UNIS Reveals Two-Player Fantasy Soccer Cabinet

Those of you who follow my blog will surely know that I’m quite partial to the recently released soccer arcade game Fantasy Soccer. While I have not yet gotten to play it—a consistent theme with most titles I cover, sadly—I’m thoroughly intrigued by this revival of the coin-op sports genre.

So far, it seems the only hang-up for some arcade owners interested in picking up this title is the cabinet’s relatively large footprint and the hefty price tag. Four-player Fantasy soccer clocks in at 105 inches high, 75 inches wide, and 67 inches deep, with a 65-inch display. The price is reportedly in the $12,000 range.

Now, providing the accessibilty few arcade game manufacturers care to offer anymore, UNIS has released a standard version of the cabinet (pictured below). This unit drops the number of player terminals from two to four, reduces the monitor size to a comfortable 49 inches, and shrinks the form factor to 90 inches high, 45 inches wide, and 55 inches deep. Also of note is the removal of the marquee-mounted spectator monitor. This versions costs about $7,500.

I’ve not yet heard back from UNIS on whether the reduced number of players will significantly affect the gameplay or whether multiple two-player units can be linked for team play like their larger brethren, but it so far seems that this new cabinet will deliver a very similar experience.

Even though I don’t care for the vast majority of UNIS’ output—lots of redemption, some VR—I’ve recently found myself much more interest in their developments. By reviving two separate genres with Fantasy Soccer and CrazyRide, and now revealing a standard flippin’ cabinet in 2019, the company has more than demonstrated I should, in fact, follow their social media pages.

At risk of sounding biased, I really, really hope both versions of Fantasy Soccer be very popular. I love arcade sports, and I love standard cabinets. My long-term hope is that UNIS’ “bravery” incites imitation by other developers—proving that these types of games are of interest to players.

If you’re interested in playing the four-player version of Fantasy Soccer, it can now be found at Round1 locations, according to the chain’s “New Arrival” page. And if you’ve gotten to play it already, please share with me your thoughts. I’d love to know if Fantasy Soccer deserves the lofty pedestal I’ve thrown it upon.

Until next time, I’m out. Catch y’all later.