Provided that you’re armed with a soldering iron, the Retro Arcade Kit from Haynes allows you to build your own hand-held version of Pong, the iconic table tennis arcade game from the 1970s that has been credited with kick-starting the video game industry.
Outside of a bit of DIY soldering, the $39.99 kit is self-contained and includes a Raspberry-PI-driven microcontroller, a low-tech red LED screen, and two spinning black paddle controllers. The entire setup is housed in a colorful box complete with a coin slot and throw-back Partridge Family Station Wagon-esque wood-grain finish.
Once set up, the game runs off three AA batteries and stands roughly 5” x 8” x 2”, which makes it a perfect tag-along companion for road trips and parties. Players have the option of competing solo against the machine or engaging in two-player combat for Pong supremacy.
In true “maker” tradition, hacks for the Retro Arcade Kit are starting to make their way online, including the ability to turn it into an electronic Etch-a-Sketch that looks mighty interesting.
