An AstroDX controller made for the Samsung Galaxy Tab with some cost saving techniques because I am broke as hell. Also btw... this is still under development
The Problem:
"Round 1 is making me go to the negatives"
Wow. Shocker.
If you know me personally, you already know this: I am an arcade goblin. I spend way too much money at the arcade. It really doesn’t help that the arcade is literally a two-minute drive from where I live. I just can’t help it—whacking buttons in rhythm scratches something deep in my brain.
At first, it was manageable. I was spending around $50 per month, which felt reasonable enough. However, once MaiMai DX released in the United States, things escalated rapidly. I started playing far more than I intended to, and the consequences were immediate: my wallet began burning faster than I could justify.
Now, the obvious solution would be to exercise a little self-control and simply stop going to the—
NUH UH.
The Idea:
“We’re just gonna make our own and play at home for free!”
“Yes. Very reasonable, Kim,” I said to myself in the mirror, like a completely deranged individual.
“It’s not that hard to make mechanically complex buttons and integrate a touch screen interface,” I confidently declared. “After all, it only took an entire company called SEGA to design and manufacture one.”
Realistically, I can’t just spawn an arcade cabinet out of thin air. As fun as that would be, I’m broke and I don’t have access to the tools or manufacturing resources required to make a full-scale cabinet.
That means the only option left is to build something as cheaply as possible.
…but how?