http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux December 2019 LXF257 49Retro-gaming REVIEWS
VERDICT
The user interface is very slick and easy to navigate.
It resembles the same interface that was used for the PSP
and PS3 consoles. Navigating left to right, there are
sections to control general game selection, settings,
services, scanning and network play. In the favourites
section you can store your favourite games, removing the
need to navigate around multiple menus. When a game is
launched you can access a menu to restart or resume the
game. You can also record videos, stream to online
services and take screenshots, all via the joypad.
Lakka is a wonderful piece of software. It provides
an exceptionally easy-to-use interface, far easier than
Retropie, which is also a solid retro-gaming platform.
Lakka offers plenty of configuration options for seasoned
gamers to tweak settings and get the best for their
games. In fact, during our testing we found configuration
options to enhance SNES games and overclock the
system to ensure that games run at the optimal 60fps.
For those coming from a Retropie retro-gaming
background there will be times where you will trip up and
get a little frustrated; for example, mapping a hotkey to
launch the in-game menu can be a little tricky to locate.
But you will soon overcome this and appreciate the
overall simplicity of this useful and fully-featured retro-
gaming platform.uring the 1980s, the arcade was the place for
the latest games. Co-op gaming was limited to
the number of joysticks on the cabinet. But in
2019 this has changed and gaming is mainly via consoles
and PC in our homes. For those of us more, er, mature
gamers who want to relive the golden age of gaming, we
have emulation – a grey area with many legal issues that
has seen a massive increase in interest.
The Raspberry Pi has been home to low-cost retro-
gaming platforms for many years and with the recent
release of the Pi 4 we have a much more capable
platform to emulate more systems. The latest release of
Lakka sees the lightweight and very beginner-friendly
retrogaming distro arrive for the Raspberry Pi 4 – and
wow, does it deliver. We tested Lakka on a Raspberry Pi 4
with 4GB of RAM.
Installation of Lakka to a microSD card was simple
and on first boot our USB SNESstyle joypad was
automatically detected and configured ready for use.
To load games we delved into the system settings and
turned on the SSH (sftp) setting to transfer a few games
for the SNES and Megadrive, and after a few seconds our
games were ready to play.
When playing a game you can choose the ‘core’, which
is an emulator for that system. There are multiple
emulators for each computer and games system, as
some games only work with a preferred emulator.
Once your ROMs are added to Lakka you can instruct
the distro to scan a specific location on the drive to
search for ROMs, and when they’re found Lakka
categorises them based upon their system. This is
handled via the file extension for each ROM. If Lakka is
unsure it will ask you to select the core. This typically
occurs for zip archives which can’t be easily identified
straight away.
With the games categorised and filed away, the next
step it to find the box art for a game. This can be done
automatically via a tool in Lakka, and once used it will
make your install more appealing.Recreate
gaming from the
’80s, ’90s and
2000s with
Lakka and the
Raspberry Pi 4.
Lakka is easy to
use for those
new to retro
gaming, but still
offers many
different
configurations
for the seasoned
gamer who
wants to
emulate a piece
of gaming
history. Lakka is
well suited to
arcade cabinet
builds and home
console gaming.D
Lightweight, easy to install and use. This is a retro-gamer’s
paradise. If you are new to retro-gaming, or a seasoned pro,
Lakka offers what you need.IN BRIEF
FEATURES 9/10
PERFORMANCE 9/10EASE OF USE 9/10
VALUE 9/10Rating 9/10
DEVELOPER: Lakka
WEB: http://www.lakka.tv
LICENCE: Mixed“Round one...
fight!” Super Street
Fighter 2, the best
beat-’em-up ever.Lakka
Preferring to live in the past Les Pounder takes the new Raspberry Pi 4
version of the popular retro-gaming platform for a spin.
Gaming with Lakka is super-simple and it works with many different
systems from the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.CREDIT: Copyright CapcomDDDecmbr 202 eb194P 14fingt December 2019 LXF257 49
Retro-gaming REVIEWS
VERDICT
Theuserinterfaceisveryslickandeasytonavigate.
ItresemblesthesameinterfacethatwasusedforthePSP
andPS3consoles.Navigatinglefttoright,thereare
sectionstocontrolgeneralgameselection,settings,
services,scanningandnetworkplay.Inthefavourites
sectionyoucanstoreyourfavouritegames,removingthe
needtonavigatearoundmultiplemenus.Whenagameis
launchedyoucanaccessamenutorestartorresumethe
game.Youcanalsorecordvideos,streamtoonline
servicesandtakescreenshots,allviathejoypad.
Lakkaisawonderfulpieceofsoftware.Itprovides
anexceptionallyeasy-to-useinterface,fareasierthan
Retropie,whichisalsoasolidretro-gamingplatform.
Lakkaoffersplentyofconfigurationoptionsforseasoned
gamerstotweaksettingsandgetthebestfortheir
games.Infact,duringourtestingwefoundconfiguration
optionstoenhanceSNESgamesandoverclockthe
systemtoensurethatgamesrunattheoptimal60fps.
ForthosecomingfromaRetropieretro-gaming
backgroundtherewillbetimeswhereyouwilltripupand
getalittlefrustrated;forexample,mappingahotkeyto
launchthein-gamemenucanbealittletrickytolocate.
Butyouwillsoonovercomethisandappreciatethe
overallsimplicityofthisusefulandfully-featuredretro-
gamingplatform.uringthe1980s,thearcadewastheplacefor
thelatestgames.Co-opgamingwaslimitedto
thenumberofjoysticksonthecabinet.Butin
2019 thishaschangedandgamingismainlyviaconsoles
andPCinourhomes.Forthoseofusmore,er,mature
gamerswhowanttorelivethegoldenageofgaming,we
haveemulation–agreyareawithmanylegalissuesthat
hasseenamassiveincreaseininterest.
TheRaspberryPihasbeenhometolow-costretro-
gamingplatformsformanyyearsandwiththerecent
releaseofthePi 4 wehaveamuchmorecapable
platformtoemulatemoresystems.Thelatestreleaseof
Lakkaseesthelightweightandverybeginner-friendly
retrogamingdistroarrivefortheRaspberryPi 4 – and
wow,doesitdeliver.WetestedLakkaonaRaspberryPi 4
with4GBofRAM.
InstallationofLakkatoamicroSDcardwassimple
andonfirstbootourUSBSNESstylejoypadwas
automaticallydetectedandconfiguredreadyforuse.
Toloadgameswedelvedintothesystemsettingsand
turnedontheSSH(sftp)settingtotransferafewgames
fortheSNESandMegadrive,andafterafewsecondsour
gameswerereadytoplay.
Whenplayingagameyoucanchoosethe‘core’,which
isanemulatorforthatsystem.Therearemultiple
emulatorsforeachcomputerandgamessystem,as
somegamesonlyworkwithapreferredemulator.
OnceyourROMsareaddedtoLakkayoucaninstruct
thedistrotoscanaspecificlocationonthedriveto
searchforROMs,andwhenthey’refoundLakka
categorisesthembasedupontheirsystem.Thisis
handledviathefileextensionforeachROM.IfLakkais
unsureitwillaskyoutoselectthecore.Thistypically
occursforziparchiveswhichcan’tbeeasilyidentified
straightaway.
Withthegamescategorisedandfiledaway,thenext
stepittofindtheboxartforagame.Thiscanbedone
automaticallyviaatoolinLakka,andonceuseditwill
makeyourinstallmoreappealing.Recreate
gamingfromthe
’80s,’90sand
2000swith
Lakkaandthe
RaspberryPi4.
Lakkaiseasyto
useforthose
newtoretro
gaming,butstill
offersmany
different
configurations
for the seasoned
gamer who
wants to
emulate a piece
of gaming
history. Lakka is
well suited to
arcade cabinet
builds and home
console gaming.D
Lightweight,easytoinstallanduse.Thisis a retro-gamer’s
paradise.If youarenewtoretro-gaming,ora seasonedpro,
Lakkaofferswhatyouneed.INBRIEF
FEATURES 9/10
PERFORMANCE 9/10EASEOFUSE 9/10
VALUE 9/10Rating 9/10
DEVELOPER: Lakka
WEB: http://www.lakka.tv
LICENCE: Mixed“Round one...
fight!” Super Street
Fighter 2, the best
beat-’em-up ever.Lakka
Preferring to live in the past Les Pounder takes the new Raspberry Pi 4
version of the popular retro-gaming platform for a spin.
Gaming with Lakka is super-simple and it works with many different
systems from the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s.CREDIT: Copyright Capcom