(Part 2) Top products from r/retrogaming

Definitely use the Svideo, if you don't want to go the SCART to Component route. I used Svideo cables coming out of the SNES/N64 and they go into a switch that handles svideo and composite RCA(Red, White, Yellow) Cables. Then the switch outputs everything over one svideo cable into the svideo port and the sound I run into the red/white. [Switcher similar to mine] (http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-28750-Composite-Selector/dp/B0032ANC8M)


Best N64/SNES Svideo cable is this one but there are cheaper ones out there too but your mileage will vary. Those cables can be found on ebay usually for more the $50 range. So Run your NES over the composite RCA into the switch, your SNES/N64 into the switch via svideo, and then use just the svideo out on your switch and the red/white audio out because svideo only carries video not audio.


If you really want to get into RGB/SCART/COMPONENT Setups, I'd look at the other posts and also here If you want to do that, you'll need SCART cables for your SNES and 64, then need to run them into a box like [this] (http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SCART-RGB-to-YUV-Component-Video-Converter-Scaler-/221156873851) And you'll need to split out audio like [this] (http://forums.shoryuken.com/discussion/157395/adding-audio-to-the-cvs287-scart-to-component-converter) also you might need a SCART switch to run from the consoles into SCART switch then out put in SCART to the converter box then from the converter box to the Component on your TV. Also your N64 will need to be modded for RGB output and your NES will too.


The SNES is the only one in your setup outputting full RGB by default. Honestly un-modded Composite is the best you get for NES and Svideo for N64(some even say composite is better for N64 depending on the model and chipsets in the N64).



I've toyed with that setup but honestly Svideo on the old Sony Trinitron looks great to me. Also monster cables are well known for quality, good insulation, etc. So I have some RCA composite Monster cables, the Svideo ones, and a few random RCA ones too.

Here is the switcher that I use. My tv has s video input so it works great because I can use systems that output s video or composite with this one. Here is an s video cable that would work for both your SNES and your N64. Here is a composite cable that would work with your model 1 Sega Genesis, and Here would be am example of composite cables that would work with you NES.

As for the surge protector, here is the one I use and I really like it because it can hold a lot of the big power bricks that these older consoles like to use. Anyway hope that helped point you in the right direction. Of course it is a little bit of an investment, but overall I bet you will be much happier with a set up like this. I know personally I could never go back to constantly physically switching consoles out when I want to play them, this makes it so much easier to enjoy all my consoles with minimal effort. Good luck on your set up!

You have to understand at the time, that the idea of just moving something on your own home TV screen was amazing. The graphics sucked compared to the arcade games but it was the best we could have at home, without having to put a quarter in for each play.

Arcade games at the time weren't very complex either. The Atari could generally duplicate the game mechanics of many games even if they looked like poor copies. Games on the Atari also did innovate. Pitfall may seem lame today but imagine it coming out in a world before platform games were common. A world where just rendering a player that looked somewhat human was a graphic breakthrough.

Atari was a phenomenon at the peak of the early 80s video game boom. It may be hard to believe but yeah we got genuinely excited about the games. The two player games were probably the best, since anything resembling "AI" was barely possible. Single player games usually used patterns for the bad guys (common in the arcade too) and getting a new high score was the goal. My brothers and had a book where we recorded the family high scores and we were always trying to beat each other.

Games were almost entirely skill based. The system couldn't handle new graphics for later levels, so everything is very similar throughout the games. There is no sense of beating a level to see the next. Pitfall impressed us because it had 256 screens, which were just rearrangements of a few types of hazards, but still it blew our minds.

The 2600 doesn't hold up, it's an early system with very basic games. The novelty to me is in how much they were able to accomplish with such limited hardware. In particular Activision pushed the system way beyond what Atari itself was producing. The book Racing the Beam offers an in depth look at how some of the games were made. It's really almost a kind of video sorcery. Nothing like how modern systems work.

When you look at the Atari you are looking at the formative years of home gaming. Games were simple but novel because they had never been seen before.

After the video game bust, those of us who were still playing moved on to 8 bit computers which were much closer to the NES in terms of gaming. The expanded amount of storage (160KB per disk side on a Commodore 64!) allowed for games with multiple levels and differing graphics. Computer gaming also gave rise to more sophisticated genres such as RPGs and strategy games.

I still play the 8bit computer stuff once in awhile as well as NES and beyond, but the Atari is only rolled out for the occasional bout of nostalgia. Even when playing with one of my brothers, the most we can stomach is a match or two of Combat or a round of Demon Attack.

You're correct, Atari games ARE generally poor in comparison to what came later. The best you can do these days is to try to appreciate them in context of where video gaming was at in the late 70s and early 80s. And also understand that these first steps directly led to the video games we have today.

If you have good N64 controllers, consider a USB Adapter.

If you want something basic, go with this Mayflash N64 USB Adapter: https://www.amazon.com/MAYFLASH-N64-Controller-Adapter-Pc/dp/B002B9FIUU/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Mayflash+n64+adapter&qid=1570001200&sr=8-1

I haven't tried the Mayflash adapter yet, but I gave one to a friend, and she seems happy with it.

If you want something really good, try this one. It even has Controller Pak and Rumble Pak Support!: https://www.raphnet-tech.com/products/dual_n64_to_usb_adapter/index.php

Raphnet makes a ton of really good adapters for lots of different consoles.

Happy Gaming!

I spent the past week cleaning all of my NES, SNES, Super Famicom and Famicom cartridges. Taking the cartridges apart just makes it easier to get leverage while polishing the pins, and it just helps with wiping down the PCB and the inside of the cartridge shells.

I mostly followed this guide I found on Ars Technica.

I happened to have a can of Brasso metal polish laying around so I used that instead of the polish the article recommends. I also picked up a pack of Target brand magic erasers to use to clean the outer part of the cartridge shells.

In my experience, polishing the pins does more than just wiping the pins down with isopropyl alcohol. It's also a judgement call. If the pins look pretty clean then you probably don't need to polish them. Here's a before pic of a NES cartridge. And here's what it looks like after I polished the pins. This is was one my cleaner games before polishing. I wish I took before and after pics of one of my dirtier games.

I don't know if I've ever seen a gpu with any kind of video input. I'm not saying that they don't exist, but I've never heard of it. Honestly, I think OP is confused on what he's looking for.

OP, why do you want to plug in a console into a GPU rather than a monitor? If the goal is to get the console on a monitor, you'll need some kind of capture card (that accepts what your console outputs) and software or just an upscaler hooked up to the monitor.

I recommend getting an upscaler unless you're trying to record yourself playing. The problem you might have is getting one that can separate video and sound since your monitor doesn't have hdmi.


Edit: Probably the easiest thing that would work for you is getting something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Composite-CVBS-Converter-Input/dp/B00I482KZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457981421&sr=1-1&keywords=composite+to+hdmi+upscaler

Since your monitor doesn't have hdmi, you'll need a hdmi to dvi cable like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Mini-Composite-CVBS-Converter-Input/dp/B00I482KZI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457981421&sr=1-1&keywords=composite+to+hdmi+upscaler

For sound, you'll need to figure out if you can send the red and white cables to your speakers. Do your speakers have a stereo or rca jacks? If they don't, you'll probably have to convert the rca to stereo:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000A88L9E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

and get a stereo coupler like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-107230-Stereo-Adaptor-Plated/dp/B004C87WQ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1457981876&sr=1-1&keywords=stereo+coupler

To add to that, never buy any one of those cheap third party controller, except for maybe this Retro Bit one. I did end up buying a no name controller and, totally not surprisingly, it is rubbish and almost useless.

I recommend buying at least 1 Brawler64 controller. They are more costly, but from all I've heard they are by far the very best new controller to get right now, except for new or almost new original controllers, which are much more expensive.

Having a good controller is extremely important and just not necessarily given when buying an N64 today, so do pay attention to that :)

I have one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/GANA-Composite-Converter-Adapter-Supporting/dp/B01L8GG6PW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1495980818&sr=8-3&keywords=av+to+hdmi

And it works pretty well with a few caveats:

• It only outputs 16:9 widescreen, so unless you like your games stretched you need to set the aspect ratio to 4:3 on your tv, and some tvs don't have that option
  
  
• Depending on the tv and how that tv handles scaling, it can have some lag. I've only had one tv where it was noticable when playing Punch Out, and when I set the video mode to "GAME" that fixed it to the point where if there was any lag I didn't notice.
  
  
• Finally, you need to use the tv's usb port, or a nearby outlet to power it.
  
  Aside from those things, it's pretty great for the price. I mean NES with it doesn't looks as good as the AVS, but it's a lot better than composite and a pretty good compromise I think.

My thoughts - Normally when going to college, the best tool is a laptop. It takes up much less space in the dorm and allows you to take your computer with you to classes. As such, I would go with emulation + a decent TV + an HDMI output on said laptop. Pick up one of these -

http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Smartjoy-PC-Controller-Adapter-Converter/dp/B0009VIZSY/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1397721078&sr=8-11&keywords=SNES+USB+adapter

and a solid SNES controller. That will get you set for any NES and SNES game you want to play. If you want to expand your library a little more, pick up one of these -

http://www.amazon.com/May-Flash-Controller-Adapter-Nintendo-64/dp/B002B9FIUU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1397721145&sr=8-6&keywords=SNES+USB+adapter

and a N64 controller. Then, as a small (10 minutes, tops) project, get one of these -

http://www.amazon.com/Replacement-Joystick/dp/B000F7V2GO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1397721237&sr=8-2&keywords=N64+stick+replacement

and you'll have an amazing N64 controller and a bunch of new games to add to your play list.

There are $40-$50 upscalers which do a sort of adequate but somewhat laggy and unavoidably glitchy job of upscaling 240p based on the erroneous assumption that it's 480i. But they're literally dumping half of all video data from the get-go, by processing it as a 30Hz per scanline signal. And that starting point is your best case scenario. Still, upscalers like this one are adequate to the purposes of some players.

Even more so, most recent Samsung TV models do a pretty adequate job of erroneously processing 240p in a way that at least gets a 30Hz colour image on screen. But obviously, it doesn't make much sense to buy a $1000 screen in order to process a muddy Composite video signal in an only half-broken way, when you could spend $400 to upscale much better signals, from every console you own, and do it perfectly, on any screen at all.

I mean the games look way better. Just night and day better. I even thought about getting a cheaper scaler like this Kanex

https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Pro-Composite-Home-Theater-HDCVRYW/dp/B005KVPJSC

Which is another viable route but, S-video gets better results than Composite. If you have a wii I recommend loading it up with emulators and channel fowarders and spending a weekend of your time getting it polished.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMm7Yk8CmJI&t=395s

The HDMI adapter makes the wii look great in 480p and if you wanted the component cables to hook it up to a trinitron in RGB, they are dirt cheap to.

It really depends on what kind of subject matter and presentation you're looking for. For my money, the gold standard of all video game history books remains David Sheff's ["Game Over: How Nintendo Conquered the World"] (https://www.amazon.com/Game-Over-Nintendo-Conquered-World/dp/0679736220/) which, despite the ominous title, is a phenomenally well-researched and compellingly written account of how Nintendo came out of nowhere in the early 80s to resurrect and dominate the home gaming industry worldwide.

The more recent Console Wars is also a good one, covering in great detail the 90's era 16-bit rivalry between Nintendo and Sega in the US.

These are both fairly well known books; my favorite "off the beaten path" books are all 3 volumes of the "Untold History of Japanese Game Developers" series, which are giant tomes full of lengthy, staggeringly in-depth interviews with dozens and dozens of largely unknown developers behind very well known Japanese classics of the 80s and 90s. Pure treasure for anyone particularly interested in Japan's golden age output.

I would look into the clone consoles. I have a Super Retro Trio and it has great compatibility. It also supports flashcarts/everdrive and repos. It is $54 on amazon. I have the original consoles but is nice to save on space and have all three in one box.

It’s a bit pricy but you could use this: Retro-Bit SNES - Super UFO Pro 8 Game Saves & Backup Cartridge Adapter (UFO) - Super NES https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007O3MWVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_mNu8Cb97YNQXV

If I were you I'd get a clone system that can play both. The super retro trio is a pretty good one. https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-RetroTRIO-Console-Genesis-nintendo-entertainment/dp/B00FQDEKM0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1541727305&sr=8-2&keywords=super+retro+trio&dpID=51Rc%252BergSgL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

If you have money for all the mods, cables, scart switches, and the framemeister itself, then I guess ya.

I have this upscaler, and it works perfect. Games from nes to gamecube look beautiful in 720 on my projector. There's no noticeable input lag(We played smash on gamecube and wii just fine, I played mega man and super mario world without issues).

I think the framemeister is overhyped on reddit - both here and on /r/gamecollecting . I also think a lot of the review videos make composite look worse than it actually looks. They also overplay input lag on everything else. Every time someone around here buys a cheap upscaler on amazon, they come back and say they don't notice any input lag. I bet most of the people who say upscales have input lag have never tried them.

I've ditched my CRT and if a framemeister fell in my lap for free today, I'd sell it because I don't feel like RGB modding my nes and n64 and buying a bunch of cables. As someone pointed out, games don't always look great ultra sharp. Part of the illusion of good graphics is a slight blur sometimes.

http://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-28750-Composite-Selector/dp/B0032ANC8M?ie=UTF8&keywords=s%20video%20switch&qid=1463513498&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

i use this one, it works fine and i haven't had any issues with it. also, your SNES will have the most improvement over your other consoles, like a real noticeable difference. the N64 and Gamecube will have slightly better resolutions, but mostly just better colors.

Quite technical and highly recommended - Racing the Beam: The Atari Video Computer System.

Does look into how limitations of the platform (Atari 2600/VCS) influenced the game design, implementation and creativity on the platform with several in-depth (down to looking at assembly code) case studies of a couple of games.

Very good read!

The sd snes adapter is programmable so it should be possible but as of yet I don't think anyone has implemented it.

Your best (and cheapest ) bet is probably the retron 3.
http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-Retron-System-GENESIS-Nintendo-Entertainment/dp/B003Y5AHPG/

This should just make life easier for me shouldn't it? Direct AV to HDMI and I should be good to go?

Here's one example: RCA to HDMI, GANA 1080P Mini RCA Composite CVBS AV to HDMI Video Audio Converter Adapter Supporting PAL/NTSC with USB Charge Cable for PC Laptop Xbox PS4 PS3 TV STB VHS VCR Camera DVD https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L8GG6PW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_zhS4Cb8F61RJH

According to the reviews you have to do some tweaking of the tv settings to get it to look right, so if you're happy with the way it looks now, it may not be worth the hassle. It would probably be more practical for larger TVs where the pixels would look severely stretched, but for the one you have, you're probably good.

It's already been done for NES (via the Innovation Super 8 and the RetroPORT Adapter), the Sega Genesis (via the RetroGEN Adapter), and GBA (via the Super Retro Advance Adapter). The major difference being that those have their own video output and basically just use the SNES for controller input and power.

I've gotten my batteries off Amazon. You can get a better deal by buying several at once if you have other games with these batteries. That game takes a CR1616 tabbed battery. Not sure what your experience level is, but to change the battery you will need a security bit to open the cartridge and a soldering iron to get the old battery out and the new one attached properly.

​

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Nintendo-Genesis-Master-System-Advance/dp/B00ES2C7MK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543455508&sr=8-3&keywords=cr1616+tabbed+battery

I don't really know what you're asking... My TV has standard composite input and it's 4K and fairly new. But a quick Google search reveals plenty of adapters and upscalers like this. Hope this helps a little.

Thanks! :)

So the book is available here if you're interested. Someone has uploaded the list of games here if you just want to see what games are in the book. I also actually have a website letsplay1001.com as an alternative place to keep track of the games I've played but it's been hard to keep the YT series up and keep the website up to date (and admittedly it's a little out of date right now).

I haven't purchased one of these yet, but I've heard they're really good. Obviously they don't work too well for FPS games, so that could be a deal breaker.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078KHKHPX/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_q9vQCbAZB3QFS

I would stay away from lukiegames, there is many other better places to get stuff. I personally don't like how lukiegames get their stuff or how they operate. Their prices are much higher than what you could find on eBay. $100 for a SNES with the wires and no game is just insane. Here is one that has the box for around the same price. If you want a retron 3 here is one brand new. Here is just a SNES console with wires.

Please give your money to someone that isn't lukiegames, they are known as the biggest douche resellers on eBay. There are many sellers out there that treat people much better and sell stuff at reasonable prices.

You can get something like this. It takes SD cards and it can connect to a PC via USB. There may be better choices than this one, I just did a quick search. They won't work with any games that use the SuperFX chip though.

I use the Retro Duo Protable. Won't play Mega Drive games, but it'll play NES and SNES. Genesis games are possible but you need to buy the "Gen" adapter.

>Are there adapters that convert the white and red (i think those were for audio) to something like a headphone jack or usb port?

Yep they're actually the exact same signal as 3.5mm headphones, just over 2 connectors.

I can see at least one contact that looks like it has some gunk on it.

99% of problems with old carts is the contacts.

Upgrade from alcohol to Brasso, which you can get at any Wal Mart for like $3.

https://www.amazon.com/RECKITT-BENCKISER-76523-Brasso-Polish/dp/B00BILDIU4/ref=pd_lpo_121_bs_lp_t_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XSK1DDXG29WY11BMN6AG

It smells horrible but it really gets the job done.

Source: Restored a yard sale NES and several games recently.

Edit: Brasso Link

At one point in time I wanted to play all the games in this book: https://www.amazon.com/1001-Video-Games-Must-Before/dp/0789320908

These also work well: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CEJW0WQ

I use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Quirky-Pivot-Outlet-Flexible-Protector/dp/B004ZP74UK

It's cheap but it doesn't have a surge protector (that being said, it is plugged into a strip with a surge protector becuase I have way too much stuff hooked up at all times, not just for gaming... it's not a fire hazard at all, I don't know what you're talking about).

EDIT: Got mine at a BC store called London Drugs for 20 bucks I think.

What you want are the Untold History of Japanese Game Developers books. There are 3 volumes. All almost exclusively about the era between the Famicom and Playstation 1.

The rde iews show inconsistent quality, but I have a local store that sells this, and I have often considered buying one. http://www.amazon.com/Hyperkin-Retron-System-GENESIS-Nintendo-Entertainment/dp/B003Y5AHPG/ref=pd_cp_vg_0

Its NES, SNES and Genesis in a single system.

https://www.amazon.com/Retro-Bit-RetroTRIO-Console-Genesis-nintendo-entertainment/dp/B00FQDEKM0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1Y7TRUSYVMZLJ&keywords=super+retro+trio&qid=1556219910&s=gateway&sprefix=super+retro&sr=8-1

SCART cables are all pack a punches from retro gaming cables. In and Outs.

This is what I'm using for the headphone to audio splitter - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B2HP1MW/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1


This is the VGA to Dreamcast cable - https://www.ebay.com/itm/401507311093?ViewItem=&item=401507311093

any experience with Portta converters?

http://www.amazon.com/Portta-PETCSHP-Composite-Converter-Upscaler/dp/B003NS0UUQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416095993&sr=8-2&keywords=framemeister

This should be the correct size: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES2C7MK

OEM controller with USB adapter.

https://www.amazon.com/MAYFLASH-N64-Controller-Adapter-Pc/dp/B002B9FIUU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=n64+usb+controller+adapter&qid=1559001113&s=gateway&sprefix=n64+usb+&sr=8-3

I just bought one of these for that very reason and it works flawlessly: http://www.amazon.com/Portta-PETCSHP-Composite-Converter-Windows-10/dp/B003NS0UUQ

My only complaint is that the plug cord is too short.

1ft extension cords should help with your power brick woes:

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Power-Extension-Outlet-Listed/dp/B00CEJW0WQ?crid=258GGW5T5B8WR&keywords=1ft+extension+cord&qid=1538163414&sprefix=1ft+&sr=8-1-spons&ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa&psc=1

Or buy a squid:
https://www.amazon.com/Accell-PowerSquid-Surge-Protector-Power/dp/B00ABC1LE6?crid=ZYHW7B6S8HS6&keywords=squid+surge+protector&qid=1538163486&sprefix=squid+surg&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1

Saturn. Then I'd get one of these bad boys and play all the genesis I want on my SNES.

Parts Needed Purchase Link

T-Molding https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074X9JNSX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Arcade buttons, Joystick, and usb adapter to connect buttons to raspberry PI https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-LED-Control-kit-Compatible-with-Raspberry-PI-3-Plug-and-Play-Image-Incl/331814081782?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

Speakers (any desktop speakers will work) https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Acoustics-multimedia-computer-speakers/dp/B00008MN45/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=speakers+desktop&qid=1562183686&s=electronics&sr=1-9

Arcade cabinet (with no decals) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Extra-Wide-Bartop-Arcade-Cabinet-Kit-Black-Easy-Assembly-for-22-Monitor/392268680930?hash=item5b55090ee2:g:F24AAOSwS2lcOjaJ

Decals for cabinet (you specify what artwork to use, or use their existing artwork) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Arcade-Cabinet-Sticker-Kits-Custom-Made-Bartop-Decals-Vinyl-Graphics-Full-Set/173334849324?epid=23015913882&hash=item285b8fe72c:g:9F4AAOSwMOVcNheB

22 inch monitor (any 22 inch 1080P monitor will work) https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019EFMK1I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Light Strip for Marquee https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSF65MC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

128GB flash Drive https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BGTG2A0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

256GB SD Card (if you buy an SD card this large, then you don't need the 128GB Flash drive) https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-MicroSDXC-Adapter-MB-ME256GA-AM/dp/B072HRDM55/ref=sxin_3_osp5-d036f8df_cov?ascsubtag=d036f8df-8c95-431e-8004-07311ffa309b&creativeASIN=B072HRDM55&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.d036f8df-8c95-431e-8004-07311ffa309b&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=sd+card&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B072HRDM55&pd_rd_r=07e8feba-c265-4983-af93-5e16e7fd7b3b&pd_rd_w=FRnfg&pd_rd_wg=Ycuqv&pf_rd_p=43ba9e17-96f5-4491-b054-e546013f7dc4&pf_rd_r=9M7304BJA5B896489032&qid=1562184521&s=gateway&tag=androidcentralosp-20

Raspberry Pi https://www.amazon.com/Raspberry-Pi-MS-004-00000024-Model-Board/dp/B01LPLPBS8

Raspberry Pi Case https://www.amazon.com/iUniker-Raspberry-Cooling-Heatsink-Removable/dp/B079M96KWZ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=PI+case&qid=1562183618&s=electronics&sr=1-3

Surge Protector https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LZ5XMU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Arcade Game off/on switch https://www.ebay.com/itm/2BC3-250V-Arcade-Game-Machine-ON-OFF-Switch-Power-Socket-Module-with-Fuse-Parts/312633073711?hash=item48ca62202f:g:eh0AAOSwuHJc7ngf

Power plug for arcade game off/on switch https://www.amazon.com/TNP-Universal-Power-Cord-Feet/dp/B01EYDGO12/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=desktop+power+plug&qid=1562183995&s=electronics&sr=1-3

I got a few Belkin Pivot Strips recently. They have a lot of outlets and seem to work pretty well so far.

I really liked theQuirky Surge Protectors but I don't think they're made any more. One of my two just died on me.

I'm not a fan of the Power Squid. Takes up too much room.

I just went through the pain of finding a decent S-Video and Composite upscaler. The one you linked looks super close to one that I tried(different badging), and it was terrible, the picture was choppy and stuttered a ton. I did find this one by Kanex that works great(it doesn't keep a good 4:3 picture ratio though), and it's normally around $50.
https://www.amazon.com/Kanex-Pro-Composite-Home-Theater-HDCVRYW/dp/B005KVPJSC/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1520871155&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Kanex+pro+s-video+to+hdmi

I hope the one you chose works out, but if it doesn't, the Kanex one is a decent stop before the OSSC or XrgbMini.