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Raspberry Pi Gaming thread - Cheap emulation and gaming projects

T

THE-JUV

Member
oni-link said:
Hi all,

I'm interested in getting a SNES Mini, but I was wondering if a it's a concept I could pretty much replicate with a Raspberry Pi, so basically I have a few questions:

1) Could I essentially build a Pi that plugs into my TV and lets me play NES/SNES/GBA games with a USB controller?

2) Is there anywhere that sells this kind of thing, or would I need to learn how to do this from scratch?

3) How difficult would doing this be for someone who has never even built a PC before?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Though I do plan on snagging an SNES Classic once they release, you could order this and a pi3 and an 8bitdo SNES30 controller to make your own SNES classic that can play a lot more games. Don't know prices for States or Europe, but mine ended up costing me about $170 Cdn total for all components

https://collectorcraft.com/collections/frontpage/products/super-tinytendo-rpi3
 
O

oni-link

Member
THE-JUV said:
Though I do plan on snagging an SNES Classic once they release, you could order this and a pi3 and an 8bitdo SNES30 controller to make your own SNES classic that can play a lot more games. Don't know prices for States or Europe, but mine ended up costing me about $170 Cdn total for all components

https://collectorcraft.com/collections/frontpage/products/super-tinytendo-rpi3
Click to expand...

Thanks

I was more wondering how difficult it was to build/assemble if what I want can be done

How did you go about building yours?

Edit: So I did a little googiling and found this

I'm just wondering how idiot proof something like that would be
 
T

THE-JUV

Member
oni-link said:
Thanks

I was more wondering how difficult it was to build/assemble if what I want can be done

How did you go about building yours?

Edit: So I did a little googiling and found this

I'm just wondering how idiot proof something like that would be
Click to expand...

I'm not an expert at this by any means but I was able to do everything on my own relatively easily. All you gotta do is buy the SNES case, a pi3, micro SD card, controller and necessary cables and hookup (power and HDMI). Then you need to know how to write the retropie software onto your SD card.

https://retropie.org.uk/download/

I use Macs so I had to use pi baker software to write the retropie program onto my SD card, then it's basically screwing the pi3 into the SNES 3d printed case I bought, plugging it in with the SD card to get going. Then you gotta set up your USB rom to transfer roms but all of that you can likely find via youtube online tutorials I am assuming.
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
oni-link said:
Hi all,

I'm interested in getting a SNES Mini, but I was wondering if a it's a concept I could pretty much replicate with a Raspberry Pi, so basically I have a few questions:

1) Could I essentially build a Pi that plugs into my TV and lets me play NES/SNES/GBA games with a USB controller?

2) Is there anywhere that sells this kind of thing, or would I need to learn how to do this from scratch?

3) How difficult would doing this be for someone who has never even built a PC before?

Thanks in advance
Click to expand...
If you have a Retropie setup there's no reason whatever to own an SNES Mini. You can do everything and much more with Retropie, and it's not difficult at all to set up. I recommend buying the Canakit set for the Pi3 on Amazon. After that you just flash the Retropie image onto the SD card and then put it into the Pi. Setting up USB controllers is guided and easy with no hassle, and all that's left to do after that is loading your games into it via your PC over your home LAN.
 
O

oni-link

Member
ScOULaris said:
If you have a Retropie setup there's no reason whatever to own an SNES Mini. You can do everything and much more with Retropie, and it's not difficult at all to set up. I recommend buying the Canakit set for the Pi3 on Amazon. After that you just flash the Retropie image onto the SD card and then put it into the Pi. Setting up USB controllers is guided and easy with no hassle, and all that's left to do after that is loading your games into it via your PC over your home LAN.
Click to expand...

I tried to find that kit on Amazon but it's not showing up (maybe cos I'm in the UK?)

When you say you "Flash the Retropie image onto the SD card and then put it into the Pi" how is this done?

So you load the games though the Wi Fi? Can you not do it via USB transfer?

How do you set the emulators up?

Sorry for all the questions this is just new to me and I've never built anything like this before, it's just it really does seem like it's a step up from the SNES Mini

I pretty much only want this for NES/SNES/GBA games
 
K

KojiKnight

Member
oni-link said:
I tried to find that kit on Amazon but it's not showing up (maybe cos I'm in the UK?)

When you say you "Flash the Retropie image onto the SD card and then put it into the Pi" how is this done?

So you load the games though the Wi Fi? Can you not do it via USB transfer?

How do you set the emulators up?

Sorry for all the questions this is just new to me and I've never built anything like this before, it's just it really does seem like it's a step up from the SNES Mini

I pretty much only want this for NES/SNES/GBA games
Click to expand...

https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
KojiKnight said:
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/
Click to expand...
Yep. This should get you up and running. All of the emulators are pre-installed and configured in the Retropie image, so all you'll have to do is place your ROMs in their corresponding folders (e.g. SNES, GBA, Megadrive, etc.)

Of course you can go way beyond that with customizing the UI skin, adding shaders and overlays to make your games look how they did on an old CRT TV, and so on. But that will come later on once you're more familiar with Retropie. If you just wanna set it up and start playing with all the default settings, that link is all you'll need.
 
G

grounded_dreams

Member
oni-link said:
Hi all,

I'm interested in getting a SNES Mini, but I was wondering if a it's a concept I could pretty much replicate with a Raspberry Pi, so basically I have a few questions:
Click to expand...

Regarding the kit as are in the UK, have a look at this page (scroll down to Reputable Sellers), any of these Raspberry Pi 3 Starter kits are fine. If you want you can buy one from Amazon or other sites.
I use the software called Retropie to play my ROMs, look here for general info It clearly explains the basics of Emulator, then look at this page on how to install the software
This page was also useful

Where to get the ROMs themselves, doubt I can say exactly the site names but if you google, I'm sure you can find places very quickly.
I'm sure there are newer videos than this on Youtube, but this is a nice visual guide explaining how to setup the kit and ROMs, search for 'Retropie 3.6 Tutorial - A beginners Guide to Setting up RetroPie on the Raspberry Pi 3' it's from a channel called TechTipsta.

Mods I did check the OP to make sure there were any rules on what we can or can not discuss here, but please remove any links if you do think they are off limits. Thanks
 
A

A Twisty Fluken

Member
Anyone else had an issue disabling overscan on a pretty stock pi3/retropie setup at 1080p? I read about an INI file that needed to be edited but that didn't do it, I still get a small black border around the screen over HDMI.
 
J

JasonC11

Neo Member
A Twisty Fluken said:
Anyone else had an issue disabling overscan on a pretty stock pi3/retropie setup at 1080p? I read about an INI file that needed to be edited but that didn't do it, I still get a small black border around the screen over HDMI.
Click to expand...

I had the same issue with mine. I'd make the change, write it out and reboot. When I rebooted the pi, the file was unchanged. I had to make the change on a PC, but I've been told adding a few comment lines to the file would work too.
 
M

M.J. Doja

Banned
Really considering making a couple of these to give to my brothers as christmas gifts. Haven't really messed with emulation in some years, as far as acquiring roms and such... I'm gonna do some more research, but first, is Amazon fine for buying the hardware/controllers and such?
 
R

Red Liquorice

Member
oni-link said:
So I need something like this?

I'm looking at getting this kit, and then this controller

Would those 3 items essentially be all I need to get me up and running?

Just over £90 combined

Edit: maybe I'll look for another kit as I don't think that one has a HDMI cable
Click to expand...
You get a SD card adaptor with that kit, so no need to buy a separate one unless you don't have an SD card reader and have to use USB.

Whatever combo you go for, make sure it has the official power supply or buy it separate they're about £9 - some leads don't give the Pi enough power and can lead to random shut downs. The official power supply really is the best.
 
U

Ultryx

Member
I just got back from visiting a friend across the country and he has a Raspberry Pi 3 set up as an emulator and it's amazing! He's sold me on one myself. Will be reading through this thread to learn.
 
O

oni-link

Member
Red Liquorice said:
You get a SD card adaptor with that kit, so no need to buy a separate one unless you don't have an SD card reader and have to use USB.

Whatever combo you go for, make sure it has the official power supply or buy it separate they're about £9 - some leads don't give the Pi enough power and can lead to random shut downs. The official power supply really is the best.
Click to expand...

I don't really know what an SD card reader is to be honest, all I have at the moment is a pretty average PC, so if I need to write stuff to an SD card I'll need a USB adapter for my PC (unless there is one in the kit)

I think I'll look for a gaming specific kit, but I want one without flimsy looking controllers, as I'm happy to get one of those separate

Thanks for the official power supply tip, I had no idea about that, I'll keep my eye out for a kit that has one of those
 
G

Godan

Member
So decided to get one of these and set it all up as well i dont want to get the SNES classic as i feel like its price is high.

Is it best to buy all the parts separate or buy something like a starter kit?

Thanks.
 
Z

ZeroCoin

Member
Nothing ground breaking, but I was finally able to get one of the Genesis USB hubs to crack open and drop my Pi3 into. I'll take this over any of the official flashback/classic consoles.

IMG_20170724_181038.jpg
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
Godan said:
So decided to get one of these and set it all up as well i dont want to get the SNES classic as i feel like its price is high.

Is it best to buy all the parts separate or buy something like a starter kit?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Usually it's a bit cheaper to buy a bundled kit, I think. Just find one that only has stuff you need without extra fluff that adds to the price.

Basically a kit that includes:
  • Pi 3
  • Case of some sort
  • Power supply
  • MicroSD card (or just get your own separately for more capacity)
 
M

mitchlol

Member
My Pi 3 and controller bundle arrived today. The 8bitdo snes controller is great, as for the setup mine came preconfigured all I had to do was dump the roms into the folder and restart it. Spent the afternoon playing final fight and turtles in time with a friend. I couldn't be happier with the system or the performance of the roms. To think this all came about because I couldn't get a NES or SNES classic.
 
H

HefferKnot

Neo Member
Sorry if this have been answered... How is the SNES emulation on the rpi3? I have a rpi 1 (tried both with retropie and recalbox) and its struggle with the NES
 
S

ScOULaris

Member
HefferKnot said:
Sorry if this have been answered... How is the SNES emulation on the rpi3? I have a rpi 1 (tried both with retropie and recalbox) and its struggle with the NES
Click to expand...
All systems up through the PS1 run flawlessly on a Pi3. The only caveat is that you MIGHT need to use a more lightweight core than the default for a small handful of Super-FX games like Yoshi's Island and Starfox.

CPS2/3 arcade games and Neo-Geo games all run perfectly as well.
 
S

stangend77

Member
Has anyone toyed with the Orange Pi boards and RetrOrangePi?

I am loving the my Raspberry Pi 3 setup, and I was toying with making a few to give to my groomsmen as gifts, but I'd like to do it on the cheap.

I found a solid deal on an Orange Pi 1 starter kit and might give it a whirl to make them NES/SNES/Genesis machines.
 
G

grounded_dreams

Member
HefferKnot said:
Sorry if this have been answered... How is the SNES emulation on the rpi3? I have a rpi 1 (tried both with retropie and recalbox) and its struggle with the NES
Click to expand...

I have a Pi1 mode B (using RetroPi v4.2 (Pi 0/1) ) and it runs almost all the SNES games fine, few have frame rate issues as they can't happen the graphics, but playable, Star Fox for example. I can even play some PS1 games, currently playing through Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

Did you try overclocking it within the menus? Dead easy to try, but do it one at a time to make sure it can handle it. I have mine on Turbo:
https://imgur.com/a/jjlZ7#b76mKvc
 
D

Dr_LawyerCop

Member
I'm looking for a retro game pad to wirelessly play games on my pi. Only really want to use it for NES/SNES/Genesis games. Should I get the 8bitdo SNES30 or the NES30 pro? Is there another brand I should look in to?
 
W

WalTech

Member
z3jSV2A.jpg


I just finished making this guy today! I call it the Super Paper Entertainment System. It's basically a pi zero hardwired to an SNES controller in a cardboard SNES with cardstock wrapped around it. I made one for myself and a couple for my brothers.

They're kinda silly, but I think they turned out okay.
 
D

danyboypremier

Neo Member
WalTech said:
z3jSV2A.jpg


I just finished making this guy today! I call it the Super Paper Entertainment System. It's basically a pi zero hardwired to an SNES controller in a cardboard SNES with cardstock wrapped around it. I made one for myself and a couple for my brothers.

They're kinda silly, but I think they turned out okay.
Click to expand...

I like it!
 
G

grounded_dreams

Member
Dizzy-4U said:
Speaking of themes, I've been testing Art Book and man, it's so clean and nice. I wish the video snaps were a little bit bigger but other than that I'm loving it.
Click to expand...

Looks amazing, sorry if this sounds naive but how do you apply this within the Pi? Is there a certain directory I need to add them too? Cause I add the OS (v4.2 (Pi 0/1)) and roms etc via a USB into my Pi1 Mode B. Had a look and I currently have BIOS, configs and roms directories. Do I then need to run scraper to update the games I have with this new view

Had a flick through the site you added, plus the one it links to but couldn't see anywhere explaining this.
 
me0wish

me0wish

Member
WalTech said:
z3jSV2A.jpg


I just finished making this guy today! I call it the Super Paper Entertainment System. It's basically a pi zero hardwired to an SNES controller in a cardboard SNES with cardstock wrapped around it. I made one for myself and a couple for my brothers.

They're kinda silly, but I think they turned out okay.
Click to expand...

You're an awesome brother! Hope they like it!
 
S

shawnbuddy

Member
I set up my first Pi3 with Retropie over the weekend. Pretty fun project.

Everything seems to be running pretty well except for N64, but I mostly just installed that to test. I could overclock but it's so far from ideal on the games I looked at that I don't think it'd get it to acceptable levels.

I was enjoying a nice shader with scanlines and a screen curvature effect, but I noticed it was having a big performance hit in some of the more fast-paced SNES games so I took it off. I'll look into other options.

Right now I'm using a wired PS3 controller. I'd like to get a bluetooth SNES controller for some wireless functionality and authentic feel. I've also got to get a newUSB keyboard. I still haven't set up wifi on the Pi because the old keyboard I have has a broken "p" key and that's in my wifi password.
 
D

Dizzy-4U

Member
grounded_dreams said:
Looks amazing, sorry if this sounds naive but how do you apply this within the Pi? Is there a certain directory I need to add them too? Cause I add the OS (v4.2 (Pi 0/1)) and roms etc via a USB into my Pi1 Mode B. Had a look and I currently have BIOS, configs and roms directories. Do I then need to run scraper to update the games I have with this new view

Had a flick through the site you added, plus the one it links to but couldn't see anywhere explaining this.
Click to expand...
Since that particular theme is not in the "ES Themes" script yet, you need to manually download it and copy it to /etc/emulationstation/themes folder. To do that you need a software like WinSCP to be able to access those folders.

It can be a pain in the ass since many folders are protected and you can't copy files to them. I'd recommend to just wait a little until they add it to the "ES Themes" script and save you the headache. That theme is almost complete so it won't take long.
 
G

grounded_dreams

Member
Dizzy-4U said:
Since that particular theme is not in the "ES Themes" script yet, you need to manually download it and copy it to /etc/emulationstation/themes folder. To do that you need a software like WinSCP to be able to access those folders.

It can be a pain in the ass since many folders are protected and you can't copy files to them. I'd recommend to just wait a little until they add it to the "ES Themes" script and save you the headache. That theme is almost complete so it won't take long.
Click to expand...

OK thanks, getting a Pi3 next month anyway so hopefully the script issue is sorted by then :)
 
G

Guy.brush

Member
Anybody else had this?

  • Raspberry Pi 3 is interesting..could do emulation and HTPC.
  • Hmm could do with an alternative that is a bit more powerful cause reports of Kodi lagging.
  • ASUS Tinkerboard is nice, but still..no way I can do Dolphin on it
  • Also would be nice to have a real x86 CPU
  • hmm maybe an Intel NUC, like Apollo Lake, pretty powerful can do 4K video and almost do Dolphin.
  • hmm maybe I should go real i3 to do Dolphin
  • Still not really powerful enough for WiiU emulation..
  • Don't really want a loud and hot i7 NUC though, maybe just wait.
  • waiting for GeminiLake and Icelake in the hope a 15W chip is finally fast enough. LOL

Also a big issue would also be media storage for a Rasperry Pi/NUC style HTPC no? Really don't want to have a NAS device as well.
 
A

AHappyPanda

Member
Anyone hook up two Wii U Pro controllers to their Pi ?

I haven't been able to find a definitive answer that the Pi can differentiate between two wireless controllers without any extra work.
 
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