How to Build the Ultimate Mortal Kombat II Desktop Arcade Cabinet

Once upon a time, you had to go to an actual arcade to play decent video games. These days arcades are mostly full of beat up old cabinets…

Cameron Coward
5 years agoGaming

Once upon a time, you had to go to an actual arcade to play decent video games. These days arcades are mostly full of beat up old cabinets, and the good games are all released on consoles. But that doesn’t mean the nostalgia for classic arcade cabinets isn’t still strong. If you want to be able to relive your glory days in the arcade, but don’t have the room for a full-size arcade cabinet, PleaseNoFisticuffs has a tutorial that will walk you through how to build a mini Mortal Kombat II desktop arcade cabinet.

This mini arcade cabinet is built with a Raspberry Pi running the RetroPie operating system, so it can actually be used to emulate all kinds of arcade games, as well as many other classic console and PC games. PleaseNoFisticuffs gave the cabinet Mortal Kombat II graphics and controls that are optimized for the game, but you can follow the same basic build process to pay homage to whatever game you like. The total cost to build this arcade cabinet should be around £180 (about $225), but the components are all top-quality.

The most difficult part of the project is cutting the wood parts, which you’ll have to do by hand unless you have access to a CNC router. Then you can follow the steps to glue the pieces together and wrap the graphics. The electronics inside include a full-size Raspberry Pi, a mini USB speaker, a 7" TFT display, and a high-quality arcade joystick and buttons. After assembling the cabinet, getting it working is as simple as installing RetroPie and mapping the buttons. If you want to take it a step further, PleaseNoFisticuffs provides instructions on how you can setup a custom splash screen to really sell the classic arcade feel.

Cameron Coward
Writer for Hackster News. Proud husband and dog dad. Maker and serial hobbyist.
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