I wanted to build something that would allow me to play arcade games on RetroPie with a more authentic feel, rather than using a standard controller. There's just something special about playing fighting games with a real joystick and legit arcade buttons. Also, I had a friend with a birthday coming up, and as an avid retro gamer I knew he would enjoy me making this for him!

So I built the Retrobox -- it's an all-in-one arcade joystick containing a Raspberry Pi computer that hooks up to the TV. It's sturdy, easy to bring to a friend's house, and a ton of fun. Also, you can hook normal controllers up to it for playing platformers and whatnot. Why the name? I just like naming things. :)

The entire project (including the Pi) cost me about $90. You can lower this cost by using a Raspberry Pi Zero instead of a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ (though this may limit which games you can play). You can also forego the acrylic top and use non-LED buttons to lower the cost further.

Mentioned here The Raspberry Pi Zero W adds Wi-Fi, bluetooth to the mix

Normally I write a step by step guide (with photos) for projects like this, but I thought I'd mix things up this time and spend a lot more time on the video instead. So be sure to check it out below!

If you like this guide, then you'll love my latest project, the AdventurePi: a portable Raspberry Pi arcade cabinet.