Raspberry pi - handheld game device(gameboy-ish)

Question

Hello, everyone.

I have been trying to find a complete guide(as detailed as possible) on how to make a handheld gaming device which use retroPi, but no Luck so far.

I am new to raspberry pi, but I wanna make something fun/useful. Most of what I have found are people who planned to make one and never posted how it went.

So I would be greatful if someone knew about a dummy guide for this subject

Greetings,

Joakim.

danielmcgraw · Answer

Hi Joakim,

I've no experience with retropi but I can help with the hardware side of this project. Firstly have a look at this on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUZjzQuTNX4

This is the ben heck show building a portable Raspberry Pi. Some of the hardware he uses for the case is a bit out of the reach of most people but there are ways around this.

For the display, most people using car reversing camera monitors such as this one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/inch-Digital-Rear-Monitor-Square-Black/dp/B0056WJP1M

These have a RCA (composite) input, tends to be the yellow one, which is simply connected to the composite output on the Raspberry Pi, either by a cable or you can desolder the socket and wire it in directly if you are tight for space. All these need as well is a power supply connected to the red socket. Centre pin +12V, shield 0V.

For the buttons and stuff, most people take apart a USB device (such as a mouse or a gamepad) and move the buttons around so they are where you need them to be.

If this and the youtube video don't answer your questions, let me know which bits you are having problems with and I will do my best to answer your questions.

Dan McGraw

M0WUT

danielmcgraw · Answer

Using the advice from here.

http://lifehacker.com/how-to-turn-your-raspberry-pi-into-a-retro-game-console-498561192

It tells you how to set up using a SNES controller.

Basically, you get any old USB controller (preferably with analog sticks as I'd imagine you'll want them sonner or later), follow the instructions on this website, when it gets to Step 3, you enter which buttons you would like to use. If it asks to press a button you don't have, press any button but make a note of what control you entered this button as and then delete that line in the config file as detailed on this website. e.g. device says "Press for L2" and you don't have a button for that, press anything and then delete the line in the config file input_player1_l2_btn = "4" where 4 is the number of the button you pressed.

If you don't like the layout/want to arrange the controller in a different way, use a multimeter to find out which two points on the switch are shorted when the switch is pressed, desolder the switch and connect wires from the two points to the corresponding points on the switch.

Any problems let me know.

Dan McGraw

M0WUT