Classic Sega arcade cabinet recreated as detailed working miniature 

A user on X who specializes in making miniature working arcade cabinets recently documented their progress in making a mini version of Sega’s racing game Power Drift. Not only does the LCD screen work and allow you to play the game, but the tiny sit-down cabinet also moves with the action, just like the real thing (as shown in the video below).  

Designed by Yu Suzuki of Virtua Fighter fame, Sega’s Power Drift was first released in arcades back in 1988. The racing game cabinet was shaped like a Formula 1 car and was built on top of a hydraulic platform. This allowed the cabinet to move up and down and side to side in accordance with your driving on the tracks. Many of the tracks feature steep hills, drops and sharp bends.  

X user Gaug has been documenting their experience of making working mini arcade cabinets since 2018, creating miniatures of games such as Outrun and Pole Position. It seems that Power Drift, with its hydraulic moving base, presents some extra challenges. Gaug previously made a mini arcade cabinet for the game in 2019, but the base could only tilt side to side. This time, they made a slightly bigger and more advanced version which features a larger screen and a car-shaped cabinet that can now move up and down as well as tilt side to side in time with the player’s driving- just like the real full-sized cabinet. Gaug made it in their free time from December 2023 through to April 28, 2024, usually working on it late at night. 

According to Gaug’s extensive documentation of the process, the X user ran into various issues while trying to make a more advanced version of the mini cabinet. They used a CAD program to draw the parts needed. These were then 3D printed and painted, with stickers used for the small details like the red and blue stripes and logos. Gaug also made and printed the stickers, however they ran into some trouble getting the quality and size of the sticker decals exactly right, so they had to reprint them. They also had to get the emulated version of the game to display correctly on their LCD screen and also made a joystick controller that could be used to play the game. The part they seemed to have the most difficulty with was calibrating the joystick that they made and getting the vertical movements correct. 

However, in the end, they were able to make a working miniature that closely resembles the real thing. Those who are interested in seeing the complete progress report for the model can view it on X. The creator’s other miniature works, including Pole Position, Thunder Blade and Space Harrier can also be found on X.  

Miniature versions of arcade cabinets have their fans, as was shown when Dance Dance Revolution Classic Mini, a playable mini version of the hit rhythm arcade game, overshot its crowdfunding goal by 271%.