Hey Kris, I enjoyed the video of your presentation of putting the Pi Cart together? I have a one question? Can the regular Pi Zero work with any Micro SD Card like a 32GB? I recently installed the Raspberry Pi Zero and follow the step by step method. I used SD Formatter to Format to it's right size and then used Win32 Disk Imager to write the Retro Pie Zero image onto the 32 GB Micro Card. After when it was successfully written onto the card. I saw a Overlay folder onto the SD Card Reader? I was thinking it had anything to do with the Pi Zero? But when I connected everything it wouldn't boot up like it's supposed to? I hooked up the HDMI cord into the HDMI port and connected the 4 in 1 Micro USB OTG hub into the USB port and set the charge to OTG. Then connected the Power Supply into it. But nothing happened. I thinking maybe it could be the SD Card or maybe something else? The Pi Zero did light up Green. But it was just a dark screen and no Raspberry Pi Zero logo appear. I'm not giving up though. I know the Pi Zero board is good. I'm gonna keep looking into it. Thanks for hearing me out. Best Regards, Phil
In regards to it not be able to run N64 games is it possible to somehow bridge two pi zeros together to have enough power? Cause even two of them are small enough to fit in a NES cartridge while a pi 3 is as big as the cartridge
I've done some research on this, and it gets tricky. The few Pi Zero clusters I've seen need to use the USB OTG cable to do their intra-networking(blog.alexellis.io/pizero-otg-swarm/), thus still needing a Pi 3 to run the show. The other Pi clusters are usually built using Ethernet (www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Raspberry-Pi-SuperComputer/?ALLSTEPS) to pass around the info to all the hosts, and the Zero doesn't have ethernet, so no dice there. They do make a Pi Zero Cluster Hat (www.networkworld.com/article/3160028/hardware/cluster-hat-the-easiest-way-to-build-a-raspberry-pi-zero-cluster.html) or Actbulb (hackaday.com/2016/01/25/raspberry-pi-zero-cluster-packs-a-punch/) that would let you run a bunch together, but then it's way too big for a NES cartridge. If anyone knows of a way to do this, feel free to chime in below!
Took me a sec, but it looks like I'm using a Vizio brand ultra-thin cable. Not sure where I got it, but I found one on Amazon. They also make longer lengths, but mine is the 4ft. amzn.to/2iAN3hn
Yes, especially during SNES games I've noticed it heats up, but from what I've read, it's not hot enough to be a concern to do any damage, just natural heat from all the graphics processing, so it's all good!
Not sure - just downloaded Retroarch today (1.4.1) so give me a sec and I'll report back. As far as I can tell, a lot of RetroPie uses the libretro library that Retroarch does so I'm assuming it will be very similar...
Does NES controllers work by default? im a hardware/pc geek but when it comes to putty/linux and setting stuff up in rasberry im a novice (or even worse). I just want to buy a plug and play w/o 2 weeks of reading guides.
So far I've purchased 3 different USB gamepads and they've all worked - when you plug a new controller in, RetroPie lets you configure it. I have 1 NES style and 2 SNES style. I assume these gamepads all use similar chipsets/code so they are all basically the same and easy to configure through RetroPie. You can also re-map the buttons if you want to!
We've been playing through Zelda SNES (Link to the Past) and it's great, no lag, but I haven't tried N64 yet. The Zero gets warm, but not hot. I'll fire up GoldenEye and Mario Kart tonight and see what happens and report back!
After loading some N64 ROMS onto the Pi, I noticed they didn't show up on the menu to play. RetroPie suggests at least a Raspberry Pi 2 for N64 games, so I would assume the Zero just doesn't have enough horsepower. However, i have played a bunch of SNES games without problem, so if you want to play N64 you'll have to upgrade to a Pi 2 or 3.
Has anyone had the rainbow screen problem when booting your pi zero into retropie for the first time? I've tried everything and can't get it to work, I was able to put a copy or Raspbian on it, and NOOBS, and it booted properly so its not my power supply, I just can't seem to get a pure retropie install to work, and I'd rather not have to do it through Raspbian
I've done a handful of these now on the PiZero and haven't come across this issue yet, so I'm not exactly sure what's happening, but I'll try to help! I know that it's important to get the Zero install instead of the Pi 2/3 install github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/releases/download/4.1/retropie-4.1-rpi1_zero.img.gz , and maybe try a different SD card or prep the RetroPie image with a different app (I use Apple Pi Baker on the Mac to prep the SD Card) retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/.
The black controller is a cheap USB gamepad I found at a used game store - and it's terrible. There is a lot of lag when using it and it makes it really hard to play games. The Buffalo Classic I got from Amazon is so much better, no lag at all, I would recommend that one. Plus, you can play SNES and Sega games and have all the buttons you need. Here's the link: amzn.to/2hhCT4G
I found that there is more support and forums/documentation/videos about getting RetroPie setup, so it seems like the more developed app and easier to get help if you run into trouble. However, I've heard that Recalbox works great too, it's just a bit newer and doesn't have all the experience and support, so it may be trickier to get running with various builds/gamepads/emulators. Maybe try both and see what runs better!
Dont waste your money on this. It takes way too much time too much money. Get a raspberry pie 3 with the same moneu and you can run mame and even ps1 and some n64 games. The pie zero is not 1 dollar. It comes to about 15 bucks with shipping
At the Micro Center down the street from me, a Pi Zero today is $5 out the door. They occasionally have them on a sale for $1( limit 1 per person), so that's when I get mine - they have an incredible DIY/Maker selection. (www.microcenter.com/product/463189/Zero_v13_Development_Board_-_Camera_Ready) I agree that a Pi 3 would be better if you want to get into PS1 and N64 games, because the Zero can't handle those emulators, but a Pi 3 starts at $45 so that's a very big difference if you are only looking for NES/SNES gaming.
You do know for the USB hubs as well you can get one even cheaper as Staples for roughly 4$ while that amazon version is 6$ and only allows free shipping with anything over 25$ total and the SD card you can get at any local electronic store and 8gb is all you need for the Zero since every game compatible for the Zero uses at most 4.5gb and most places sells good SD cards for roughly 5$ 8gb. Another thing what you could of done to make it look cooler is made the HDMI port exit on the other side and the power cable same spot which adds in 10 min more work and also before i forget as well you could always get something similar to this USB hub www.staples.com/Insten-4-Port-Octopus-USB-Hub-Black/product_970854 and use some kind of old plastic that might be laying around to make the front more professional so it would really look like a console cart.
You have the best video i seen on retro gaming making. Your awesome
Hey Kris, I enjoyed the video of your presentation of putting the Pi Cart together? I have a one question? Can the regular Pi Zero work with any Micro SD Card like a 32GB? I recently installed the Raspberry Pi Zero and follow the step by step method. I used SD Formatter to Format to it's right size and then used Win32 Disk Imager to write the Retro Pie Zero image onto the 32 GB Micro Card. After when it was successfully written onto the card. I saw a Overlay folder onto the SD Card Reader? I was thinking it had anything to do with the Pi Zero? But when I connected everything it wouldn't boot up like it's supposed to? I hooked up the HDMI cord into the HDMI port and connected the 4 in 1 Micro USB OTG hub into the USB port and set the charge to OTG. Then connected the Power Supply into it. But nothing happened. I thinking maybe it could be the SD Card or maybe something else? The Pi Zero did light up Green. But it was just a dark screen and no Raspberry Pi Zero logo appear. I'm not giving up though. I know the Pi Zero board is good. I'm gonna keep looking into it. Thanks for hearing me out. Best Regards, Phil
for a nes mini style console i prefer use recalbox just because it is easier to set up.
Thanks for the info! I haven't heard of recalbox but I just downloaded it and going to try it tonight.
recalbox installs the same way as retropie does the only difference between the 2 is retropie has better support for PS3 controllers.
im waiting for amazon to start building mine!
this is rly awesome
Glad you liked it - Thanks for watching CeeGee Gamer!
:)
A hug from Brazil!
Loved your video.I'm just starting out with my channel covering similar stuff. I'm going to make a Sega Pi.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you liked it! Just subbed to your channel, looks like you're having fun, good luck!
krislovescalifornia Thanks man.
In regards to it not be able to run N64 games is it possible to somehow bridge two pi zeros together to have enough power? Cause even two of them are small enough to fit in a NES cartridge while a pi 3 is as big as the cartridge
I've done some research on this, and it gets tricky. The few Pi Zero clusters I've seen need to use the USB OTG cable to do their intra-networking(blog.alexellis.io/pizero-otg-swarm/), thus still needing a Pi 3 to run the show. The other Pi clusters are usually built using Ethernet (www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Raspberry-Pi-SuperComputer/?ALLSTEPS) to pass around the info to all the hosts, and the Zero doesn't have ethernet, so no dice there. They do make a Pi Zero Cluster Hat (www.networkworld.com/article/3160028/hardware/cluster-hat-the-easiest-way-to-build-a-raspberry-pi-zero-cluster.html) or Actbulb (hackaday.com/2016/01/25/raspberry-pi-zero-cluster-packs-a-punch/) that would let you run a bunch together, but then it's way too big for a NES cartridge. If anyone knows of a way to do this, feel free to chime in below!
krislovescalifornia awesome! Thank you for the helpful info 😊👌🏻
May I ask where you got your HDMI cable? The one in Howchoo's link was too long and bulky
Took me a sec, but it looks like I'm using a Vizio brand ultra-thin cable. Not sure where I got it, but I found one on Amazon. They also make longer lengths, but mine is the 4ft. amzn.to/2iAN3hn
The Dennis Daniel Show Amazon has them
Does the front of your case get warm? Near the area where you placed the Raspberry Pi on the inside? I've noticed mine gets warm.
Yes, especially during SNES games I've noticed it heats up, but from what I've read, it's not hot enough to be a concern to do any damage, just natural heat from all the graphics processing, so it's all good!
What is your opinion on running Retroarch on this? Do you think it's pushing the pi too much to run them as well?
Not sure - just downloaded Retroarch today (1.4.1) so give me a sec and I'll report back. As far as I can tell, a lot of RetroPie uses the libretro library that Retroarch does so I'm assuming it will be very similar...
Does NES controllers work by default? im a hardware/pc geek but when it comes to putty/linux and setting stuff up in rasberry im a novice (or even worse). I just want to buy a plug and play w/o 2 weeks of reading guides.
So far I've purchased 3 different USB gamepads and they've all worked - when you plug a new controller in, RetroPie lets you configure it. I have 1 NES style and 2 SNES style. I assume these gamepads all use similar chipsets/code so they are all basically the same and easy to configure through RetroPie. You can also re-map the buttons if you want to!
do you get much lag from the Zero??? on N64 or Snes??
We've been playing through Zelda SNES (Link to the Past) and it's great, no lag, but I haven't tried N64 yet. The Zero gets warm, but not hot. I'll fire up GoldenEye and Mario Kart tonight and see what happens and report back!
After loading some N64 ROMS onto the Pi, I noticed they didn't show up on the menu to play. RetroPie suggests at least a Raspberry Pi 2 for N64 games, so I would assume the Zero just doesn't have enough horsepower. However, i have played a bunch of SNES games without problem, so if you want to play N64 you'll have to upgrade to a Pi 2 or 3.
Has anyone had the rainbow screen problem when booting your pi zero into retropie for the first time? I've tried everything and can't get it to work, I was able to put a copy or Raspbian on it, and NOOBS, and it booted properly so its not my power supply, I just can't seem to get a pure retropie install to work, and I'd rather not have to do it through Raspbian
I've done a handful of these now on the PiZero and haven't come across this issue yet, so I'm not exactly sure what's happening, but I'll try to help! I know that it's important to get the Zero install instead of the Pi 2/3 install github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/releases/download/4.1/retropie-4.1-rpi1_zero.img.gz , and maybe try a different SD card or prep the RetroPie image with a different app (I use Apple Pi Baker on the Mac to prep the SD Card) retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/.
where did you get your controllers?
The black controller is a cheap USB gamepad I found at a used game store - and it's terrible. There is a lot of lag when using it and it makes it really hard to play games. The Buffalo Classic I got from Amazon is so much better, no lag at all, I would recommend that one. Plus, you can play SNES and Sega games and have all the buttons you need. Here's the link: amzn.to/2hhCT4G
krislovescalifornia thanks a million!!
is it better to run RetroPie then recalbox
I found that there is more support and forums/documentation/videos about getting RetroPie setup, so it seems like the more developed app and easier to get help if you run into trouble. However, I've heard that Recalbox works great too, it's just a bit newer and doesn't have all the experience and support, so it may be trickier to get running with various builds/gamepads/emulators. Maybe try both and see what runs better!
krislovescalifornia thanks will try it out today, I think I'll stay away from the ps 1 and n64 games
Dont waste your money on this. It takes way too much time too much money. Get a raspberry pie 3 with the same moneu and you can run mame and even ps1 and some n64 games. The pie zero is not 1 dollar. It comes to about 15 bucks with shipping
At the Micro Center down the street from me, a Pi Zero today is $5 out the door. They occasionally have them on a sale for $1( limit 1 per person), so that's when I get mine - they have an incredible DIY/Maker selection. (www.microcenter.com/product/463189/Zero_v13_Development_Board_-_Camera_Ready) I agree that a Pi 3 would be better if you want to get into PS1 and N64 games, because the Zero can't handle those emulators, but a Pi 3 starts at $45 so that's a very big difference if you are only looking for NES/SNES gaming.
You do know for the USB hubs as well you can get one even cheaper as Staples for roughly 4$ while that amazon version is 6$ and only allows free shipping with anything over 25$ total and the SD card you can get at any local electronic store and 8gb is all you need for the Zero since every game compatible for the Zero uses at most 4.5gb and most places sells good SD cards for roughly 5$ 8gb.
Another thing what you could of done to make it look cooler is made the HDMI port exit on the other side and the power cable same spot which adds in 10 min more work and also before i forget as well you could always get something similar to this USB hub www.staples.com/Insten-4-Port-Octopus-USB-Hub-Black/product_970854 and use some kind of old plastic that might be laying around to make the front more professional so it would really look like a console cart.