RetroBox - the game preservation machine

[doogie]

For a reeeeeeally long time, I've wanted to have a machine that plays all the old console systems on a modern TV, with some fancy features like save states, resolution scaling and filters, but perhaps most importantly - with ability to connect the real controllers, and drive the UI with them. Getting out a keyboard? FAIL.

The NES Classic being released this year sort of caused a re-invigoration of this dream (especially since it's impossible to get one!) and with a look over the state of affairs with regards to 10-foot launchers and emulation - it looked like high time to dive in and finally get this done.

For a machine like this, you need pretty crazy single thread performance, so you're not going to see an X99, octacore i7 here. Instead, we're going with a 3.9GHz Core i3, which thankfully only has a 51W TDP - cool and quiet. This allows the box to reach the kind of IPC it needs for cycle accuracy on many systems, and for the emulators that will take advantage of two cores (PCSX2, Dolphin) we'll have the horsepower to drive those as well.

Now, it seems pretty pointless to do all of this and not put it in a console-size form factor. The machine is purpose built and, to me, shouldn't look like a PC. To that end, I'm looking towards the NFC S4 Mini, so long as I can get one. And while I like the orange color scheme some others have gone with..I think paying homage to the Super Nintendo gray exterior would be just killer for this project.

Anyway, on to the hardware:

Intel Core i3-6320
Asus Z170I
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB
EVGA 1050 Ti SC
Zalman CNPS2X
Crucial MX300 525GB
Seagate BarraCuda 2TB

Some fun size comparisons

Here's the software that turns this PC into a lean, mean, Retro Gaming machine:
Windows 10
Launcher4Kodi
Controller Companion
Kodi
Launchbox

Launchbox is just gorgeous in my opinion. There's plenty of videos that show off just how polished this thing looks, but here's an example. I went to some length with HyperSpin a year or so ago, and just couldn't get the level of detail that this thing does. Being able to flip through the manuals, box art, original marketing assets and so on for games is just icing on the cake - a real professional looking appliance.

Once I get a chassis nailed down for this thing - we'll get to building!

 

[doogie]

Controller Interface

On Kickstarter I stumbled across what looked to be a completely genius device - the Bliss-Box. While there have been plenty of devices on the market that convert USB to old school controller ports (and controllers with USB or Bluetooth interfaces built in as well), there were always some limitations - certain controllers (like the NES Advantage, for example) just don't work, or some accessory that plugged into the original controller (e.g. N64 Rumble Pak) would not be passed through. This changes all of that - and to boot, you've got 4 ports. The device uses an interesting physical interface - it converts what looks like an HDMI port to the controller port you're interested in:

The controller for "player 1" drives the interface, or alternatively you can plug in an Xbox 360 or Xbox One controller (or use the wireless dongle for either one) and have lots of interesting functionality, including an on-screen keyboard and if times get desperate, one of the analog sticks will act as a mouse.

 

[3lfk1ng]

Awesome! I will definitely be following this build closely.

My "Mancade" uses a fully fleshed-out Hyperspin interface but I haven't updated it in a little over a year. I'll definitely have to check out Launchbox. I've got about 3TB worth of games and it handles it well... it's just a daunting task to setup.

I've not had the opportunity to play with Controller Companion yet, I will also have to check that out. Mine uses Xpadder, I like it because it can be set to detect the launch of an .EXE and automatically change the control scheme. This way, when an emulator launches, it can automatically switch to the correct button map for that system/arcade.

Also, if you need any assistance or want to follow the latest in emulation, the YouTube Channel "SimplyAustin" is perfect for folks that are huge fans of old-school emulation.

 

[doogie]

 

[Phuncz]

Awesome project, I will follow this one with much anticipation !

 

[ricochet]

An outstanding and unique SFF mod for sure! Looking forward to seeing many pics as you build this!

 

[Josh | NFC]

Dude a S4 MINI with a nintendo grey paintjob panels, and NES purple interior...

SO GOOD

I'd go with a silver edition mini though, I think the front bezel would be the perfect mashup for modern but a throwback.

 

[doogie]

Josh, you're picking up exactly what I was after - modern throwback. EPIC. Let's do this!!!!

 

[Josh | NFC]

These are the colors I would use:

Teflon wrinkle with an approximate SNES gray mix:

This is the purple I would use:



Now the question becomes what to do with the front Bezel. Black certainly doesn't look right, but the silver might be too much. I think the purple bezel is too much purple but it might look much better in person. Doing the front in the textured gray looks good, but then you kinda miss out on the whole made from a bar of aircraft aluminum look.

What do you think?

 

[doogie]

Slight detour | Bonus Build | RetroBox Mini++

While I'm doing some bench testing, here's a little recipe if you're bummed out about not being able to get an NES Classic - you'll get a whole lot more out of this little system, and it's a fun project to put together.

Here's one way of doing it quick and relatively pain free:
CanaKit 32GB RPi3 Starter Kit
8Bitdo SNES30 Wireless Gamepad - these things feel pretty darned close to the real McCoy. They're Bluetooth as well and natively supported in Retroarch, so configuration is very straightforward.
(this stuff is also available on Amazon, if you prefer)

Anyhow - that stuff, zero tools, and about 30 minutes of your time, and you're up and running. RetroPie is your all-in-one ready rolled solution for OS and software here - boots fast and has a friendly UI with built-in controller hotkeys and the whole nine.

 

[doogie]

I think this might be the right mix, Josh - SNES gray top and bottom, SNES purple interior, then bring in the modern angle with the aluminum bezel. I think the colors are close but do let me know if you want me to send a controller your way, or go compare vs a catalog.

I'll install a purple ring, mod/smart bulgin and I think we're makin' bacon here. I'd be super interested to hear what other folks think, too!

 

[3lfk1ng]

NFC S4 SNES version. I like it!

 

[Phuncz]

I'll install a purple ring, mod/smart bulgin and I think we're makin' bacon here. I'd be super interested to hear what other folks think, too!

If you find a purple LED bulgin switch that's momentary and not latching, I'd be glad to hear it because I couldn't find one anywhere.

 

[3lfk1ng]

@Phuncz

Like these ones?

 

[doogie]

This is what I'm thinking, yep!

 

[TheHig]

@doogie

Bravo sir. Bravo. I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

 

[Phuncz]

@Phuncz

Like these ones?

Thanks for the find, although $30 shipping for a $12 button is the kind of money I'd rather invest in iFreilicht's button project, as the red or blue button I have now costed me $3.

 

[doogie]

Chassis Update

I'm super excited that @Josh | NFC and I agree on how cool a project this is, and he's been gracious enough to take it on. I would slap the Subscribe button on Josh's YouTube channel as well as keep your eyes on this thread. No specific timeline as I am not in a hurry and I imagine Josh would like to get the next round of S4 MINI's out the door. Anyhow, I'm floored and I am sure this thing is going to just look stunning (plus - everybody does NES color schemes anyway - let's do something a little different! )

Software

In the meantime, I'll share the software setup in detail here while I do some testing on the bench. There's a lot of FUD around "input lag" for example and it can certainly make or break a project like this if you're not paying attention to it. We'll try to separate what really works versus what's just hacky or a waste of time - now, keep in mind that you are not going to get to 0ms on modern hardware, so if you are a competitive Street Fighter II player you are much better served by a CRT and real console. But, for the rest of us, we're going to get I think to where you won't be able to tell the difference.

And, finally - what this game preservation stuff is about

Love or hate Kotaku, this was actually a timely and well written article that spells out a big part of what this project is about. I'm not the sort that wants to collect mountains of old physical media and hoard all of it..there are real pieces of history here that should be kept alive, and we do owe a bit of gratitude towards those that put their time and effort into dumping and cataloging old media, as well as those that are working towards 100% accuracy in emulation.

Philosophical discussion aside, I've got some more hardware showing up tomorrow, and we'll put this thing on the bench and fire it up!

 

[Soul_Est]

Chassis Update

I'm super excited that @Josh | NFC and I agree on how cool a project this is, and he's been gracious enough to take it on. I would slap the Subscribe button on Josh's YouTube channel as well as keep your eyes on this thread. No specific timeline as I am not in a hurry and I imagine Josh would like to get the next round of S4 MINI's out the door. Anyhow, I'm floored and I am sure this thing is going to just look stunning (plus - everybody does NES color schemes anyway - let's do something a little different! )

Software

In the meantime, I'll share the software setup in detail here while I do some testing on the bench. There's a lot of FUD around "input lag" for example and it can certainly make or break a project like this if you're not paying attention to it. We'll try to separate what really works versus what's just hacky or a waste of time - now, keep in mind that you are not going to get to 0ms on modern hardware, so if you are a competitive Street Fighter II player you are much better served by a CRT and real console. But, for the rest of us, we're going to get I think to where you won't be able to tell the difference.

And, finally - what this game preservation stuff is about

Love or hate Kotaku, this was actually a timely and well written article that spells out a big part of what this project is about. I'm not the sort that wants to collect mountains of old physical media and hoard all of it..there are real pieces of history here that should be kept alive, and we do owe a bit of gratitude towards those that put their time and effort into dumping and cataloging old media, as well as those that are working towards 100% accuracy in emulation.

Philosophical discussion aside, I've got some more hardware showing up tomorrow, and we'll put this thing on the bench and fire it up!

This is quite interesting. It is something that I have struggled with given that my current machine handles four roles: Media playback, office work (web browsing and document editing), 3D modelling and CAD, and very light gaming (including emulation up to the fifth generation).

 

[iFreilicht]

Thanks for the find, although $30 shipping for a $12 button is the kind of money I'd rather invest in iFreilicht's button project, as the red or blue button I have now costed me $3.

Thanks! Fortunately DHL has quite cheap international shipping for small packets, something like 12€ maximum.

Software

In the meantime, I'll share the software setup in detail here while I do some testing on the bench. There's a lot of FUD around "input lag" for example and it can certainly make or break a project like this if you're not paying attention to it. We'll try to separate what really works versus what's just hacky or a waste of time - now, keep in mind that you are not going to get to 0ms on modern hardware, so if you are a competitive Street Fighter II player you are much better served by a CRT and real console. But, for the rest of us, we're going to get I think to where you won't be able to tell the difference.

Oh yes, I'd be super interested in an extensive analysis of that. A lot of my friends are talking about all sorts of components causing input lag (and how they missed a shot because of it ), and I'd like to know what actually contributes to that and what doesn't.