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Raspberry Pi Gaming thread - Cheap emulation and gaming projects

Kawika

Member
Hey everyone,

I am new to Rpi gaming. I have a huge retro game collection so this is something I never looked into. However, I recently started thinking about getting into arcades and suffice it to say. I am not going there. I am looking for some recommendations about RGB out solutions. I can't use HDMI or VGA out as all my analog monitors are 15hz. I need a clean 240p out that preferably outputs in scart rgb instead of YPbPr
 

oni-link

Member
I get it's probably easy but does any place sell a raspberry pi to where all the work is basically done?

I'm really bad with anything like this and I managed to build a Pi3 and get it set up with almost no issues

Buy a kit, put an hour aside, follow a guide, and you'll get it done

Also everyone in this thread is really nice and really helpful, so any issues you have will be quickly resolved

It's well worth doing, It's basically the VC Nintendo refuse to give us
 

Erekiddo

Member
Anyone here installed moonlight into Retropie? I spent all afternoon using different tutorials and I'm still having a hell of a time with controller mapping.
 
So, dumb question. I am still setting up my Pi as a Plex server. I have two external drive that I've ripped my shit to. Will leaving them plugged in all the time make them age quicker, or will they essentially lay dormant until someone tries to watch something off them?
 

shaowebb

Member
I got a cabinet build thats shaping up, but I really would like to setup a nice external plate on this bartop arcade that has both a power switch for the Raspberry Pi as well as the volume controls for the speakers.

Looking for any suggestions here folks. If you got a link to a switch that inline plugs onto the standard Raspberry pi power cable that I can mount externally to the case of this cabinet it'd be a big help. Ideally If I could have it setup like a computer where the back of the cabinet has a detachable power cable that is wired up after the switch that the Raspberry pi plugs into it'd be awesome because then I could pack my cables seperate from my cab if I move.

Just looking for hardware hints and tips here folks. New to this whole thing and while the woodworking is easy for me and the PCB stuff from my arcade stick modding is easy as well, I got no clue how to search for switches and volume knobs setups to mount to this case.
 

oni-link

Member
I beat my first game using my Pi (Chrono Trigger) and had a great time with it

I have a question about aspect ratio:

Earlier in the thread someone helpfully pointed out that while most SNES games run in 4:3 some (including Chrono Trigger, Yoshi's Island and SMW) actually run in 8:7, as on a modern TV they look a little stretched when displayed in 4:3

Because of this I switched my SNES emulator to output all games in 8:7, however, is there a list anywhere of which games should be run in which aspect in order to look correct?

Thinking about playing Mega Man X next, but as it's not a game I've played before I'm not sure what the correct ratio will/should be
 
I beat my first game using my Pi (Chrono Trigger) and had a great time with it

I have a question about aspect ratio:

Earlier in the thread someone helpfully pointed out that while most SNES games run in 4:3 some (including Chrono Trigger, Yoshi's Island and SMW) actually run in 8:7, as on a modern TV they look a little stretched when displayed in 4:3

Because of this I switched my SNES emulator to output all games in 8:7, however, is there a list anywhere of which games should be run in which aspect in order to look correct?

Thinking about playing Mega Man X next, but as it's not a game I've played before I'm not sure what the correct ratio will/should be

The "correct" aspect ratio is 4:3 as these games were made to run on old TVs. If a game looks slightly stretched, it always did. Just go with whatever you personally think looks best.
 
Do you guys thinks it's possible to create a wireless headset adapter (4 pole mic audio in, and audio out) with a Rasberry pi? I'm incredibly fed up that I have no option to use my own headphones and microphone wirelessly on PC/Console anymore.

Going to repost what I've been asking around about.

I'm trying to make my own wireless headset transmitter similiar to my Astro A40 wireless mixamp, as I got it back in 2012 as it's starting to die (I've had to resolder, clean connections etc. To maintain it) and there's no alternative out there... Trying to figure out how, I might go about doing this. I know it's easily possible, as many headsets now have a 2.4ghz band audio input/output via USB adapter that goes to a contained headset unit. But I want to convert that to a 3.5mm 4 pole jack for use with any headphones/headset.

Or is there another option, that might be better/easier? It's just wild to me, you can only get "Headsets" that are wireless all self contained, but not an adapter for use with any headphone/mic combo anymore.
 
Having an issue with my setup and wonder if anyone can provide advice.

I am running Retro Pie 4.2 on my new Pi3, installed the Drastic package (latest version), I'm able to play DS games fine (except Zelda Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks which is a shame).
With a Dualshock 4 attached I've configured it to have a cursor (a la stylus) fine BUT I can't work out how to manually save (usually Select + Right Shoulder) nor how to exit the game I'm running (Select + Start). The combinations work fine with my other SNES style gamepad controller when playing other ROMS I have, just the issue with the Dualshock 4 which I need for the Drastic DS ROMS.
With any ROM for any emulation I have the Dualshock 4 won't manually save nor exit the game (have to power off the kit). If I try the Pi with my other controller, all the ROMS will allow me to save/exit fine, but I can't use it for the DS games.
Tried all combinations I can think of and none are working for the dualshock, the buttons themselves work correctly which I need for the saving/exiting, cause if I click them individually they do what they are used for (pausing, options etc).
I can't SSH into the Pi to check the config etc and I haven't setup the kit onto the network, just been transferring data/ROMS via a USB stick.

Any help or guidance grateful.
 
Having an issue with my setup and wonder if anyone can provide advice.

I am running Retro Pie 4.2 on my new Pi3, installed the Drastic package (latest version), I'm able to play DS games fine (except Zelda Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks which is a shame).
With a Dualshock 4 attached I've configured it to have a cursor (a la stylus) fine BUT I can't work out how to manually save (usually Select + Right Shoulder) nor how to exit the game I'm running (Select + Start). The combinations work fine with my other SNES style gamepad controller when playing other ROMS I have, just the issue with the Dualshock 4 which I need for the Drastic DS ROMS.
With any ROM for any emulation I have the Dualshock 4 won't manually save nor exit the game (have to power off the kit). If I try the Pi with my other controller, all the ROMS will allow me to save/exit fine, but I can't use it for the DS games.
Tried all combinations I can think of and none are working for the dualshock, the buttons themselves work correctly which I need for the saving/exiting, cause if I click them individually they do what they are used for (pausing, options etc).
I can't SSH into the Pi to check the config etc and I haven't setup the kit onto the network, just been transferring data/ROMS via a USB stick.

Any help or guidance grateful.

In emulation station, reconfigure your buttons. The HOTKEY button (default SELECT on an SNES style controller) is what you combine to do the shortcuts. (So HOTKEY + X would be retroarch menu, HOTKEY + right shoulder will save).
 

Dizzy-4U

Member
Are there any specific CPS2/NeoGeo emulators or do you have to use MAME?
FBA is pretty much perfect for CPS 1/2/3 and Neo Geo (if you have a Pi3). It also runs a lot of other games. You should build your list with FBA first, then if a game doesn't work, fill in the blanks with the MAME 0.78 (like Mortal Kombat for example).
 

Proc

Member
Dumb question. I'm going to build a pi and notice there may not be an easy way to just turn it on from the couch?

Do you generally just leave it on since I assume it consumes minimal power?
 

muteki

Member
Dumb question. I'm going to build a pi and notice there may not be an easy way to just turn it on from the couch?

Do you generally just leave it on since I assume it consumes minimal power?

I just leave it on, or unplug the power supply.
 

ScOULaris

Member
Dumb question. I'm going to build a pi and notice there may not be an easy way to just turn it on from the couch?

Do you generally just leave it on since I assume it consumes minimal power?

Yep, most people just leave it on.

Of course you can use your phone as a remote of sorts. Just install an SSH app and remote into your Pi via its IP address. Most apps let you save it along with your username and password as a profile, so you can remote into the Pi with one tap.

From there just type "sudo shutdown" and press enter to shut down the Pi.

I recommend just leaving it on, though.
 
The Retropie sofware needs a new release with meaty upgrades, I hate I have to custom config for shit like bezels, or go to obscure menus for shaders etc, all that stuff should be way more accessible, they also need to include that rewind feature the new snes classic has.
 
Which of the Genesis cores is the most accurate to the original hardware?

I'm having issues with a few games glitching and I want to see if it is just an emulation accuracy issue. Thanks!
 
Just ordered a new pi3 and was thinking about turning it into a portable system. Does anyone know of any good pre-built setups(mainly looking for the proper case, input, and power source)?
 
Just ordered a new pi3 and was thinking about turning it into a portable system. Does anyone know of any good pre-built setups(mainly looking for the proper case, input, and power source)?

Not many if any. The PI3 is relatively power hungry and the board takes work to make it 'portable' (desoldering the ethernet and USB ports).

That said, there are a ton of them available for the Pi Zero which are actually pretty common to get for their retail $5/10 price for without or with WiFi+Bluetooth. Pi Grrl comes in multiple flavors and there are a ton of 3D printed portable enclosures for them.
 

hateradio

The Most Dangerous Yes Man
They still have their copyright.


All retroarch emulators have a rewind feature. If I remember correctly It's enabled in settings > frame throttle > enable rewind

Yes I discovered it after posting, which still relates to my last post, everything is hidden behind obscure menus, the really need to work on Retropie's interface, the look, customization and features should be way more intuitive and require less tinkering.
 

zoodoo

Member
Yes I discovered it after posting, which still relates to my last post, everything is hidden behind obscure menus, the really need to work on Retropie's interface, the look, customization and features should be way more intuitive and require less tinkering.

Trust me, emulators are way more user friendly nowadays. We have user interface now and it's all for free.
 
So I still can't get to play my Japanese PSX titles and don't know why.

I've checked the log and it seems the BIOS are totally fine, but it looks like there may be a problem with the disc images themselves.

I have been using .bin files that I then manually change their file extension to .img

Should I be using a program to do that instead, or what?
 

Dizzy-4U

Member
So I still can't get to play my Japanese PSX titles and don't know why.

I've checked the log and it seems the BIOS are totally fine, but it looks like there may be a problem with the disc images themselves.

I have been using .bin files that I then manually change their file extension to .img

Should I be using a program to do that instead, or what?
What game are you having troubles with? Even though the psx emulator runs great, there is like a 5% of games that don't work. Maybe the one you're trying is one of those.
 
What game are you having troubles with? Even though the psx emulator runs great, there is like a 5% of games that don't work. Maybe the one you're trying is one of those.

Pretty much any Japanese or Euro title.

Bishi Bashi
Slap Happy Rhythm Busters
Tobal 2

There's more, I'm not at home right now to look.
 

snack

Member
Hey guys, so I got my retropie up and running last night. But I ran into a couple issues and I am not too sure how to fix them.

First is, do I have to reconfigure my controller mappings on my PS4 controller everytime I disconnect my device? I feel like I was configuring the damn controller each time I turned on the system. And secondly is, I had two games running at once a few times during my play tests. I have no idea what I pressed but I could hear two music pieces in the background and it was wack. Any help? Thanks!
 

Videospel

Member
Hey guys, so I got my retropie up and running last night. But I ran into a couple issues and I am not too sure how to fix them.

First is, do I have to reconfigure my controller mappings on my PS4 controller everytime I disconnect my device? I feel like I was configuring the damn controller each time I turned on the system.

I've noticed that you sometimes have to reconfigure the controller when restarting the Pi. I'm using a PS3 controller, and if I quickly sync it at startup there is no problem.
 

Ooccoo

Member
I'm looking to build a retropie too.

Am I missing something (maybe a deal)? All prices from Amazon Canada

Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad for PC (x2): $27.50 (Total: $55)
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition: $99 (Total: $155)
OS: Retropie (free)

Project: $155

Seems good?
 

zoodoo

Member
I'm looking to build a retropie too.

Am I missing something (maybe a deal)? All prices from Amazon Canada

Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad for PC (x2): $27.50 (Total: $55)
CanaKit Raspberry Pi 3 Complete Starter Kit - 32 GB Edition: $99 (Total: $155)
OS: Retropie (free)

Project: $155

Seems good?

Seems pretty good. Mine was a bit more expensive as I bought 2 snes30 controllers for 55 each and it was worth it.
 

snack

Member
I'm using the iBuffalo SNES style controller. I'm trying to get it to work with lr-fbalpha emulator, but it is not recognizing my controller.

I can get it working on an older emulator, PiFBA, just fine but I heard that this speific emulator has been outdated... any help? thanks.
 
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