“I have built this Mini Cardboard Arcade using a B&W small CRT (Cathodic Ray Tube) recovered from an old video intercom.
It is based on an Arduino Nano emulating the classical Space Invaders.
The switch on the rear turns ON the Arduino and starts the game. Alternatively, one can use the two Audio/Video sockets on the back to connect another source.
The reason to use this old, miniaturized CRT, is to give a proper vintage look to this small replica of one of the very first arcade games. Quoting Wikipedia “Space Invaders is considered one of the most influential video games of all time”.
I plan to test and add more games in the future.
Supplies:
The majority of the components I used for this project, come from recovered material. The only new parts are an Arduino Nano and few resistors. For this reason, if you want to reproduce it, you may not be able to get the exact components of the following list. Just take it as a reference.
- a small CRT recovered from an old video intercom, model Umet Domus Scout 1204/D001D
- an Arduino Nano
- resistors: 1 x 1 kOhm, 1 x 470 Ohm, 1 x 100 Ohm
- a piezo speaker
- 2 x A/V socket (RCA)
- 5 x game buttons
- PS (for my CRT I need 19V DC, coming from an old laptop PS) with its socket.
- A little switch.
- connecting wires
- hard cardboard or Masonite (about 4 mm thick) to build the arcade cabinet
- cutting tools, hot glue, tin and iron soldering”