No matter how cool today’s games are, there’s always going to be someone crying over some games from the ’80s. Fortunately, today’s technology can be used for bringing back such games as Donkey Kong and Ms. Pacman in a unique form.
We’re quickly moving to 4K monitors and extremely fast video cards, and yet some people still sigh over some games that were created three decades ago. There’s no denying that the games from that era, despite appearing very pixelated by today’s standards, had something magic about that could keep kids and grown-ups in equal measure in front of their TV or computer. Cupcade is a Raspberry Pi-powered mini arcade that is capable of running a couple of games from back then, including Ms. Pacman and Donkey Kong.
Adafruit created a mini arcade that’s a bit larger than a keychain. In shape, it really resembles an arcade cabinet, but it actually is a miniature of that. Probably the best part about the Cupcade is that it’s a DIY kit, so whoever is buying it will have the joy of assembling it themselves.
Some games are meant to be played on a horizontal screen, while others look better on a vertical screen. Moreover, the joystick can either be placed in the middle or to the side. Fortunately, either one of these configurations can be made solely with the parts included in the kit.
Besides a Raspberry Pi, the Cupcade also packs a PiTFT 2.8? display, mini thumbstick, and mini arcade push buttons. All these miniature details make it the most adorable arcade cabinet in the world. The Cupcade also features a text-based MAME ROM selector screen capable of working in either H or V mode.
Shutting down the Raspberry Pi does not require a keyboard, in this case. Instead, users have to push the two front buttons for three seconds. Arcade gaming without the bleeps makes absolutely no sense, so the manufacturer included a mono speaker and audio amp. People need to keep in mind that the DIY kit for the Cupcade doesn’t include a Raspberry Pi Model B, so the users will have to spend some additional money on that. Even so, the concept is very appealing, especially to the ones who are still dreaming about games from three decades ago.
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