As anyone who has played any iteration of Namco Museum can probably tell you, it’s hard to replicate the arcade experience outside of the arcade. Sure, our televisions are larger than ever, but it just doesn’t feel the same. One of the most jarring differences between arcade titles and their console counterparts are often the different senses of scale. Arcade games usually have a towering presence, a sense of pure verticality, a presence that (of course) isn’t easily replicated on a rectangular flat screen television.
While the Nintendo Switch’s vertical mode seems to alleviate this problem, players that wish to take advantage of the feature are forced to place their Switch onto a flat surface, such as, a coffee table. If you find this annoying, fret not, as a new Kickstarter promises a solution.
The Flip Grip is a vertical grip for your Nintendo Switch that enables you to play your console while it is flipped a full ninety degrees. Keeping the portability of the console intact, the grip allows for one to play Switch ports like Arcade Archives: Donkey Kong, Arcade Archives: Punch-Out!!, and a variety of other games in a handheld, vertical mode. While this may seem like a one trick pony, the Kickstarter page lists twenty-one compatible games that have already been released, with an additional seven games that are on the way.
The Kickstarter campaign has taken off without a hitch, already surpassing its $42,500 goal in one day.
To learn more about the Flip Grip, you can check out the project’s Kickstarter page. One Flip Grip will run you $12, a small price to pay to experience Dig Dug in its natural glory. If you’re thinking about backing the project, keep in mind that the campaign ends in less than three weeks — so break out the wallets if you are looking to support.