Scholars entering the GS lounge in Peele may notice a standout feature: a custom-built arcade machine created by Matthew Morris, a dual-enrolled student in electrical and computer engineering. Matthew’s project blends his enthusiasm for technology with a desire to share an interactive experience with other students.

The idea started when Matthew hit a roadblock on another project. “At the time, I was working on my enrichment grant with Goodnight, where I was designing and building my own computer,” he said. “I got stuck on one problem I couldn’t figure out, so I started this project as a way to take a break.”

Inside the cabinet is a small computer loaded with Batocera, an operating system that emulates games from older consoles. “It has a single-board computer that runs an operating system specifically for emulating games from older consoles. I used a Raspberry Pi, though you could use any kind of computer, and I loaded it with a system called Batocera,” Matthew said. “Any gaming console up through PlayStation 2 has emulation support.”

The most difficult part, he said, wasn’t the electronics; it was the woodwork. “The hardest part was cutting the wood at the right angles, like 100 degrees, using a table saw. That took several tries. The circuitry was easy by comparison; it only took me about two days.”

He built the frame from three-quarter inch birch plywood, added a sound system with a preamplifier for bass, treble, and gain, and installed two speakers at the top marquee. “I also added LED lights in the marquee that can be programmed to flash any color on the RGB spectrum,” he noted.

When he brought the finished arcade machine to campus, it quickly became a hit. “For most of my projects, I ask other Goodnights if they want to use them. With this one, lots of people wanted to play it, so I brought it in for a couple of weeks before finals. People really enjoyed it, so I brought it back this semester.”

The next time you stop by the GS lounge, you’ll know the story behind the arcade machine and the student who built it.