Home Arcade System Score: 89% Developer: Blaze Device Type: Multi

Function: Designed to help you keep all of your gaming gear in one spot, the Home Arcade System is a modular furniture system with instructions which show you how to build an upright storage/gaming unit with an ?arcade? case layout. The H.A.S. does not ?look? like an arcade case. It has no sides to it and is considerably shorter than an actual arcade game case.

Performance: However, the Home Arcade System does provide a place for a small television (or monitor) on top, a ?shelf? that is perfect for mounting a flight stick, steering wheel, or arcade stick on, a storage shelf for one console, and a place for storing CDs. There is an extra shelf for additional storage, and the lowest shelf (near the ground) has a section cut out for placing pedal clusters when using a steering wheel that has pedals. This area is designed to fit most steering wheel pedal clusters and solves the problem of your pedals slipping away from you as you play. The rear of your pedal cluster will be firmly positioned against the front of the Home Arcade System?s lowest shelf. This sidesteps the problem of pedals slipping away from the gamer during usage; a problem that many steering wheel pedal clusters have.

Features: Modular design Special shelf for monitor/small TV Special shelf for steering wheel/flight stick/arcade sticks Special shelf with inset console storage area Shelf for storage with built-in CD rack Bottom shelf designed to accomodate pedal clusters

Drawbacks & Problems:: While I realize that I am not the youngest (or shortest) gamer out there (28-years-old and 6?2?...), I found that the shelf for the arcade stick was too low... even after I switched things around a bit to raise this shelf about six inches. And while it is a fact that more than half of the gamers out there are currently older than 18, they?re not all necessarily as tall as I am. It is very easy to get a comfortable fit for playing games with a steering wheel on the Home Arcade System, however, and the special lowest shelf?s design actually can make playing with certain steering wheel systems better than using them without the Home Arcade System. If the system sells well, perhaps Blaze will offer expansion packs with additional shelves and different sized legs so that the system can be more customized for each individual. As it stands, it?s a nice unit. The only real complaint I would have is that the monitor/TV shelf is designed for smaller display units than I would prefer. It seems to support the weight nicely, though -- I keep two monitors stacked on top of each other on the unit, so I can point one in a different direction and more people can watch the action.

-Geck0, GameVortex Communications AKA Robert Perkins