GRS Build-A-CADE | 1:6 Scale Arcade Cabinet kit for use with Raspberry Pi

I am extremely impressed with the quality of this kit. It already includes everything you need to build your own mini arcade. It has a detailed instruction manual and there are no additional materials or tools required, which makes the building process even more convenient.As someone who has always been a fan of classic arcade games, I was very excited to get my hands on this kit and start building. The process was straightforward, and the instructions were easy to follow. No soldering or glue is required. The plastic casing snaps into place nicely.The end result was a fully functioning mini arcade that looked and felt like a classic arcade machine. The controls were smooth and responsive, and the LCD screen was crisp and clear. The kit even includes sticker templates to customize the exterior of the arcade. I only wish that there were more design options or even the ability to create custom layouts by downloading the templates online.One thing that I really appreciate about the Build-a-Cade kit is that it is compatible with the Raspberry Pi 3 or 4. The Pi is really built for this type of kit. It has even a built-in rechargeable battery to power the board, and light up top panel. Didn't expect this for such a cheap price.Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase of the Build-a-Cade kit. It was a fun and rewarding project to work on, and the finished product is something that I will enjoy for years to come. I highly recommend this kit to anyone who is a fan of retro arcade games or just enjoys building and creating. There's really nothing quite like it in the market.

What a great pi kit. Was a lot of fun to put together. Everything works great. Added custom artwork and it looks and functions like something that I would’ve bought officially. Great product.

Overall kit was great to put together and allows for customization as you please with multiple control options (do wish it had a way to quick connect diff ones). Works great and fun project

As a GenX'er who was born the same year Pong was invented I've played all the games and have been involved with emulation for decades now too. I also collect many of the replicade arcade replicas so I didn't think the build-a-cade was anything I needed... but then I saw that you can add skins to it and that has opened up a whole new world for me. I just put together my first one using a brand new pi 3+ that I bought specifically for this build and wow is it high quality! I am so impressed with how well thought-out everything is and how well packaged every piece is too. I left all the stickers off mine so I can dress it up like donkey kong once those parts arrive (from a separate company). Now that I have loaded mine up with games and saw how great the quality is I am super stoked about having this not only to display on a shelf but to actually play regularly. So glad I got this!

This is one of the most unique Pi kits you're going to find. Not just unique, but surprisingly well designed and manufactured. I have a minor hobby of collecting miniaturized arcade games, and this has become the centerpiece of that collection.While nothing this small is going to play as well as a normal-sized cabinet, or something with controls that are designed as a handheld, the joystick and especially the buttons feel great to use. The lil' joystick isn't quite 100% "arcade true" but is probably the best stick I've tried on a mini. The fact that it is actually metal is ::chef's kiss::.Overall, it is easy to put together except for one important step where you need to basically rest the entire framework on one side and try to line everything up as you clip on the other side and there are no screws or clips or much of anything holding everything in place. You will scream during that step, lol.One VERY IMPORTANT thing to keep in mind about this unit: It is obviously designed from the standpoint of replicating an EARLY 80s arcade cabinet as closely as possible. It is not necessarily ergonomic to use for that reason unless you are doll-sized. Also, this means that any game that is not made for a vertical screen is going to be either boxed or squished. This is not a negative, just know what you are getting. Odds are you aren't getting this as your Retropie daily driver for multiple platforms/consoles, however.What I liked:* Quality of parts, quality of instructions* Gorgeous, bright, sharp little screen* Controls that actually feel satisfying to use* Mostly easy build* Optional, additional control kits* Ability to customize the decals* Brightly-lit marquee* Fair sound quality and nicely-hidden headphone port and very nice volume knob* Small details such as pressable coin buttons that can make coin sounds (also nice that you can turn this off if you don't enjoy it like I do)* Cute afWhat I didn't like:* The option to buy additional controls is nice, but the unit is not designed to make swapping them out an easy process.* The included control deck is high quality, however it only has 1 action button. This means that even very simple games that have two actions such as jumping and shooting will require you to remap the two-player start button as an additional action button. I also remap to some of the other buttons on the unit and if you use this to play a wide variety of games you should also plan on lots of creative remapping. This makes the control deck with more buttons a straight upgrade.* Could be heavier in the base. Since the Pi is nested behind the screen it is top-heavy. The battery is at the bottom but not really heavy enough. It's not wobbly at all, but I would like a little additional weight there.* Battery life is just okay.The bottom line is that if the concept is highly appealing to you, the execution here is nearly flawless and you actually do get an amazing amount of stuff for the price. I was really surprised by how nice the screen was for this price.Wishlist stuff:I hope GRS is able to iterate on this design in the future and/or release a version that compliments late 80s/early 90s style cabinets well. Finding a way to hot-swap control decks would be the icing on the cake so it wouldn't have to be a whole production just to play Arkanoid how it's supposed to be played for a little while before switching back to play some Pacman. Would also love horizontal cabinet and 6 button deck to make my own tiny Vs. fighter cabinet.

I’d really like to congratulate the makers of this product. It is very wellMade and the instructions are some of the best I’ve ever used. Every step is explained in detail with pictures and notes. Read carefully and you can’t go wrong. 10/10 for product and support. I’ve built many Rasp Pi boxes and this is the best by far. It just works! The designer should work for a huge design firm, really blew me away how well this is made and presented. Just get it, you will be happy you did! (Also can get skins for it online if you want a different look). Love it!!

Fun to build. The parts fit together easily creating a wonderful little arcade. Using it to play games just works. The tiny controls function amazingly well. Third party support is growing as there are a couple of sites offering alternative art.