RetroPie Killed It For Me

[VectorGamer]

Didn't want to derail the 7800-XM thread so I thought I'd post here. I'm following the 7800-XM thread and that project has been so long I had to go to the www to remember what the XM is supposed to do. Just say as of now I'm glad I missed out on that pre-order.

 

I got a Raspberry Pi over this past summer and loaded RetroPie on it. And frankly since I got it, it has totally killed any desire to play on actual hardware anymore. The only thing is if I had an actual arcade stick with bluetooth cuz playing maze games like Pac-Man on Xbox 360 controllers sucks ass. Although for some reason an older MAME emulator allows me to use the thumb stick for Pac-Man while the other MAME emulator does not. Any ideas?

 

The fact that I can sit in my recliner 20 feet away from the TV using a wireless controller and easily flip between emulated consoles and fire up whatever platform I want kicks ass. If I want to play Road Rash Genesis and then Pole Position II 7800 I can do so without burning any calories - just flip through Emulation Station. No more disconnecting the Genesis from the TV and hooking up the Atari 7800 to play this stuff tethered by a cord.

 

So with roughly 5000+ games to play on my Retropie, I have no desire to seek out any future retrogaming hardware projects like the 7800-XM, SGM2, Amico et al. And I have no desire to keep any of my retrogaming collection any longer. I got into this hobby 10 years ago buying systems, cartridges and manuals, then I got tired of the space carts took up so I got multicarts for everything. Now that I have Retropie, I can get rid of any remaining hardware, software and manuals and reclaim some space in my house. Keep an eye out for future auctions that I will post in the coming weeks after I get my garage cleaned out.

 

I'll be missing out on some home brews like Galaga for the 2600. But when I already have Galaga in MAME, am I going to be missing much? I just can't justify spending money on most of the new releases coming out for old systems when most of the stuff is already available in MAME. Not to poopoo on the homebrew scene as I've enjoyed and supported them in the past, but it just doesn't make sense for me going forward.

 

Anyway, I guess my auctions will allow someone to pickup some games that maybe they missed out on the first time around. I'll just be happy to turn this stuff that is taking up space into cash and maybe get another pinball machine

 

 

 

[+stephena]

1 hour ago, VectorGamer said:

I'll be missing out on some home brews like Galaga for the 2600.

Not necessarily.  I guess this game will eventually be released in ROM format.  And Stella has recently been ported to RetroArch.  So support for this game will eventually come to RetroPie too.

[ClassicGMR]

I agree with @VectorGamer. There's so many ways to emulate systems these days real hardware isn't necessary. On top of that the emulation is almost as good as playing the real thing. Most casual players can't see the difference. You will get some purists who say it's not perfect or 1,000% accurate but for almost all of us it's not an issue.

 

I have 2 RetroPie systems, 2 PS Classics, my X-Arcade cabinet, an emulation-dedicated HP EliteBook 2760P system and my MSI gaming laptop. I also have invested in a pair of 8bitdo bluetooth SNES gamepads for the RPi systems and a pair of 8bitdo USB adapters for my PS3 controllers for the PS Classic. Over the years I have purchased many USB adapters to use actual NES, SNES, PS1, Intellivision and Atari controllers.

 

Now I DO have a selection of real hardware but no game collections anymore. My Atari 2600 uses a Harmony cart. My Intellivision has an LTO Flash. My NES, SNES and N64 systems all have EverDrive cartridges. I have a Free McBoot PS2 with a hard drive and a DreamCast that will be using a DreamShell loader shortly. The only reason I have a 3DO (seriously) is for Star Control II which I need a new copy of.

 

My most modern systems are XBox 360, PS3 and Nintendo Switch. I don't plan on going any further. Gears 5 is tempting though!!! ?

 

I just made a pledge to myself to actually start playing games more often so I joined a couple of High Score Clubs here. It's been fun. It's ALL emulation though. It's quick and convenient. I won't be going to back.

 

I miss collecting but I don't miss the collections nor the money tied into it... if that makes sense.

[adamchevy]

I have experienced the same thing over the past year. The only system I saw a point in purchasing was a PS4. And that was only because it has the simplest and most affordable VR experience. Also, it has great games and support from Sony. This really is a fun experience for a retro gamer. Playing Battlezone and Tetris has been a lot of fun in VR. I agree that emulation is now at the point that it is good enough for someone who just wants to play games. The collector in me(wife/kids runs away with wallet) will always like having physical consoles. But space and money are always commodities that are hard to come by.

[VectorGamer]

9 minutes ago, ClassicGMR said:

I miss collecting but I don't miss the collections nor the money tied into it... if that makes sense.

It does. 10 years ago it was fun going to yard sales or thrift shops to see what you could score. Or scouring Craigslist to see what was out there. Or going to the TooManyGames expo and see what was available in the marketplace.

 

Selling off my cartridges and going to multicart killed all that. Now RetroPie has killed gaming on original hardware.

[Flojomojo]

For someone who is a gamer first, the choice is clear. If someone wants collectible artifacts, there's nothing like the real thing. I'm increasingly in the first category, always have been. 

[NE146]

I honestly don't limit myself at all no matter what multi-device I get. ?

[Tempest]

Personally I prefer real hardware, but using multicarts and SD cartridges.  Emulation works and has it's advantages (save states for one), but there's just something more nostalgic about real hardware on a real CRT.  

[Inky]

My problem with Retropie is the issue with configuring controllers per console.  If I can get my Rpi3 working again (no idea why it won't boot currently,) I'm going to do three SD card setups. One for consoles with keypads (5200, Intellivision, Colecovision,) and use my CV controller on it, one for the 2600 / 7800, and an arcade card, just so I don't have to keep fiddling with the configurations.

[VectorGamer]

33 minutes ago, Tempest said:

 a real CRT.  

I've been playing on a 4K TV and don't even miss the CRT. Looks great to me.

[Tempest]

1 hour ago, VectorGamer said:

I've been playing on a 4K TV and don't even miss the CRT. Looks great to me.

That seems odd to me.  Older systems (16-bit era especially) weren't meant to be mega sharp.  In fact many look worse the sharper the picture.  To each his own though.

[Flojomojo]

The fuzz of RF on a CRT always bugged me. I wanted the games to look like the pictures in the manual. Now we have that, and I like it. 

 

As you say, to each his own. This is a very familiar discussion here somehow. 

[adamchevy]

Now I need to get Retropie working on my Raspberry Pi 4 I just picked up. I’m not sure if it’s supported yet? It should look nice hooked up to my 2k monitor at work. I haven’t gone 4K yet. I have to many other really nice 2k and below screens. I can see it being great for next gen consoles, but I really don’t see the need for anything past 1080p for retro stuff. I still have a 36” Trinitron with my Wii hooked up to it, but honestly I prefer component out through my 60” plasma by comparison.

[Omega-TI]

I'd like to try Retropie, but I know zip about Linux, let alone installing anything on it, I also don't time to hunt for ROMS, individual programs or other stuff.  I'd need a foolproof idiots guide to install it because as my memory goes, it's getting harder to learn new tricks.  I have about 1/2 dozen micro SD cards not being used and an extra RPi just gathering dust... (sigh).

[+Spriggy]

6 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

For someone who is a gamer first, the choice is clear. If someone wants collectible artifacts, there's nothing like the real thing. I'm increasingly in the first category, always have been. 

 

+1.  I use a s-video modded 2600 Vader and play/collect the carts, because my nostalgic self wants to.  Simple.  For all other systems, I use my Pi3 to play the other consoles.  I still try and use an original controller via usb adapter where possible, again to feed by nostalgic side.

 

5 hours ago, Inky said:

My problem with Retropie is the issue with configuring controllers per console.  If I can get my Rpi3 working again (no idea why it won't boot currently,) I'm going to do three SD card setups. One for consoles with keypads (5200, Intellivision, Colecovision,) and use my CV controller on it, one for the 2600 / 7800, and an arcade card, just so I don't have to keep fiddling with the configurations.

 

Hijacking .. you can configure controller config per emulator core or even a single game (If that's what you mean that is) through the RGUI menu whilst in a game of your chosen emulator. (Select+X).  Plenty of guides online and on youtube.   EG.  I use an original cx40 and usb adapter when playing 2600 games I don't have.  The cx40 fire button was not mapped to the default Emulation Station controller configs.  I went into a Atari 2600 game, then entered the RGUI menu via SELECT+X, then remapped my fire button to the correct one.  This new mapping is now only relevant when I'm in the 2600 emulator core.

A quick search found this CLICK HERE

 

#sorryforthehijack#

[+wongojack]

I dunno, I feel like I've already gone past this point.  We've had emulators and thousands of games for years now.  It's no longer about having it at my fingertips for me. I'm now looking for quality gaming experiences,  Highly rated games, hidden gems and interesting homebrews.  I don't necessarily value the convenience or value of pirating ROMs as much as I once did.

[John Stamos Mullet]

I put a retropie in one of my Arcade 1 up cabs and man... it's like I died and went to arcade heaven. Every single game my old neighborhood arecade had and all the ones the various pizza shops and campgrounds had when I was a kid, all loaded up in a sweet looking arcade cab my basement, for under $200 for all of it! 

[Keatah]

Loved reading each and every post. I agree with most all the sentiments, especially the pro-emulation commentary.

 

It's absolutely thrilling to see emulation becoming more universally accepted among gamers. Even desirable even! And there are so many advantages to emulation. Versatility, reliability, convenience, space-savings, AIO capabilities. And more.

[mr_me]

I find I get better scores on real hardware.

[RodLightning]

6 hours ago, --- Ω --- said:

I'd like to try Retropie, but I know zip about Linux, let alone installing anything on it, I also don't time to hunt for ROMS, individual programs or other stuff.  I'd need a foolproof idiots guide to install it because as my memory goes, it's getting harder to learn new tricks.  I have about 1/2 dozen micro SD cards not being used and an extra RPi just gathering dust... (sigh).

Try here:  https://www.arcadepunks.com/retro-pi-downloads-page/

 

Lots of prebuilt images to write to your cards with etcher or win32diskimager.  Finding the best collection to match your sd card size is the biggest challenge.  There are so many releases.  Most come with all games and are ready to boot.  The only down side is that larger capacity images take a while to both download and then write out to a card.  I like the ones by Damasco, although there are many others.  Click the 'read nfo' on the end first, as there are usually youtube previews of content. 

[Omega-TI]

Thanks.  I'll keep this site in mind.  I just got a TRS-80 image that I'll cut my teeth on and then check the site out when I get time.  The site does not like my ad blocker though...

 

[Marcobolo]

I've fiddled around with emulation for awhile. I'm still interested in coollecting certain things, like the Atari Lynx or maybe a Vectrex eventually, but for consoles and arcades, I like emulation. 

[Flojomojo]

3 hours ago, RodLightning said:

Finding the best collection to match your sd card size is the biggest challenge.  There are so many releases.  

Yep. And Arcadepunks uses some sketchy download sites. Can't argue with the quantity of stuff they put out, though. 

 

For those who may not know: remember that you can always repartition a small image to get more space on a larger card, if that's something that's needed. GPARTED is an easy to use partition editor that runs in Linux. I boot the "live CD" ISO into a virtual machine for easy access to this utility from Windows or Mac OS, but you can boot a real-hardware machine from this as well. https://gparted.org/livecd.php

[ClassicGMR]

10 hours ago, adamchevy said:

Now I need to get Retropie working on my Raspberry Pi 4 I just picked up. I’m not sure if it’s supported yet?

RetroPie is still being developed for the Pi4. Check YouTube as people have gotten individual systems to run but as a package it is still some time away. The drivers are one problem - they're still not optimized as it is just running a Linux environment. Software and OS are still being worked on and optimized let alone emulation packages.

 

When it does hit though I hope to be able to grab a Pi4 right away and give it a go.

[Jstick]

6 hours ago, Keatah said:

Loved reading each and every post. I agree with most all the sentiments, especially the pro-emulation commentary.

 

It's absolutely thrilling to see emulation becoming more universally accepted among gamers. Even desirable even! And there are so many advantages to emulation. Versatility, reliability, convenience, space-savings, AIO capabilities. And more.

 

Emulation is definitely convenient; not sure I would say the shift towards it is absolutely thrilling though.  More of a sad inevitability, I would say.  

 

Around ‘98 at its genesis emulation was very exciting, being able to play Neo Geo and then CPS-1 and 2 games (and N64 with a voodoo card was awesome).

 

These days having thousands of ROMs from every system ever made is just kind of... tiring.  In the same way that having unlimited music streaming and access to pretty much all commercial music just makes everything feel blah.  I see it most in the younger generation now, they treat games and other media as disposable, very transitory experiences, always moving on to the next thing.

 

I don’t have time left to enjoy all the media available at my fingertips, it’s a dream to think that anyone could.  All I need are a few good experiences that I can sit with and digest slowly; that have some impact; that become “events” in my life rather than just forgettable background noise.

 

There is something to be said for having a small curated library of physical books or games or albums or movies on a shelf.  Things that you love and cherish, that you revisit, that you put the effort into exploring simply because they are the few things that you own, that you picked.  That vinyl album that you bought when you had you had your first girlfriend, the game cart your dad gave you and stayed up to play with you, that favourite book you have read so many times the pages are worn from your fingers.  The artwork, the lyrics sheet, the shape, form, smell and feel of it... older game hardware and electronics have some interesting and beautiful design.

 

Digital media has no history, no tactile quality, no emotion imbued into it.  Just cold bits on a storage device, infinitely copyable and deletable. Amazing from a preservation and access point of view (would have been mind-blowing to my younger self). But in reality, the amount of choice and lack of tangibility are a bit of a curse.  

 

Ultimately, attachment to physical objects may simply be a side-effect of the particular brand of commercialism instilled into us Gen-X folks, but I can’t deny having genuine emotions towards to the relics of my youth.  They will forever be tied to people and places and feelings that marked my life, and I like being able to hold those things in my hand.  My children will know nothing of this, as they will be plugged into a 24/7 stream of endless digital content emanating from uniform featureless devices.

 

In the end the title of this post is actually apt: “RetroPie Killed It For Me”.  For me what emulation killed was the special feeling of getting a new game and the excitement of playing it for weeks or months; when you have access to everything, nothing is special any longer.

 

(Horrible first-world problem, isn’t it?)

Edited September 11, 2019 by Jstick