As explained in a blog post, Arcade Tournament Edition was a light spin on the original game from id Software. It included the familiar single and multiplayer elements, and you could even play deathmatch rounds if there were multiple chests. The biggest change, apart from the pay-to-play business model, was the addition of random “instaprize” gift boxes that would issue tokens for gifts around the world. You could also play a unique multiplayer card (an apparent reworking of a Quake II folder) that was not available on PCs.
The cabinet itself was ultimately a glorious Windows 95 computer with a Pentium II 266MHz, custom graphics and a 3dfx Voodoo-based graphics system. You have played with a custom trackball controller instead of the usual mouse and keyboard. It is not thought that entire cabinets made it to the public, and no more than 200 conversion kits for existing cabinets were likely to reach customers. You are part of a very small group when you play Quake in an arcade.
As such, this conversion is not so much a nostalgic journey, as it is a way to explore a seemingly lost part of gaming history. It’s also a reminder that security measures can have the unintended consequence of preventing anyone from documenting gaming history. Arcade Tournament Edition was not lost forever, but first-hand experience has been extremely difficult over the last 22 years.
