In this section, we’ll guide you through installing Puppy Arcade on a USB flash drive using Windows. Puppy Arcade, created by Scott Jarvis, is a remixed version of Puppy Linux, optimized for Console Game Emulation. It comes preloaded with some of the most popular console game emulators for Linux. However, you will need to provide your own game ROMs.
Supported Console Systems
Some of the supported console game systems for emulation include:
- Amiga, Atari, Amstrad, Arcade Machines
- ColecoVision, Commodore (64/128/VIC20/PET)
- GameBoy (GB, GBC, GBA), Game Gear, Genesis, Master System
- MS DOS, NeoGeo, NeoGeo CD, NES/Famicom
- PC Engine/TurboGrafix 16, PSX, Scumm, SNES, ZX Spectrum
Puppy Arcade Running from USB
- Distribution Home Page: Abandoned
It appears this project has been abandoned. However, you can still find ISO Downloads from the archive. - Minimum Flash Drive Capacity: 128MB (more with persistence)
- Persistent Feature: Yes
- Developer: Originally created by Scott Jarvis
Puppy Arcade is a lightweight Linux distribution specifically designed for retro gaming enthusiasts. Built on Puppy Linux, it focuses on emulating a wide variety of classic console systems, such as Atari, GameBoy, Commodore, NES, and PlayStation (PSX). Its small size makes it ideal for running on older or low-resource computers, and it can be installed on a USB flash drive, allowing users to take their game emulators and ROMs anywhere.
What makes Puppy Arcade so useful is its simplicity and flexibility. It includes many pre-installed emulators, eliminating the need for manual setup, and features persistent storage so users can save their gaming sessions on USB. It’s a portable, efficient solution for gamers looking to enjoy classic games across various platforms, without needing powerful hardware.
Arcade Bootable USB Creation Essentials
- Windows PC to perform conversion
- puppy-arcade*.iso
- USB flash drive (fat32 formatted)
- YUMI (does the USB conversion)
How to Create a Puppy Arcade Live USB
- Download and launch the YUMI Multiboot USB Software.
- (1) Select your Flash Drive from the droplist.
(2) Then select Puppy-Arcade or "Try Unlisted ISO" from the list of distros.
(3) Browse to your ISO file and then click Create.
- Once the script has finished, restart your PC and set your BIOS or Boot Menu to boot from the USB device, save your changes, and reboot.
If all went well, you should be booting from your Live Puppy Arcade USB. You will be prompted to create a persistent file for saving your session data on shutdown. Just select your USB device when prompted.