabinet was initially released last October for $150 but quickly disappeared before Christmas, having an unusually brief lifecycle. Now, it has an equally peculiar restock. The Class of `81 Countercade is sold and shipped by Amazon, priced at $167.16. This is only $17 above its original MSRP, which was surprisingly low to begin with and contributed to its rapid sell-out.
Grab the Arcade1Up Class of `81 Countercade while you can; resellers on StockX are listing it for $299. This compact machine is one of only a few Arcade1Up models currently available on Amazon.
The Class of `81 Countercade features a 7-inch, vertically oriented LCD screen, adorned with Ms. Pac-Man artwork on the left and Galaga artwork on the right. Despite its compact size, Arcade1Up Countercades boast full-size controls. This particular unit includes a red ball-top arcade stick, two yellow buttons, one red button, and switches for power and volume. The marquee, side panels, and control deck are decorated with Class of `81 art icons and logos.
As mentioned, the machine comes with three classic Namco arcade games:
- Ms. Pac-Man
- Galaga
- Dig Dug
The full dimensions of the machine are 8.7 x 9.4 x 13.11 inches, and it weighs only 6.3 pounds (approx. 2.85 kg). While designed for flat surfaces like a desk or countertop, it`s light enough to be comfortably placed on your lap on the couch. You don`t even need to be near an outlet, as the Class of `81 Countercade can be powered by the included Micro-USB cable or four AA batteries (not included). If you dislike Micro-USB as much as we do, a rechargeable AA battery 4-pack with charger kit is available for $12.
The previous Pac-Man Countercade retailed for $200. Amazon`s product page suggests $167.16 might be the current MSRP. This can happen when Amazon restocks discontinued products, sometimes leading to rather random pricing for items that effectively become Amazon exclusives.
Arcade1Up also recently launched a new Ms. Pac-Man machine within its Head-to-Head Arcade Table series. This table features a light-up control deck and joysticks/buttons on each side of its 17-inch LCD screen. The $600 Ms. Pac-Man Arcade Table includes 12 games: Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Dig Dug, Dig Dug II, Galaxian, Galaga, Galaga `88, Mappy, Rolling Thunder, Tower of Druaga, Rompers, and New Rally X.
The Ms. Pac-Man Head-to-Head machine is the only Arcade1Up arcade table currently available on Amazon. Some of Arcade1Up`s traditional standing Deluxe Edition Cabinets are still actively in production. Most are priced at $600, though a few, such as Pac-Man, NBA Jam, and Mortal Kombat, are available for $500.
Arcade1Up Deluxe Edition Arcade Cabinets (August 2025)
- Golden Tee 3D (8 Games) — $500
- Mortal Kombat II (14 Games) — $500
- NBA Jam (3 Games) — $500
- Pac-Man (14 Games) — $500
- Big Buck Hunter Pro (4 Games, 2 Light Guns) — $600
- The Fast & the Furious (2 Games, Racing Wheel & Pedals) — $600
- Terminator 2 (2 Light Guns) — $600
- Wheel of Fortune Casinocade (4 Games) — $475
- Full-Size Claw Machine — $500
- Dig Dug Legacy Edition — $400
For those interested in classic Namco arcade games, keep an eye out for the upcoming Atari 2600+ Pac-Man Edition Console Bundle. This special-edition system plays original Atari 2600 and 7800 cartridges and comes with a yellow wireless joystick and Pac-Man: Double Feature, a cart featuring a newly developed version of Pac-Man alongside the original 2600 release. Additional Ghost Gang-themed joysticks are available for separate preorder, as are three more Namco classics on cartridge, including Galaga and Dig Dug.