Overview
This project was my first real foray into the world of electronics and programming. For a school project, I decided to build a custom arcade machine using a Raspberry Pi and various components. I undertook this project for my dad as the Raspberry Pi software called RetroPie allows you to emulate thousands of old retro arcade games which my dad grew up playing and hadn't had an authentic way to play since his childhood. Additionally, I wanted to design my own simple game which could be played on the cabinet as I wanted to learn more about game development and programming in general.
The project started with a wooden arcade cabinet design schematic I found online and the purchasing of the Raspberry Pi, related components, and monitor to be used. I then sourced the wood for the cabinet with my dad. I learned many woodworking skills throughout building the cabinet, including how to use a table saw, drill press, and jigsaw, router, scroll saw, band saw, and many other standard woodworking tools. I also used a planer and sander in addition to staining to create a smooth and clean finish for the exterior of the cabinet. I then installed the controls and electronics into the cabinet, installed the Raspberry Pi, connected and configured the controls, and loaded RetroPie onto the Raspberry Pi.
I designed the game on a dual boot of the regular Raspberry Pi OS as a simple top-down zombie shooting game with a points system and leaderboard for most kills before dying. Overall, I achieved everything I had hoped with the project and it is still in my dad's office today. I still sometimes hear him playing throughout the day while im studying and it's very rewarding knowing I could give him something he enjoys so much.
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