RetroPie - Raspberry Pi for Retro Games
I finally picked up a Raspberry Pi to play emulated games on, and I am tremendously satisfied with the purchase.
Making the Decision
The interest has been there for a while. Especially around the release of the NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Edition, I really considered getting a Raspberry Pi, but I just elected not to. At the end of the day, I had other platforms that I could play emulated games on. My phone, my PSP, and my laptop could all technically do the same thing.
Around December 2020, I started playing Super Mario World with my kids. To get it on my living room TV (the only logical place that you play video games as a family), I loaded it onto the laptop I use for my Plex server and ran an HDMI cable to the TV. It worked, but it was tremendously cumbersome. The laptop sits behind the TV, and the lid stays closed, so I launched the game by using Chrome Remote Desktop on my phone to control the laptop and start the emulator software. I had to do this every time I wanted to start or stop playing, and whenever I wanted to switch games. Again, it did work, but it was a huge pain.
Given how often we were playing, I started thinking about getting a Raspberry Pi again. The kids really enjoyed watching me play, and that would alleviate numerous difficulties with playing on the Plex laptop. I deliberated for quite some time, and finally decided that we should get one. However, I had to decide which model and what peripherals I wanted.
Looking over the options on Amazon, I decided on the CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter PRO Kit. It came with the Raspberry Pi device (obviously), plus a case, fan, heat sink, SD card, SD card reader, and a power cable with a physical switch. That particular kit comes in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB RAM flavors. At the time of writing this, those normally cost 90, 100, and 120 USD respectively. When I purchased mine, the 4GB variant was on sale for $90, so it was the best deal. I considered upgrading to the 8GB version, but that didn’t seem necessary for my use. Most emulated games won’t come anywhere near needing that much RAM.
The Pi kit that I purchased didn’t come with a controller, but I really didn’t need one. Dualshock 3 and 4 are both compatible, and I had several of those sitting around the house. Plus, I could do my research and buy exactly which controller I want, should I ever want to get some retro-styled USB gamepad.
I loaded up all the NES and SNES games that I had ROM files for, and started on a few other platforms. The save file for Super Mario World even transferred over, so I could pick up right where we left off. Multiplayer worked like a charm with TMNT: Turtles in Time. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. The built in RetroPie hotkeys for system navigation and save state management make sense and work like they should.
Fifth Generation
Things weren’t quite as smooth with fifth generation consoles. For Nintendo 64, I loaded up several games, but didn’t get around to playing them. Some friends came over, and one suggested I should start playing Zelda: Majora’s Mask. I warned him that I hadn’t tried any N64 games, so I couldn’t promise they would perform.
The game launched just fine. I created a new save file through the menu. Everything seemed like it might actually work. We watched the opening cinematic, and the only problems were a couple of audio hiccups. As soon as I got control, however, we realized that the game was completely unplayable. With no input, it could render the game world properly. Any action slowed the game to a slideshow, though. Trying to just run around processed at probably single digit frames per second. That was a full stop.
Playstation games were a different story. Because of the disc-based nature of PSX, the games are significantly larger than N64 games. Where most N64 games are between 8 MB and 32 MB each, PSX games are in the ballpark of 500 MB… per disc. Final Fantasy IX is a 4 disc game. That’s about 2 GB for a single game. I only got a 32 GB card for the Raspberry Pi, so I couldn’t afford the storage space to put many PSX games on it.
When I tried to run a PSX game, I was genuinely surprised to find that they actually ran very well. An RPG like Final Fantasy is one thing, but what about something more time sensitive like Crash Team Racing? Again, no problems at all. The game ran, as far as I could tell, almost identical to the original hardware.
If I had to guess, the operation difference between N64 and PSX is probably due to cartridge vs disc. Cartridge read speed was significantly faster, and discs relied more heavily on caching game data to RAM. I don’t know the specifics, but I assume hardware emulation can utilize RAM a lot more easily than simulating cartridge operation. Plus, it didn’t help that I chose Majora’s Mask, which required the N64 expansion pak.
Suffice it to say, fifth generation emulation was a little more of a tossup. Fourth and below, though? Worked like a charm. And in general, MOST of the retro games that I would want to play on the Pi are fourth generation and below, specifically Nintendo for the most part. Problems with fifth generation console emulation were fully expected, and it wasn’t something I really cared much about anyway.
I will echo what I’ve said before: if you enjoy retro games, a Raspberry Pi really is a compelling purchase. It doesn’t cost a ton of money, and the library of titles is only limited by what you can acquire in ROMs. The setup is painless, and it’s a convenient little package if you need to move it around.
Making the Decision
The interest has been there for a while. Especially around the release of the NES Classic Edition and SNES Classic Edition, I really considered getting a Raspberry Pi, but I just elected not to. At the end of the day, I had other platforms that I could play emulated games on. My phone, my PSP, and my laptop could all technically do the same thing.
Around December 2020, I started playing Super Mario World with my kids. To get it on my living room TV (the only logical place that you play video games as a family), I loaded it onto the laptop I use for my Plex server and ran an HDMI cable to the TV. It worked, but it was tremendously cumbersome. The laptop sits behind the TV, and the lid stays closed, so I launched the game by using Chrome Remote Desktop on my phone to control the laptop and start the emulator software. I had to do this every time I wanted to start or stop playing, and whenever I wanted to switch games. Again, it did work, but it was a huge pain.
Given how often we were playing, I started thinking about getting a Raspberry Pi again. The kids really enjoyed watching me play, and that would alleviate numerous difficulties with playing on the Plex laptop. I deliberated for quite some time, and finally decided that we should get one. However, I had to decide which model and what peripherals I wanted.
Looking over the options on Amazon, I decided on the CanaKit Raspberry Pi 4 4GB Starter PRO Kit. It came with the Raspberry Pi device (obviously), plus a case, fan, heat sink, SD card, SD card reader, and a power cable with a physical switch. That particular kit comes in 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB RAM flavors. At the time of writing this, those normally cost 90, 100, and 120 USD respectively. When I purchased mine, the 4GB variant was on sale for $90, so it was the best deal. I considered upgrading to the 8GB version, but that didn’t seem necessary for my use. Most emulated games won’t come anywhere near needing that much RAM.
The Pi kit that I purchased didn’t come with a controller, but I really didn’t need one. Dualshock 3 and 4 are both compatible, and I had several of those sitting around the house. Plus, I could do my research and buy exactly which controller I want, should I ever want to get some retro-styled USB gamepad.
I loaded up all the NES and SNES games that I had ROM files for, and started on a few other platforms. The save file for Super Mario World even transferred over, so I could pick up right where we left off. Multiplayer worked like a charm with TMNT: Turtles in Time. It was exactly what I wanted it to be. The built in RetroPie hotkeys for system navigation and save state management make sense and work like they should.
Fifth Generation
Things weren’t quite as smooth with fifth generation consoles. For Nintendo 64, I loaded up several games, but didn’t get around to playing them. Some friends came over, and one suggested I should start playing Zelda: Majora’s Mask. I warned him that I hadn’t tried any N64 games, so I couldn’t promise they would perform.
The game launched just fine. I created a new save file through the menu. Everything seemed like it might actually work. We watched the opening cinematic, and the only problems were a couple of audio hiccups. As soon as I got control, however, we realized that the game was completely unplayable. With no input, it could render the game world properly. Any action slowed the game to a slideshow, though. Trying to just run around processed at probably single digit frames per second. That was a full stop.
Playstation games were a different story. Because of the disc-based nature of PSX, the games are significantly larger than N64 games. Where most N64 games are between 8 MB and 32 MB each, PSX games are in the ballpark of 500 MB… per disc. Final Fantasy IX is a 4 disc game. That’s about 2 GB for a single game. I only got a 32 GB card for the Raspberry Pi, so I couldn’t afford the storage space to put many PSX games on it.
When I tried to run a PSX game, I was genuinely surprised to find that they actually ran very well. An RPG like Final Fantasy is one thing, but what about something more time sensitive like Crash Team Racing? Again, no problems at all. The game ran, as far as I could tell, almost identical to the original hardware.
If I had to guess, the operation difference between N64 and PSX is probably due to cartridge vs disc. Cartridge read speed was significantly faster, and discs relied more heavily on caching game data to RAM. I don’t know the specifics, but I assume hardware emulation can utilize RAM a lot more easily than simulating cartridge operation. Plus, it didn’t help that I chose Majora’s Mask, which required the N64 expansion pak.
Suffice it to say, fifth generation emulation was a little more of a tossup. Fourth and below, though? Worked like a charm. And in general, MOST of the retro games that I would want to play on the Pi are fourth generation and below, specifically Nintendo for the most part. Problems with fifth generation console emulation were fully expected, and it wasn’t something I really cared much about anyway.
My Use Case
In the months since picking up the Raspberry Pi, my use of it waxes and wanes. Sometimes the kids will get really into a game, and we’ll play it pretty consistently most evenings. Other times, I’ll pick it up only when I get a craving for some specific game from my childhood. It definitely does not get neglected for any extended period of time.
We’ve played through several old classics as a family. My kids are huge fans of Yoshi’s Crafted World on the Nintendo Switch, so it was nice to introduce them to Yoshi’s Island as its predecessor. We hit a few Metroid games, and we’re working on Super Mario RPG here and there. I didn’t figure they’re quite ready for more heavy JRPG titles, but Super Mario RPG is casual enough that they still enjoy it and I’m not getting hoarse from reading pages and pages of dialog.
In the months since picking up the Raspberry Pi, my use of it waxes and wanes. Sometimes the kids will get really into a game, and we’ll play it pretty consistently most evenings. Other times, I’ll pick it up only when I get a craving for some specific game from my childhood. It definitely does not get neglected for any extended period of time.
We’ve played through several old classics as a family. My kids are huge fans of Yoshi’s Crafted World on the Nintendo Switch, so it was nice to introduce them to Yoshi’s Island as its predecessor. We hit a few Metroid games, and we’re working on Super Mario RPG here and there. I didn’t figure they’re quite ready for more heavy JRPG titles, but Super Mario RPG is casual enough that they still enjoy it and I’m not getting hoarse from reading pages and pages of dialog.
I will echo what I’ve said before: if you enjoy retro games, a Raspberry Pi really is a compelling purchase. It doesn’t cost a ton of money, and the library of titles is only limited by what you can acquire in ROMs. The setup is painless, and it’s a convenient little package if you need to move it around.
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