Copycat Gamecube Prototype

In this Instructable, I will be making a Raspberry Pi game emulator that looks like a Gamecube. Dince this is a prototype, I will be using a cardboard box, later on however, I will most likely make a case from wood. I used a Raspberry Pi 4 starter kit from Canakit for the base of this project, so I had a lot of the materials needed all in one place.

Supplies

- Raspberry Pi 3 or later (I’ll be using a Raspberry Pi 4)
- a cardboard box around 6”x6”x4” in size
- a keyboard and mouse
- a computer
- a micro sd card (at least 8 gb) flashed with RetroPie
- a power supply/power bank
- a usb controller or gamepad
- a computer monitor or tv with an hdmi port
- some extra pieces of cardboard or foam core
- some sort of adhesive (tape, hot glue, super glue)
- a power button
- a mini hdmi to hdmi cable
- scissors
- a micro sd reader
Optional
- a Raspberry Pi case
- ethernet cable
- heat sinks and/or cooling fan
- speakers

Step 1: RetroPie

First: Download Etcher. It's available on Windows and Mac for free. Then head on over to the RetroPie website. Once you're there, go to the downloads tab, then find the RetroPie version for the Raspberry Pi you are using an download it. Insert your SD card and reader, and open up Etcher. Follow the steps to flash RetroPie onto the SD card. Once it's done, you can remove it!

Step 2: Making the Cube

Grab your adhesive, your cardboard scraps, and your box. I'm using duct tape to reinforce my box. Using your Raspberry Pi or case as a guide, size out a 2nd, smaller box you can put around your Raspberry Pi to hold it in place. make sure the smaller box has space for the usb/ ethernet ports on the front and space for the micro hdmi on the side. Affix this box to the inside of the larger box my case fits pretty snug, so I poked a hole in the bottom so you can push it out with a pen or a pencil. Make a hole in the back of the box for the hdmi and poer cable and make a hole in the front for the controllers

Step 3: Putting the Raspberry Pi Together

Insert the Flashed SD Card in your Raspberry Pi. Plug in a controller and your keyboard/mouse. All that is left to do is configure RetroPie and download some games! I couldn’t get pictures of the setup screens because of the glare coming of the TV in my living room, so I will leave a link to the first install guide here: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/

Step 4: Thank You

I hope you enjoyed my Instructable, I will follow up with the wooden case hopefully in a few weeks. If you liked this, please don’t forget to vote for my Instructable in the First Time Authors contest!