Linux Format - UK (2019-12)

76 LXF257 Decmber 2019 http://www.linuxformat.com

TUTORIALS Retro-gaming

may want some extra equipment to make sure your

gaming experience is top-notch. The bare minimum

you’ll need is your Raspberry Pi computer.

The RetroPie website offers images for the

Raspberry Pi 1, 2 and 3B, but during our tests, the latter

image worked perfectly well with the latest Raspberry Pi

4. You’ll also need a USB keyboard and mouse for setup,
   a spare microSD card of about 8GB and a computer
   with internet access.
   In order to install the RetroPie image to your new
   microSD card, you’ll also need an SD card adapter.
   These may come bundled with your SD card; if not they
   can be obtained very inexpensively from Amazon or the
   like. The remaining equipment is optional but useful.
   You will almost certainly want to get hold of some
   authentic-looking controllers on which to play the
   games. If you still have some controllers left over from
   your old SNES or Sega Mega Drive, you may be able to
   buy an adapter to get them working with the Pi’s USB
   slots. Alternatively, you can buy USB controllers that
   resemble classic gamepads – see the ‘Taking Control’
   box (over the page) for more information. If you’re
   serious about creating your own gaming station, you
   may also want to think of constructing a snazzy case for
   the Pi itself using wood, a 3D printer, or even Lego.
   Some users even add a PowerBlock, available from
   suppliers such as the Pi Hut (http://bit.ly/
   lxf257power). This is simply a switch which you can use
   to power off the Pi just like a regular console.
   If you do build a case, make sure either to buy a new
   Raspberry Pi specifically for this project or make sure
   that you can still access all the ports – especially the SD

nyone growing up in the past 30 years is

likely to feel a twinge of nostalgia when

remembering playing such classics as Super

Mario Bros., Pac-Man and Street Fighter. Some readers

may even have been fortunate enough to own their own

games console, while the rest of us had to be content

with pumping coins into any arcade machine they could

get their hands on.

Using the custom RetroPie operating system, your

Raspberry Pi can be transformed into a machine

capable of playing all your favourite games for dozens of

different titles for Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Atari and more.

If you’re familiar with emulating games, you may

wonder why you would install RetroPie given the

number of emulators out there. The answer is simply

that installing RetroPie is one of the quickest and

easiest ways to play video games classics – the

frontend software, EmulationStation, is specifically

designed for display on HD televisions. The steps for

this project have been partly adapted from the official

wiki for RetroPie available at https://github.com/

RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki.

This Raspberry Pi project is easy to set up, but you

Martin Schouten placed

his RetroPie inside the

casing for a NES Console.

The game that never should have been: Pokemon Fusion

Generation is a hacked Pokemon Creature Generator that produces

digital monstrosities.

Build a retro console

for classic gaming fun

Turn your Raspberry Pi into a fully featured retro games console, capable of

playing titles for Amiga, Sega, Nintendo and much more.

Nate Drake

is a tech

journalist who

almost missed

his deadline due

to repeated

speed runs.

A

RETROPIE

OUR

EXPERT

For a full list of

all the systems

supported by

RetroPie see

http://bit.ly/

lxf257support.

CREDIT:

Martin Schouten,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Njd8nymfU

CREDIT:

https://pokemonfusion.fandom.com

76 LXF257 Decmber 2019 http://www.linuxformat.com

TUTORIALS Retro-gaming

maywantsomeextraequipmenttomakesureyour

gamingexperienceistop-notch.Thebareminimum

you’llneedisyourRaspberryPicomputer.

TheRetroPiewebsiteoffersimagesforthe

RaspberryPi1, 2 and3B,butduringourtests,thelatter

imageworkedperfectlywellwiththelatestRaspberryPi

4.You’llalsoneeda USBkeyboardandmouseforsetup,

a sparemicroSDcardofabout8GBanda computer

withinternetaccess.

InordertoinstalltheRetroPieimagetoyournew

microSDcard,you’llalsoneedanSDcardadapter.

ThesemaycomebundledwithyourSDcard;if notthey

canbeobtainedveryinexpensivelyfromAmazonorthe

like.Theremainingequipmentisoptionalbutuseful.

Youwillalmostcertainlywanttogetholdofsome

authentic-lookingcontrollersonwhichtoplaythe

games.If youstillhavesomecontrollersleftoverfrom

youroldSNESorSegaMegaDrive,youmaybeableto

buyanadaptertogetthemworkingwiththePi’sUSB

slots.Alternatively,youcanbuyUSBcontrollersthat

resembleclassicgamepads– seethe‘TakingControl’

box(overthepage)formoreinformation.If you’re

seriousaboutcreatingyourowngamingstation,you

mayalsowanttothinkofconstructinga snazzycasefor

thePiitselfusingwood,a 3Dprinter,orevenLego.

Someusersevenadda PowerBlock,availablefrom

supplierssuchasthePiHut(http://bit.ly/

lxf257power). Thisissimplya switchwhichyoucanuse

topoweroffthePijustlikea regularconsole.

If youdobuilda case,makesureeithertobuya new

RaspberryPispecificallyforthisprojectormakesure

thatyoucanstillaccessalltheports– especiallytheSD

nyonegrowingupinthepast 30 yearsis

likelytofeela twingeofnostalgiawhen

rememberingplayingsuchclassicsasSuper

MarioBros.,Pac-ManandStreetFighter. Somereaders

mayevenhavebeenfortunateenoughtoowntheirown

gamesconsole,whiletherestofushadtobecontent

withpumpingcoinsintoanyarcademachinetheycould

gettheirhandson.

UsingthecustomRetroPieoperatingsystem,your

RaspberryPicanbetransformedintoa machine

capableofplayingallyourfavouritegamesfordozensof

differenttitlesforNintendo,Sega,Sony,Atariandmore.

If you’refamiliarwithemulatinggames,youmay

wonderwhyyouwouldinstallRetroPiegiventhe

numberofemulatorsoutthere.Theanswerissimply

thatinstallingRetroPieisoneofthequickestand

easiestwaystoplayvideogamesclassics– the

frontendsoftware,EmulationStation,isspecifically

designedfordisplayonHDtelevisions.Thestepsfor

thisprojecthavebeenpartlyadaptedfromtheofficial

wikiforRetroPieavailableathttps://github.com/

RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki.

ThisRaspberryPiprojectiseasytosetup,butyou

MartinSchoutenplaced

hisRetroPieinsidethe

casingfora NESConsole.

Thegamethatnevershouldhavebeen:PokemonFusion

Generationisa hackedPokemonCreatureGeneratorthatproduces

digitalmonstrosities.

Build a retro console

for classic gaming fun

TurnyourRaspberry Pi into a fully featured retro games console, capable of

playingtitlesforAmiga, Sega, Nintendo and much more.

NateDrake

isa tech

journalistwho

almostmissed

hisdeadlinedue

torepeated

speedruns.

A

RETROPIE

OUR

EXPERT

Fora fulllistof

allthesystems

supportedby

RetroPiesee

http://bit.ly/

lxf257support.

CREDIT:

Martin Schouten,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9Njd8nymfU

CREDIT:

https://pokemonfusion.fandom.com