What’s this? The price drop for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is official and not exclusive to just the Arcade version of the Xbox 360? Xbox 360 Arcade will now retail for a price of $199.99, the standard 360 console for $299.99 and the Elite for $399.99. This gives the 360 the “cheapest system” title, taking the place of the $249.99 Nintendo Wii.

So, if you get the red ring of death: don’t worry about it. No need to ship it out to Microsoft for them to fix and send back to you six months later. Just drop two hundred on the arcade and slap your hard drive in it and you’re set for Fallout 3 come the end of October.

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Many kinds of products are spawned from the inspiration that Space Invaders brings but this specific product is more special than the rest. Yes, even that quilt doesn’t impress as much.  Maybe I’m merely being biased because I just spilled beer all over my keyboard and I’m desperately looking for a replacement.

Yeah, that’s it. That’s the one! The keyboard I’ve been looking for. It’s dust-proof, spill-proof and to top it all off, it’s themed after one of the greatest arcade games ever. The $40 dollar price tag is cheaper than many keyboards we’ve written about, most of which are over a hundred and don’t have the retro 8-bit invaders on it we know and love. I think I’m sold.

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You’ve got to be tired of dicking around with that stylus on your Nintendo DS. After all, writing or any act like it is tiresome, especially if you’re a gamer who just likes the simplicity of an analog stick, one button and a high score list.

Modder Sam Thornley yearned for portable classics like the Atari Flashback, so he made his own. Using a Jakks Pacific plug-and-play Namco mini arcade’s guts and some hardware know-how, Sam melded the circuit board with a tiny 2.5-inch LCD display and powered the whole thing with a set of 4 rechargeable AA batteries. It includes Pac-Man, Galaxian, Rally-X, Bosconian and even Dig Dug. Yes, even Dig Dug, my deity.

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Don’t get me wrong, the Donkey Kong clock was cool, but it was a motionless picture with not a lot going for it other than being just an ordinary clock. Since we enjoy LEGOs so much and regard Donkey Kong as one of the greatest inventions since blood pressure wary underwear, we’re positive this LEGO construct is sure to catch your attention.

The infamous barrel-chucking Donkey Kong and the resilient Italian plumber are recreated in LEGO form complete with sound effects, rolling barrels, a jump crazy protagonist and even a damsel in distress. It’s one of the cooler LEGO builds I’ve seen.

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That’s right, this SKU lookup clearly shows a price change from the old $279.99 price to $199.99 for the Xbox 360 Arcade. Damn, a 360 is almost as cheap as a Nintendo DS. Amazing.  Remember kids, the Xbox 360 Arcade won’t come with a hard drive, so gaming online is a no-go unless you shell out an extra $100 dollars or so to get one. That’s the catch. For a price that cheap, gamers everywhere are going to experimentally cooking their home consoles.

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Now, here’s something worth kneeling down to: The Portland, Oregon based arcade known as Ground Kontrol crafted this impressive stained-glass window inspired by the classic arcade game Dig-Dug.

Now you’re wondering what makes it cooler than your own MAME arcade cabinet? Simple: it offers gaming salvation for those who are damned to spend eternity in the fiery pits of torment (translation: it’s a safe alternative to the Wii).

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Making your own arcade unit? What about some other DIY project that uses buttons? Buttons that don’t glow are mundane and unattractive, so why not make your own illuminating buttons? Playing arcade games in the dark is tough without being able to see what button you’re mashing down upon.

Thankfully, Hacknmod has written up a great how to guide on converting those dull unilluminating buttons into the glowing variety. It’s not too late to turn the buttons on your DIY Neo-Geo joystick into something worthwhile.

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Good job, kid. I thought I was the master at winning at those claw machines/crane machines you see in the arcade. That was, until I saw you crawling into the goddamned machine in the above video. You sneaky shit. You think you can just climb in there and take all the XXL New York Mets t-shirts you want? Not on my watch. I demand you put those stuffed animals back and wait until security arrives. You’ve disrupted the inner balance of the almighty crane machine. Bastard from a basket.

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Who would’ve thought an old Apple Powerbook and a trip to IKEA would be all it takes to create a sweet home arcade. Frederic Sebton took apart his old Powerbook and mounted the monitor and guts inside an IKEA side table, with the screen showing up through a hole cut out of the top of the table. After mounting an arcade style joystick in the cabinet’s drawer,  Sebton created a fun-filled MAME cabinet.

He provides his own step-by-step instructions on his approach to crafting your very own MAME cabinet to entertain yourself and your guests.  Just dig up your old laptop you never use, shove it inside a wooden cabinet and voila! Gaming goodness for the whole family.

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This DIY MAME cabinet is the kind of arcade system you always dreamed of having as a kid.  John Keeler has crafted this work of art and while doing so, was kind enough to throw together a HOWTO so you can build your own.

Aside from some of the neat stuff thrown into this thing, such as two NES, two SNES and 2 Adaptoid adapters built in to the front of the unit for easy retro controller support, the arcade has a custom built-in “Mother Brain” as tribute to Metroid.  Using polymer clay, Keeler crafted two halves of the brain and fit them inside a plexiglass case that lies behind the monitor. It’s as if Mother Brain herself were powering this machine of Metroid glory.

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