The video game industry manages to do in a year nearly $ 180 billionHowever, there is little room for the video games that powered this market in the 1990s.
For this reason, people turn to tools like Raspberry Pi and its different emulators and create video games inspired by that golden age.
Throughout this article, you will learn which are the best operating systems that Raspberry supports so that you can create your own arcade project. In addition, you will have access to the best kits to create your project from scratch.
List of the best arcade emulators to create your arcade machine with Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry devices are under-resourced physical to achieve environments graphics as if it were an Xbox 360, but they are great and accessible if you want a craft arcade project, that you would play that you would offer to a specific community of “Retro-gamers”. Check out this list of the best operating systems that serve as arcade simulators.
These are options that you get legally and for free:
RetroPie.org.uk
It is the most popular of all and the official emulator of the Raspberry Pi Foundation for lovers of this world of old video games. It is a Linux distribution and what do you get officially with the application “Raspberry Pi Imager”. It has customizable settings, which makes it an attractive platform for developers. It has support for a large number of emulators that people can use in their projects.
Raspbian.org
Maybe not the best option for game creators, but at install Raspbian we see that it works well to create basic projects if what you want is to learn to program and build an entire arcade platform. Even the creators themselves prefer that RetroPie is the first choice for experts. However, Raspbian or now known as Raspberry Pi OS, it is powerful and easy to use. It has a better environment for people who are inexperienced with RetroPie.
DosBox.com
From your console, that simulates MS-DOS, takes us to a retro environment in which you can rescue those old programming codes that created games like Prince You remember? You will like this option if you come from that memorable time. It is possible to add Raspbian as if it were any other repository, so its installation is fast, simple and clean for users with medium and high experience.
Lakka.tv
Its popularity is compared to RetroPie, because allows better results in older video game projects. It requires less physical resources in a Raspberry and with it you can run almost any game from the 90s. Through the USB ports, the controls are placed on the console and you are ready to remember the best video games you had in your childhood.
Recalbox.com
It is one of the new bets for people to have again access to video games from consoles such as PSX, Master System, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Super Nintendo. With this operating system, you install the project on the Micro SD card and start directly. In addition, it provides support for people to connect various knobs or controls via Bluetooth. The best thing is that you can count on the presence of four people, because it offers multiplayer support.
Batocera.org
It does its job quite well because this operating system was designed to run and supports several powerful emulators, which makes it great because it provides an ideal ecosystem for “Retro-gamers”. It differs from the rest because offers a good wizard to install projects and it also allows support for the games you found in the Game Boy, Amstad CPC, Mega Drive, Nintendo 64, PSP and Commodore 64.
ZXBaremulator
Actually, it is not an operating systemIt is more of an emulator in itself that is compatible with most of the existing Raspberry models. However, surprisingly, it does not require an operating system to function. You can download it from their website https://zxmini.speccy.org/es Your console is retro too, so instantly takes you back to the days when games were 8-bit. With this proposal you can run any game and, if you are an expert developer, you can make important improvements.
The best Nintendo DS emulators you can use on Raspberry Pi to power up your gaming machine
Nintendo ds was so popular that one of its best-selling games, Super Mario Bros, had a worldwide expansion with more than 30 million units sold. Remember that in the 2000s, there was not this revolution in online games and downloads.
Check out this list of the best emulators for you to have Nintendo DS games on your Raspberry Pi computer:
DeSmuME.org
It is based on the C ++ programming languageAlthough its formal development waned in 2015, it is still one of the best options for developers to make their own arcade games. It started as a emulator for Windows, macOS and Linux. Of course, since almost all operating systems are based on Linux, a community of people who love old games found in this market.
DeSmuME 2015
It is a variant created especially for most Nintendo DS games. This allows you to resume games, capture screens, save energy, save user achievements and allows a greater number of combinations in the commands, as if it were a real game on Nintendo. It was created to give a better impression to people who expect a genuine Nintendo DS video game. So it is possible to reproduce most of the possible combinations on the controls of this console.
These are the best Raspberry Pi kits to create your arcade game machine from scratch like an expert
One thing is that inside your Raspberry looks like a video game console and another thing is that on the outside it really looks like it.
For this reason, we leave you this list of kits that are compatible with Raspberry, which will allow you to create a retro console:
Retro GP430
This kit allows you to place your Raspberry board in a perfect case with buttons and controllers that fit in one hand, although it is operated with both. It has a 4.3-inch screen and simulates a PS1, Nintendo DS and PSP.
Retro IcI-pi Boy
It is a case that simulates a Game Boy, although all kinds of games can coexist that can be controlled with this type of controls. Its screen is 3.5 inches. It is similar in size to the Game Boy, so it will be attractive to lovers of this portable console.
Driver Kit
You can also choose to create your own video game caseFor this reason, there are different button kits, joysticks, plates and cables on the market that are compatible with Raspberry computers. This is an ideal option for people who prefer not to require a case to start playing.
Yinglucky Mini Arcade
Although it is not the most aesthetic option, it works perfectly to simulate a kind of Atari in your video game project. It is a case that comes with a joystick and several buttons that will make your arcade game show feasible.
Retro GeeekPi Gaming Kit
It is compatible with the Raspberry Pi 4 model and its appearance simulates a Super nintendo. It is an option with a medium-high value, but it will give your console a realism like you have never imagined before. This model comes with a case, several controls, connectors and a Raspberry board.
Retrostation
It is simple, beautiful and black. It is a basic case to protect your Raspberry and that leaves all the input ports free so that connect via HSDI any type of monitor and thus be able to play with a large screen, although with the same screen resolution.