RetroPie Setup Tutorial

If you’re a fan of retro gaming, you’re no doubt aware of RetroPie for the Raspberry Pi.  Today, I’m going to show you my new favorite case, controllers, and general setup so you can build one yourself.

But first... What am I drinking???

Founders (Grand Rapids, MI) All Day IPA.  It's a ''lighter' IPA at 4.7% ABV, but it doesn't seem to be missing any of that hop flavor.  Surprisingly smooth, with plenty of hop and citrus notes.  Fantastic example of what a crisp IPA should be.

Retro gaming through emulation is nothing new, as playing classic Nintendo and Sega games on your PC has been possible since the Windows 95 days.  A word of warning, it was no more legal to download the games then as it is now.  I’ll be showing you how to get RetroArch installed and setup using this snazzy SNES case kit, and showing you a couple 100% legit free games during this process.

To start out, you’re going to need the following things.  A Raspberry Pi 2 or later, in my case, I’ll be using a Raspberry Pi 3.  This Super Nintendo themed Raspberry Pi case, an 8GB or larger MicroSD card and card reader, 2A or higher USB power adapter, and my favorite retro controllers, the Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad.

Everything you need should be available here:

SNES Raspberry PI case for Pi 2/3: https://amzn.to/2rmMECn

Raspberry Pi 3 Model B: https://amzn.to/2rotj3b

Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad (You'll want 2): https://amzn.to/2HQc2e2

16GB Class 10 MicroSD Card: https://amzn.to/2Iigy4A

2A USB AC Adapter: https://amzn.to/2IfpDuP

Optional Heatsinks for Raspberry Pi: https://amzn.to/2rmd736

You can upgrade to the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ if you'd like, but you're not going to see any difference in performance in load times or games.  The upgrades were mostly on the wireless and networking side of things: https://amzn.to/2KFnWp1

What you’re left with when finished, is a very polished retro gaming console that looks right at home next to your TV, or on your desk.  It’s small, attractive, quiet, and easy to put together.  I’m really impressed with this case, aside from the fan, and think the $20 asking price is more than reasonable for the looks it pulls off.  Add to that the Buffalo gamepads are as close to the originals in quality and feel that I’ve used yet.  All in all, this entire package costs right around $100, and is a great way to consolidate your retro games collection into a single, well built package.