Project Leftovers - bartop for my son

[luizw81]

Hello everyone!  I'm starting on my second build today.  This one will be a bartop for my 4 year old son that I hope to complete by Christmas.  I call it Project Leftovers because I plan to use mostly stuff I have leftover from my first arcade build a couple of years ago (but I will be using it as an excuse to pick up some goodies to upgrade my full size cab  ).  I'll be using the Weecade design but I might make a few modification.  Today I will be working on finalizing the Retropie setup and tomorrow I'll be doing most of the cutting.  Hopefully this project will move fast as I have a short deadline and most of the things I need.  My main worry is getting the artwork printed up in time.  Please feel free to add comments or questions to help me with my build.  I love reading all your suggestions to other posters.

My supplies list is:

Leftovers
1) 3/4" and 1/2" MDF.  I'll probably use 3/4 for the sides and 1/2 for everything else
2) Red and black Happ push buttons.  I was gonna use these on the full size cab but my wife persuaded me to upgrade to LED's.
3) Red T-molding
4) Raspberry PI 3.  I know, I know.  But before anyone starts in on me for using a Raspberry Pi, I originally bought this to use as a Plex media center but I had
    trans-coding issues on some of my devices and I couldn't get the external hard drive to spin down so I scrapped those plans.
5) A spare 64gb micro SD.  Being 4, my son only likes to play ~10 different games out the thousands I have so I've got a list of ~75 MAME/NES/SNES/Genesis
    games I've put in Retropie.  I still need to add the artwork and snaps as well as add a theme (probably the comic book 4:3)
6) Leftover white LED light strips for the marquee
7) Old 19" 4:3 computer monitor
surge protector

I had to buy the USB zero delay encoders as well as the joysticks (grabbed two Happ competition's from GGG). I bought a power socket and computer cables so he can cut the bartop on without having to open it up.  I also bout some cheap USB PC speakers but I've been reading that the PI can't power them.  Anyone tried to use these?  If not I guess I need to grab a powered USB hub also.

Below is the artwork I've been working on.  He's big into superheroes...like most boys.  I've not sure how the background will look with the red T-molding and buttons thought.  Thoughts?

[DeLuSioNal29]

 

It's awesome that you're building this for your son.  I think the Red T-molding and buttons will look great.  Love the artwork too!

You may want to re-consider a Pi3 however.  Being that he's so young, kids tend to mash buttons impatiently while stuff loads.  With a Pi3 (assuming that you will be running RetroPie) when you press a button to load a game in the list another screen comes up saying to press a key to config.  Typically you don't press anything while it loads, but if you're a 4 year old, you might and then it will bring you into the config screen on the Pi3 which is tough to get out of if you don't know what you're doing, especially with a joystick.  Just my 2 cents.

Great start though!  Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you do with the build.

DeL

[luizw81]

It's awesome that you're building this for your son.  I think the Red T-molding and buttons will look great.  Love the artwork too!

You may want to re-consider a Pi3 however.  Being that he's so young, kids tend to mash buttons impatiently while stuff loads.  With a Pi3 (assuming that you will be running RetroPie) when you press a button to load a game in the list another screen comes up saying to press a key to config.  Typically you don't press anything while it loads, but if you're a 4 year old, you might and then it will bring you into the config screen on the Pi3 which is tough to get out of if you don't know what you're doing, especially with a joystick.  Just my 2 cents.

Great start though!  Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you do with the build.

DeL

I realized this as I was playing around with Retropie today.  In my opinion that's a flaw with Retropie....no idea why anyone would want to go to the configuration screen when loading a game.  Worst case I can build my brother a fight stick with the Pi.

I'm going to try to pick up an old pc, gut it, and cram it in the cab.  Anybody know if this is possible with the Weecade design?  I really wanted to stay on the smaller side for the cab.

I never got around to cutting today but I hope to do it tomorrow after I help my father-in-law put shingles on a 10x10 shed.

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[rablack97]

It's awesome that you're building this for your son.  I think the Red T-molding and buttons will look great.  Love the artwork too!

You may want to re-consider a Pi3 however.  Being that he's so young, kids tend to mash buttons impatiently while stuff loads.  With a Pi3 (assuming that you will be running RetroPie) when you press a button to load a game in the list another screen comes up saying to press a key to config.  Typically you don't press anything while it loads, but if you're a 4 year old, you might and then it will bring you into the config screen on the Pi3 which is tough to get out of if you don't know what you're doing, especially with a joystick.  Just my 2 cents.

Great start though!  Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you do with the build.

DeL

you can get rid of that screen in the settings.

rpi3 is very cab friendly.

quiet boot right into retropi, 2 player, if you dont have a crap load of buttons you dont even need an external encoder for your controls.

[luizw81]

It's awesome that you're building this for your son.  I think the Red T-molding and buttons will look great.  Love the artwork too!

You may want to re-consider a Pi3 however.  Being that he's so young, kids tend to mash buttons impatiently while stuff loads.  With a Pi3 (assuming that you will be running RetroPie) when you press a button to load a game in the list another screen comes up saying to press a key to config.  Typically you don't press anything while it loads, but if you're a 4 year old, you might and then it will bring you into the config screen on the Pi3 which is tough to get out of if you don't know what you're doing, especially with a joystick.  Just my 2 cents.

Great start though!  Good luck and looking forward to seeing what you do with the build.

DeL

you can get rid of that screen in the settings.

rpi3 is very cab friendly.

quiet boot right into retropi, 2 player, if you dont have a crap load of buttons you dont even need an external encoder for your controls.

I was just about to reply that I found that you can remove it.  If anyone else is curious...

https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup/wiki/runcommand

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[barrymossel]

There will be a kids/kiosk mode as well. Currently being tested I believe: https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/12602/kids-kiosk-mode-coming-back-testers-needed/

[luizw81]

Sadly, this project has been sidelined by "more important" honey-do's (clearing out brush from about an acre of our property).  I plan to pick it back up and finish it before his next birthday in August.