DIY Retro-Arcade Machine with Raspberry Pi

[FrgMstr]

This is a very interesting worklog that is chronicled over at OCInside in English, if you are into the whole retro-gaming thing. The hardware to build this type of arcade machine is abundant so the whole DIY path is blank slate for your imagination. Maybe a full size cabinet?


No matter if you decide for a Raspberry Pi with Retropie or Recalbox software or if you build a small ITX PC or a fully grown full size ATX PC with a Windows or Linux based Mame emulator, at the end you need the right ROM download to play Frogger, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Popey, Arkanoid, Centipede, Star Wars Triology, Mario Kart Arcade, 1945, 1942, Gyrus, Zaxxon or all the other great arcade games. Unfortunately, there is a legal problem right here, because even the most beautiful retro games are copyrighted, but our own copy of a ROM board is, in our opinion, at least a legal gray area.

 

[Deleted member 83233]

Nice! I kind of like that desktop all in one approach. I'd probably use ITX PC hardware, so it could do a bit more beyond just emulation. I'd probably also slope the controls toward the players since it's already up on a desk, but otherwise it looks pretty nice. I like the exposed USB ports too. That could come in handy for four players, or other types of devices.

 

[Burticus]

I like to read about mame / emulator cabinet builds.... but that one is just way to big and bulky for being Raspberry based. Honestly the entire thing could fit inside a low for factor arcade style stick cabinet.... plus a monitor.

With the size of that thing, it could easily have been an ITX build running whatever,

 

[steakman1971]

I had an old iCade (worked with an ipad 2 - it slid in the front and acted as the screen.) . I found an article on Reddit (I think) that showed a few replacement parts to work with a Raspberry Pi. I bought the parts, a few buttons, a new screen, plexiglass and ended up with a decent little arcade. Reminds me - I got a new amp I need to install. I bought it from Ebay for about $3? It's only a few watts but works ok in my iCade.
I wouldn't mind getting a full sized arcade cabinet. They tend to go for a lot or they are out of my area. Plus, thinking the wife would not like this so much .
Performance wise, the Raspberry Pi 3 is great with the older games (I like stuff like Galaga, Galaxian, Pacman, etc). It also runs most SNES, NES, C64, and other ROMs. It does run into problems with newer hardware - could be the emulators as well. There is a lot of info out there.

 

[Burticus]

I recently bought a $50 Atom / windows 10 tablet for $50 on a Fry's sale. Since it runs windows, it runs mame32 pretty well. My problems to this point have been trying to find the right accessories. I got a tablet/bluetooth/joystick contraption for xmas (this thing : https://www.amazon.com/Extendable-Controller-Portable-Bluetooth-Wireless/dp/B016HPV5OG) but it kinda sucks, misses all kinds of button presses and stick moves (likely because of BT). I wish I could work up or buy a cheap mini-arcadey looking cabinet of some sort for a tablet, then I could just use a regular keyboard and a 360 joystick. Since the tablet only has 1 micro usb port (and it uses that for power as well), I'm frequently switching wired devices around with a micro usb OTG adapter and a hub. Need to find a way to power it AND use the hub at same time, OR I have to BT the keyboard/mouse/controller... I found some adapters on Amazon for Galaxy phones that allow charging and OTG at the same time, but I haven't tried one yet.

 

[steakman1971]

I had an old iCade (worked with an ipad 2 - it slid in the front and acted as the screen.) . I found an article on Reddit (I think) that showed a few replacement parts to work with a Raspberry Pi. I bought the parts, a few buttons, a new screen, plexiglass and ended up with a decent little arcade. Reminds me - I got a new amp I need to install. I bought it from Ebay for about $3? It's only a few watts but works ok in my iCade.
I wouldn't mind getting a full sized arcade cabinet. They tend to go for a lot or they are out of my area. Plus, thinking the wife would not like this so much .
Performance wise, the Raspberry Pi 3 is great with the older games (I like stuff like Galaga, Galaxian, Pacman, etc). It also runs most SNES, NES, C64, and other ROMs. It does run into problems with newer hardware - could be the emulators as well. There is a lot of info out there.

Here is the article I used: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bartop-Mini-Retro-Arcade-Raspberry-Pi-and-Customis/
I thought this was on Reddit. I do remember reading a lot and getting advice from there. Maybe the hardware choices will be helpful? Mine works pretty good.

 

[Burticus]

Here is the article I used: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bartop-Mini-Retro-Arcade-Raspberry-Pi-and-Customis/
I thought this was on Reddit. I do remember reading a lot and getting advice from there. Maybe the hardware choices will be helpful? Mine works pretty good.

Good article, thanks. I'm thinking a used icade cabinet is the easiest way to go... things aren't exactly cheap though.

 

[sfsuphysics]

I like to read about mame / emulator cabinet builds.... but that one is just way to big and bulky for being Raspberry based. Honestly the entire thing could fit inside a low for factor arcade style stick cabinet.... plus a monitor.

With the size of that thing, it could easily have been an ITX build running whatever,

Yeah, a nice build would be to have a controller with everything in that, then just plug that into whatever TV/monitor you have handy.

 

[viscountalpha]

i've been wanting a coffee table arcade machine. my current iteration is on hold but i'm going to scrap a record player and replace it with a pc and tv for an arcade experience.

 

[steakman1971]

Good article, thanks. I'm thinking a used icade cabinet is the easiest way to go... things aren't exactly cheap though.

I got lucky and bought mine on clearance from Bed Bath & Beyond several years ago - think it was about $20. I think people on Reddit (this was last May-June time frame) reported some flea markets had them.
I was going to get some custom decals - but they were going to cost me more than the parts I was using (including the Pi!). So, I just have the plain old design for now.

 

[HoffY]

I keep haring everyone jizzing over these so called do-it-all Raspberry MAME rigs yet every damn time i've done the hard research they never fsking support the popular games i want to play (been wanting to do a full size cabinet for a 10-12years but never get around to it!).

e.g. they lack compatibility for the Mortal Kombats, Street Fighters and Killer Instincts! to name the top ones i REQUIRE to be playable off the top of my head.

I'll look again as perhaps the compatibility list has grown fast but that hasn't changed for like the last year or two i've checked!

 

[Stoly]

I like to read about mame / emulator cabinet builds.... but that one is just way to big and bulky for being Raspberry based. Honestly the entire thing could fit inside a low for factor arcade style stick cabinet.... plus a monitor.

With the size of that thing, it could easily have been an ITX build running whatever,

For a Pi build the thing is huge. I've built PC based cabinets smaller than that.

 

[Burticus]

I scored an iCade cabinet for $30 on ebay. Shipping was high, but hey, ebay. I'm hoping the controller doesn't suck or is super clicky. Would be nice if it has room to hide cords/usb hub/etc in there too.

Now I'm going to have to find a cheapo BT keyboard, since the docking keyboard on my tablet isn't wireless, and I'll need the micro usb port to charge the thing.