Overview
Danny Patterson is a Vilros customer from the southern United States who has been using Raspberry Pi to build 1:6 scale arcade cabinets. His journey started with discovering miniature arcade replicas and evolved into creating authentic reproductions of classic games like Donkey Kong and Tempest.
Inspiration
About 3 years ago, Danny came across a company on Kickstarter (New Wave Toys) building a 1:6 scale replica Bluetooth boombox. Exploring their other offerings, he found they had produced limited numbers of Centipede arcade cabinets, which suddenly sucked him into this miniature version of his childhood.
However, companies would never get licenses from Nintendo and other brands protective of their properties. Getting a Donkey Kong or Junior DK was out of the question. You can't be a child of the 70's and 80's and have an arcade without those games.
Danny started digging to find a community of enthusiasts, leading him to Facebook groups. One was a New Wave Toys fan page, the other was for GRS Build-A-Cade (BAC) - a kit allowing you to build 1:6 scale arcade cabinets with everything needed besides the Raspberry Pi and ROMs.
The BAC cabinet was loosely based on Donkey Kong but had a uniform look for all games. Danny wanted his games as close to the originals as possible. Seeing people mod side panels to make close renditions of Donkey Kong was the moment he was inspired to figure it all out. No company was going to make every game that meant something to him personally, so he would either keep hoping and dreaming or do it himself.
Components used
Staples for all cabinets:
- Raspberry Pi 3 B+
- MakerFocus Rpi UPSPack Standard V3P with 4000 mAh rechargeable battery
- 3.5-inch 640x480 portable DIY LCD display screen with Mini-HDMI driver board
- Various tactile buttons depending on available space
- AC 1A 125V 3Pin SPDT Limit Micro Switch Long Hinge Lever for joysticks
- 1 1/8" x 1 1/2" speakers
- EI-14 Audio Transformer High Efficiency Audio Isolation Transformers 1:1 600:600 Ohm
- Chironal PAM8403 Mini 5V Digital Amplifier Board
- Optional: Arcade Game Controller USB Encoder Zero Delay (before learning GPIO programming)
Tempest Build also included:
- Pro Micro Atmega32U4 Module Type-C Development Board
- AS5600 Magnetic Encoder 12-bit high-precision magnetic induction angle measurement sensor module
Technical challenges
Literally everything. Danny didn't know anything about any of it. He knew absolutely nothing about electronics and is still limited to what he needs to accomplish his goal. He had only heard of 3D printing but never actually saw a printer or even a video of one in action. He had never heard of a Raspberry Pi either. CAD? Again, knew what it was but zero idea how to do it or where to even start. He was also going to need to learn photo editing software.
Learning new skills: The first thing Danny did was buy a 3D printer and start learning a CAD program so he could make a Donkey Kong cabinet. After all, he only needed those sides using the kit, so it was the perfect learning experience. Next, he bought an inexpensive soldering project and soldering station to practice that skill. He can't count how many hours of YouTube videos along the way.
Luckily, he found a couple of guys building these small cabinets who were willing to give advice. These two gents have been invaluable. No amount of internet searching can replace people who are genuinely passionate about their hobby and their willingness to help others.
Fitting components: After all that learning, he had to figure out how to fit all required components into such a small space while maintaining the overall look and integrity of the cabinet design, which is most challenging when working on the control panel. Trying to figure out button spacing when tactile switches are only so small can be challenging, but that's part of the fun.
Advice for builders
Danny's advice depends on where builders are on their maker journey. This can be a very easy project for those already familiar with the skills outlined above or a seemingly daunting task for people starting from square one like he did.
Learn the basics: Learn the basics of each skill and don't feel like it's going to be too overwhelming. If you don't want to buy a 3D printer, you could certainly build them using wood as others have done. The great thing about this project is that each skill needed only requires basic understanding if you just want to build a cabinet with buttons. Adding a joystick will add more difficulty, but only in the design aspect, not the technical.
Find a community: Most importantly, find a group of people already doing what you want to do. Look for groups that build 1:6 and 1:4 scale versions of these cabinets and join in. One such group is CBMA - Custom Built Mini Arcade on Facebook.
By Vilros