Although I’m maybe a bit young to reminisce about the neon lights of eighties arcades, I do have a lot of nostalgia for those early cabinet based games. I’ll always remember holidays away in Spain and Portugal finding little arcade corners tucked in the depths of hotels, and spending many a Euro playing Pac-Man and Metal Slug. Just last month I went to a museum with a section full of arcade games, and had a blast trying to beat the high scores of the Donkey Kong machine. Despite having a lot of love for this era of gaming, I’ve never quite taken the plunge on an arcade cabinet of my own. Thanks to the Mini Arcade Pro though I don’t have to, and instead can turn my Switch 2 into an adorable arcade throwback whenever I see fit.
The Mini Arcade Pro arrives pretty much fully assembled, with only a few plastic panels to slot together to create your very own tiny arcade machine. It has different plastic inserts that support inserting the Switch, Switch OLED and Switch 2 into the cabinet, and once you’ve done that the screen of your chosen Switch will serve as the screen of the Mini Arcade Pro. By slotting it in correctly you’ll also connect into the bottom charging port of the console, and can then use the arcade stick and eight buttons to play whatever you want. It’s incredibly simple to setup, and comes with a handy guide if you’re struggling too.
For playing the classics you’re going to want those perfect retro controls, and that’s exactly what the Mini Arcade Pro provides. The traditional eight directional stick with its iconic red ball feels perfectly clicky, and works great whether you’re playing a shmup or a fighter. The eight buttons are satisfying to press too, and are well positioned and comfortable to use. There are also buttons above the stick and main buttons that are assigned to the Switch menu buttons, to ensure navigating the system is possible without constantly having to use Joy-Cons. There’s even a turbo button to save your muscles, which is a great touch.
Now familiar with the Mini Arcade Pro I was ready to play some games, and thankfully I had quite the back catalogue to explore. Pac-Man Museum+ seemed like a perfect place to start, and immediately I was transported back to those childhood score chasing memories. Next up I jumped into a Cave bullet hell shooter (Mushihimesama to be specific) and weaved through bullets like a pro. It’s hard to quite quantify the added joy playing in this home arcade setting provides, and I couldn’t stop there.
Perhaps the coolest aspect of the Mini Arcade Pro working with the Nintendo Switch is that you can also use it with all the classic Switch Online games. There’s very little cooler than playing Streets of Rage and Golden Axe in a faux arcade style, and with games still being added regularly you never know what exciting new titles will be perfect for the tiny cabinet you want to use at every opportunity.
Obviously you’re not limited to using it with arcade classics either. I actually played a lot of Kirby Air Riders with the Mini Arcade Pro when writing my review, because the simple controls made it a perfect fit. Just experimenting with it is a lot of fun, and it would also enable some fun challenges if you really want to get creative.
It may well be awkward for you to keep track of which games work well with your Mini Arcade Pro, but if you own them physically it’ll be less of an issue. This is because on the back of the cabinet is a handy rack that can hold twelve games, perfect for any arcade remasters or compilations you want to exclusively play with a joystick.
We should probably talk about the actual physical look of the Mini Arcade Pro, as it could be a little divisive. The explosion of red colour and rainbow of buttons suit me fine, but are obviously pretty bright visually. It’s the closer details I find a little less impressive, like the selection of off brand controllers all over the casing. It’s not a huge issue, but it detracts from an otherwise really impressive looking product.
The Mini Arcade Pro is a delightful way to play arcade classics (and anything else you fancy) on your Nintendo Switch or Switch 2. Its form is both adorable and badass in equal measure, and the controls feel incredibly high quality. Whether it’s a treat for you or a thoughtful gift, the Mini Arcade Pro will leave many a gamer smiling.