My Raspberry Pi Intellivision Retro Gaming Console

Stuff in this video:
Intellivision
www.ebay.com/sc...
Intellivision Flashback
www.amazon.com/...
Raspberry Pi 2 Model B:
www.raspberrypi...
RetroPie Retro Gaming OS build:
blog.petrockblo...
Custom hand-made retro gaming console dust covers:
www.ebay.com/us...
Mausberry shutdown circuit for Raspberry Pi:
mausberry-circ...
Panel mount extension cables:
www.adafruit.c...
5VDC, 5A switching power supply
www.alliedelec...
Ultimate PC Interface for Intellivision
www.intellivisi...
Xbox 360 Wireless Windows Receiver
www.amazon.com/...

[@pacmanwa]

Eight years later, still glorious!

[@ken3995]

Thank you! You're too kind. It's still going strong, I played some NES just a couple days ago.

[@RandallStevenson]

I'd like to thumbs up this twice, one for it being such a cool project, 2 for going the extra mile and not making it look ghetto like so many other "raspberry pi in a console" videos on youtube

[@vancelubben5300]

I have an Intellivision mini with the 60 games built in. Can someone help me upgrade it? I'm missing several games I grew up playing in this system

[@TheBoyMechanic]

That's pretty impressive. I've been working on something similar for a couple years off and on - but your designs solves a half dozen problems I've had. Thanks!

[@zudemaster]

That looks so clean and professional, if you told me that you bought that at some department store i would have believed it.

[@karlfitzharris5645]

one of the cleanest I've seen it looks fantastic great job

[@michaeldemers2716]

I think you need to go back to the mini with the newest chip. Get a Pi 400 too because Keyboard PC'S are back!!!!

[@michaeldemers2716]

If you still have this you should check out the Demo for Go Sub. Great game.

[@ken3995]

I do! It still has a prominent placement on my TV shelf. I'll have to check out that demo.

[@michaeldemers2716]

@@ken3995 It's to bad they took my last post away. It was perfectly legal. Oh well. Good luck finding it. Homebrew is where to look. It is out there.

[@NaeMuckle]

Really nice work. I've got a faulty Atari 2600 in bits intending on doing something similar. I didn't even think of setting it up to take the original controllers. I was just going to go the usb only route but after seeing this I'll try both.

[@ken3995]

Idris McMillan Hey thanks! The Ultimate PC Interface works for A2600 controllers as well, though there may be cheaper options. I do recommend he UPCI though, it's been a solid purchase.

[@scottdaniels566]

Very nice Job Ken. I got a dead Intellivision the other day for cheap. Pulled the controllers, and all buttons and discs test fine, so was worth the price. Will be doing the same thing to it as you did. Thanks for the great video.

[@ken3995]

Scott Meredith I'm glad the video has been helpful and/or inspirational for others :) Good luck with your project and let me know how it goes!

[@paramediccpo]

Amazing want one

[@joesmoe71]

NICE work! I might do this to a Colecovision

[@okamijubei]

Can't believe something small and simplistic is more advance than it's original counterpart.

[@ken3995]

Well it may help to remember that Intellivision first appeared in retail in 1979, 37 years ago! :) 37 years is a looooong time in the tech world.

[@okamijubei]

Ken Nicoletti I know, just can't believe and somewhat ironic that something more advance has less components and use less energy while the old tech has more components and uses more energy.

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

Very cool what you did...it is a ton of work, but I still feel sad that you had to castrate the Intellivision.

[@ken3995]

Over 3 million original Intellivisions were made... (that's not even counting INTV II or units sold by Sears labelled Super Video Arcade). I think a few people hacking up original units to give them new life isn't like destroying an original Picasso...

[@thebigt42]

That was a great job. I love it. I might try something similar. Gotta get those controllers!

[@gillo79]

Great modifications. Although, that flashback is plenty big enough to fit a raspberry pi, fans and all adapters. I use the Genesis hub and it is 1/3 the size. Still, I love your work on the intellivision. Really good measuring and locations for your ports. Props!

[@DiyintheGhetto]

A Nice touch would to be make that Xbox controller into the controller and make it wireless.

[@dlord1953]

Awesome. Love it

[@tuckietube]

This looks fantastic! Any additional details on how you wired the 360 receiver to your reset button? I'm going to give this a try and so far that's the only part that looks intimidating to my novice brain. Also, is there something in your setup that requires the power converter? Would everything still function if you it from say an in-wall USB cable, or does it need more juice?

[@kevinbarton9052]

That is also a great one, lad. If this is great for all Intellivision games, then you can add all the Atari 2600 and Colecovision games as a new suggestion so most Intellivision fans just as if I am can play all Atari 2600 and Colecovision games on that Intellivision Raspberry Pi gaming console both original and Intellivision Flashback.

[@ken3995]

It does! I was trying to show the physical setup, but check out RetroPie - that's the software. It lets you play all the classic systems.

[@metal_horses568]

Well done Ken. I made the RetroPi Intellivision, but would like to put it in a case. Would you be willing to provide a how-to and list of parts? Or at least the xBox adapter/mausberry circuit? Thanks, and again, nice job.

[@ken3995]

Dave Krall Thanks! I listed all the parts with links in the notes of the video, click "show more" right above this :) It's probably too late to make a how-to, I didn't document the process as I did it. But it's not too bad, feel free to ask any specific questions if you get stuck and I'll be happy to answer.

[@aaronfornwald9364]

Hey Ken, this looks great. How do you map your controls with retropie

[@Zxarr]

I still have my original Intellivision. I haven't taken it out of the original box in a long time. How much will you charge me to build me one of these things? ;) Excellent work! Any idea how to make the controllers wireless?

[@ken3995]

Thanks :) Sorry, I'm not a business, I just did this for myself.

[@richardvenezia9844]

Will you make them for other people I think it’s cool

[@entrancendental]

Oh man! This is outstanding! I am going to be doing the same exact thing with a SNES system! I have the software completely set up, and am just looking for a "broken" SNES so I can harvest it's case guilt-free. The only difference is that I am actually going to solder the SD adapter through the SNES' pin-adapter, so I can mount different SD card builds into cartridges, and then change them out. This way I can have an emulation station cartridge, and a media center cartridge. The only question I have is this: how were you able to get both your intellivision controller *and* your Xbox controller to act as Player 1 simultaneously? I am going to be doing this with SNES controllers via the GPIO pins. Do you launch the xbox adapter as a daemon, mount them as js3 and js4, and then remap every button press to a js0 and js1 event via command line arguments, or are you able to remap your controllers as keyboard presses for player 1. The problem I find is that the emulator cores only seem to be able to map 1 joystick button/event to each input. Do you have any advice?

[@ken3995]

Hey thanks! The SD card in a cartridge is a great idea, I like it :) I thought of doing something similar but I decided in the end to keep it cartridge free so I could slap the dust cover on when I'm not using it. In Linux (Raspbian), the Ultimate PC Interface for Intellivision (which is a USB HID device) is js0 and js1. The X-Adapter is js2 (and on up if you sync multiple controllers). The way I have it configured currently, EmulationStation will accept input from js0 or js2. The jzintv emulator only accepts input from js0 and js1, all the other emulators only accept input from js2+. Yes, I am using xboxdrv, running as a daemon. I've given some thought to how to get around multiple controllers for the same emulator.... My plan was edit EmulationStation's es_systems.cfg and have multiple entries for each emulator. For example, a "NES with XBox controller" and a "NES with original controller". ES itself isn't a problem, you can define as many controllers as you like. Hope that helps and thanks for watching :)

[@cheapsuit4385]

Hey can you mod my intellivision for a fee?

[@davidkasch4504]

is there a program to install for mapping the controller or how do you do that on retropi

[@Jamrom23]

Hi Ken. This is a real nice unit. I'm looking to do the same to a Sears unit, minus the XBox controller. Question on the reset button, where did you get the little button and breadboard? And how did you mount them? Thanks.

[@ken3995]

+Jamrom23 I have a great electronics store near me and I like to support them. But any electronics store (physical or online) will have little prototyping boards and standoffs. www.digikey.com/product-search/en/hardware-fasteners-accessories/board-spacers-standoffs/2098158?WT.srch=1

[@Jamrom23]

+Ken Nicoletti - Ken, I hav just about everything I need to build this. Do you think we can chat via email on a few small aspects, mainly connectors, and wiring? My email is jamrom2 yahoo com. Thanks! -James

[@fastcarippolito68]

If I send you my old Intellivision console could you do the same it without xbox controller i have a ps4 what would it cost me? You did a great job cool ok thanks

[@ken3995]

No, sorry. This is not a business, I just did this for personal use.

[@jorgegilbertocamachovega8643]

i love your work! how you do that?

[@stevethoms3583]

how is the switch wired? I found your video when I decided to put some use to a beat up model 3 I've had. I'm a bit new to wiring so I wasn't sure how to go from 6 wires to 2 wires.

[@ken3995]

I hooked up my multimeter (set to continuity / resister) and checked the 6 posts until i found the two that were open/shorted when the switch was on/off :)

[@stivo138]

I don't have one currently. No pun intended. I was hoping you could give me a "just replace the blue wires" answer. Lol. All good though. Thanks! Hope mine ends up as nice looking. Going a bit ambitious and planning on a screen and speaker in one controller as an external monitor for really no other reason than why not. If its even possible to easily switch between displays. Not sure what I'm doing with the other controller yet. Was thinking a remote for kodi.

[@nycg1018]

im having difficulties getting my pi 3 intellivision to play the games i think i may have a bios issue, also how did u program the controllers from what i understand there will be no controller support unless you manually program them.

[@ken3995]

I use the "Ultimate PC Interface for Intellivision" to connect the original Intellivision controllers to the Pi. www.intellivision.us/intvgames/interface/interface.php

[@toddholcomb1]

Awesome job Ken! How did you get the HDMI and USB ports to looks so good? I did a similar Intellivision-only project, but ran HDMI and USB extension cables out the back: atariage.com/forums/topic/237243-dead-intellivision-revive-it-with-a-pi/

[@ken3995]

Todd Holcomb Thanks! You can use a Dremel to take out the bulk of the material, but if you want nice looking holes you need to finish by hand :) I suggest something like this file set www.lowes.com/pd_60199-86580-SF17_0__?productId=3243140