Maker creates an Arduino-powered Bust-A-Move mechanism, controlled in real-time from Mame arcade emulator

We’ve seen microcontrollers like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi used for emulation before, but this project from Dr. Tom Tilley has taken the idea to a whole new level. His latest creation has brought to life a piece of hardware seen in the classic arcade game Puzzle Bobble, also known internationally as Bust-A-Move. This mechanism moves in real-time with the game as it’s played, bringing the experience of Bust-A-Move into the real world.

If you aren’t familiar with Puzzle Bobble, aka Bust-A-Move, we’ll fill you in on the mechanics. This arcade game was released in the mid-1990s by Taito. Players operate a bubble launcher and must pair 3 of the same colored bubbles in a row to knock them out. The goal is to clear as much of the screen as possible while rows of new bubbles descend from the top, preventing them from reaching the bottom.

Dr. Tom Tilley’s creation is a tiny, real-life version of the bubble launcher. It moves in real-time with the one in the game while being emulated with the help of a servo motor. According to Dr. Tom Tilley, there are plans to refine this design even further, including the possibility of turning the launcher into a controller. Currently, it only moves in sync with the mechanism in the game while you play it.

This version is made using cut-out cardboard pieces, so it’s a bit of a crude—albeit adorable—recreation of the device seen in the game. He intends, however, to make the pieces 3D Printable so you can make them for yourself at home. The main board powering the project is an Arduino, but you could easily swap it out with the latest Pico 2 W.

It’s important to note that this isn’t running on an actual cabinet but is emulated using MAME. Dr. Tom Tilley programmed a script from scratch that can read the bubble launcher’s location and send that location information to an Arduino. The Arduino then interprets this into data that a servo can use to move into position, aligning with the game’s location in real time.

If you want to look at this project in action, head over to X (formerly Twitter) to see what Dr. Tom Tilley is up to and follow him for future updates. If you enjoyed this creation, you should also check out our list of best Raspberry Pi projects to see what else the maker community is up to.