RetroPie: An All-in-One Retro Game Emulator on the Raspberry Pi

The affordable Raspberry Pie computer that is popular among DIYers and enthusiasts makes an excellent retro console emulator. You can turn it into an all-in-one retro game console that plays hundreds of classic video games and is small enough to fit in your pocket (so to speak). The only thing better than reliving classic video games is bringing it over to a friend's place and enjoying the games you grew up playing together.

The RetroPie Project makes it incredibly easy to get up and running with retro gaming. You can save plenty of time by downloading the RetroPie image that includes all of the emulators you need.

You can buy a Raspberry Pi starter kit which typically includes the following:

• Raspberry Pie
• microSD card (for model B+)
• Power adapter
• Raspberry Pi case
• HDMI cable

In addition to the basic components, you can pick up some USB gaming controllers for that retro feel.

If you have all the components, it's a pretty strait forward process:

• Install the RetroPie image
• Configure your controllers to work with Emulation Station and the emulators
• Copy over your ROMs

Of course you may want to do change a few advanced configurations:

• Add hotkeys to exit emulators, save states, and change shaders
• Enable shaders to change the way games look

There are plenty of guides out there to help you get set up and playing your favorite old school video games on a Raspberry Pi. Here are a few that have helped me:

• How to Build an All-In-One Retro Game Console for $35, the Easy Way
• RetroPie Project on petRockBlog
• Super Nintendo Pi
• Weekend Engineer's guides to configuring controllers and specific emulators

Finished product: