A number of years ago, I built a full-size arcade machine.
This was a fun project for me, as it combined my interest in computers with woodworking. I took an old 27″ CRT television, a bunch of MDF and an spare computer and got to work. I was happy with results, but as with most arcade machines…the size got to be an issue. When we moved, I took it apart and opted not to put it back together. But I missed having it, so recently I decided to do it again at a much smaller scale.
I recently dove into the world of the Raspberry Pi. It’s a $35 computer that fits into the palm of your hand. It runs various flavors of Linux and people have made everything from a digital photo frame to a way to control your Christmas lights. It’s super geeky and perfect for my idea to build a smaller version of my beloved arcade machine. I used this post on Lifehacker for a lot of my inspiration. I cobbled together a parts list from various sources and got to work.
- Raspberry Pi Model B
- 8 GB Sandisk SDHC Card
- RC12 Air Mouse and Wireless Keyboard
- Motorola USB Wall Charger with Micro USB Data Cable
- Edimax EW-7811Un 150 Mbps Wireless 11n Nano Size USB Adapter
- D-Link Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Powered Hub
- Multicomp Clear Raspberry Pi Enclosure
- SainSmart 7″ Raspberry Pi LCD Display Screen TFT Monitor AT070TN90
- Cables to Go 03115 18 AWG Outlet Saver Power Extension Cord
- Frisby FS-210N USB 2.0 Computer PC Laptop Notebook Desktop Portable Speaker
- iPac-2 USB control panel
So now I’ve got the parts…it’s time to build the machine.
I got an iCade arcade machine a while back to play games on my iPad. I liked the form factor but it was just a little too tall for the monitor I wanted to use, so we used the iCade as a template to frame out a smaller unit on a piece of 3/4 inch pine.
A few more cuts for the base, top and front, as well as a back made of some kind of thin MDF I had in my garage, and we’ve got an arcade machine coming together.
I cut a groove into the back of the base and put strong magnets at the top of the back panel so it sits in the groove and snaps closed at the top. It stays together very well, but I can easily hook my fingers in the space I left at the top and pull the back of the machine off to get access to the inner connections.
I threw some stain on it and let it dry.
Now, on to the control panel. Since I had done this before, I had a bunch of buttons and an eight-way joystick left over. There is all kinds of info out there about how to do this, but I’d start looking at Suzo-Happ if you want to get into this arcade control world. The first time I made the panel for this little machine, I tried to eyeball and land the buttons in a “natural” configuration, but that didn’t work very well so I ended up starting over and actually drawing it out to make sure it would fit.
Then I put on my 1 inch spade bit and cut out the holes for the buttons. There are 6 buttons on the face and one on each side (for the Coins and Start functions). You have to grind out the holes a bit wider because the buttons won’t go through at first. But if you give it some elbow grease to widen the holes., they’ll fit very nicely.
Now, on to wiring. Since it’s been over 10 years, I had to relearn how to do this, but basically you connect each button to the appropriate screw terminal on the iPac-2 USB interface and then loop a connection that ties all the buttons together. Sit down in front of the TV and prepare yourself for a lot of fiddling. Especially if you have the silly idea to make this thing super small.
I then rigged up the keyboard to the front panel so that it can be flipped down if needed. I used magnets again to secure it and velcro to hold it to the panel so it can be easily removed if needed.
Ok, that’s done. Now it’s on to setting up the Raspberry Pi. I spent a ton of time on Google trying to figure out how to get everything from the wireless connection to the speakers to work. If you start this project, prepare yourself to learn a LOT about Linux and how, while it’s very cool, it’s not a Windows PC or Mac. The main arcade component came from the RetroPie site, and I’d advise starting there to get your answers. After a whole lot of putzing, I eventually got it to work. And what’s especially cool is that not only can you play arcade games, you can play Nintendo, Master System, Super Nintendo, Genesis and many other games. I’m not going to advise you on how to get ROMS for those games either. But they are findable.
Here’s everything crammed into the interior.
There isn’t much room to spare. The powered USB hub is necessary because the Raspberry Pi can’t handle powering all of those devices from its two ports. I also added the extension cord with an on-off switch to be able to turn the unit on and off without having to remove the back.
So there you go! It’s a fun project that taught me a lot about the world of the Raspberry Pi, Linux and more.
EDIT: I started having some issues with the RetroPie software, so I’ve since started using PiPlay. It’s a lot easier to configure and has been working very well for me. I highly recommend it!