Numskull's popular Quarter Arcades range is a great way to reconnect with your coin-op past and add a splash of colour to any gaming setup, and while it has big-hitters such as Space Invaders and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, this series of 1/4 scale cabinets also has some deeper cuts into gaming history.
Taito's Zoo Keeper recently joined the family and is accompanied by Elevator Action, a groundbreaking 1983 release which is still as playable and addictive today as it was over 40 years ago.
Designed by Toshio Kono, Elevator Action sees you assuming the role of a secret agent who has to descend a series of buildings using – you guessed it – elevators. The aim is to steal the top-secret plans (hidden behind red doors) whilst dealing with enemy agents and get out of the building in one piece.
Elevator Action has arguably aged far better than many other arcade titles from the early '80s and received a fantastic sequel in 1994 called Elevator Action Returns – sadly, despite being a superior game in almost every respect, it didn't perform as well commercially.
The Quarter Arcades Elevator Action cabinet, like its siblings, is an authentic replica of the real thing, right down to faithful marquee artwork, cabinet art and more. It's powered by a USB-to-USB-C connection (there's a cable in the box, but no power supply – you'll need to use your own USB-A adapter) and even has light-up coin slots.
The game itself is running via emulation, which is the case with the other Quarter Arcade devices. The LCD display is sharp and colourful, and the sound is suitably punchy. The micro-switched joystick is relatively small but still perfectly unusable. There's a two-player mode, but it's not simultaneous; once one player dies, the other takes their turn. In a nice nod to the original cabinet, there are action buttons on either side of the joystick, which means both left and right-handed players can enjoy it.
It's great to see the Quarter Arcades range expand to include lesser-known classics from back in the day, and while Elevator Action is hardly a hidden gem, it certainly deserves a little more attention today. As ever, the steep cost is going to make this a purchase for dedicated fans only, but short of owning an original arcade cabinet, this is perhaps the most authentic way to fit Taito's title into your gaming den.
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Thanks to Numskull for supplying us with this Quarter Arcades Elevator Action cabinet.