Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Locke141 on April 23, 2017, 12:41:53 am
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This is more for all the newish people thinking about getting in the Retro gaming on the R-pi.
I have used pi-play and was a bit of a fan when it first came out. It is very simple to set up and get going. Thats all and good but at this point there are literally hundreds of ways to play retro games on a handheld. Retro pi is much more complicated to setup if you want to get fancy but a simple install gets you every thing pi play can do with the one exception being there sweet browser-based ROM uploader system.
I would say this might be a good project for someone who doesn't care how the front end looks and just want a simple project. But, the piPlay forum is been completely taken over by spam and has been for a while. This does not make the project look promising.
If you want to take a look here it is.
piplay-portable (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1985705009/piplay-portable)
In my humble opinion here are some better projects to look at.
Retro pie (https://retropie.org.uk) More systems, constantly updated, and better Front end.
Retro pie mod by Flood (https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/93/attract-mode-with-retropie-alternative-to-emulationstation) Same as above but with attract mode, a much better front-end. Not for portables.
Pi girl (http://Adafruit game girl) for a fun portable.
and there is always PSP hacking.
If the pi play guys kept there forum clean and up to date, maybe this would be a good option for someone who just wants a simple quick DYI project to play a few classic favorites on the go. But they don't so I wouldn't.
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It works, but it is a pain in the ass to get working. Xbox and coinOPS, and other pain in the ass to get it configured, but worth it when it is working. Pi as a media center? Maybe.
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Pi play is very simple to get up and running but limited in terms of useful customization. Retropie is simple to get running but can be a time drain to get customized to your liking.
There are a few custom Retro pie images with Attract mode out there and a lighter retro arch attract with attract mode, see the attract mode downloads (http://attractmode.org/download.html) for 3 options. Attract mode is very simple to setup, customize, light weight, and good looking.
The point is I would think twice about any pi play kick starter as they don't seem to be super on top of the project any more. If you just wanted there hardware, you could probably use a different virtual gaming distribution.
I'll pass.