Alternatives to topfire joysticks

[SpamMe]

I'd like to have access to battlezone etc., on my cabinet, but not enough to add a dedicated topfire joy. I'm wondering if other people have run into the same problem:
Ideas I'm toying with:

• footswitch
• switch that I could pull out and maybe velcro to the joysticks temporarily
• My joysticks have a bit of play, vertically, so mounthing a microswitch so that pulling up the joysick would register as a shot.

Other ideas? What have other people done?

[paigeoliver]

The Mame Battlezone driver actually already has a built in 8-way joystick hack that you can use.

Velcro wouldn't work right.

Pulling up wouldn't work very well because that would be awkward.

The only other major dual topfire game that I can think of is Assault, and you need dual 4-ways for that anyway, and who has dual 4-ways on their panel?

[Spaced Invader]

The only other major dual topfire game that I can think of is Assault, and you need dual 4-ways for that anyway

I love that game...and hate that it's not playable. Would building a dual 4-way topfire/triggerstick cab be crazy? I could always play pacman and donkey kong on it too...

Or is there a hack that I'm unaware of?

not enough to add a dedicated topfire joy

Why would it have to be dedicated? Couldn't you just put a topfire on one or both of your 8-ways?

[crsdawg]

si- you could have a dedicated panel w/ dual  top fire joysticks(or use them for your main panel), then put on 4 way restrictor plates when you want to play assault, karate champ, and etc. you'd have the best of both worlds.

spam- if your planning on adding a steering wheel and pedals for driving games you foot switch idea would be doable, but man that would be weird. i guess you'd get used to it after a while.  you could just have your player 2 joystick as top fire. that would keep you cp clean and give you battlezone support.

[dphirschler]

I've thought about this too and here are some ideas.

1. foot button (or gas pedal if you have it)
2. knee button
3. voice activated
4. button near joystick
5. temporary joystick attachment
6. joystick modification

By the way, Battle Zone plays fine on dual 8-ways... at least as far as controlling the tank movement goes.


Darryl

[Lilwolf]

How about this...

battle zone has 2 2way joysticks right?

well, if you have two 8ways you have 4 extra buttons there...

how about both in and both out?  (both so you don't do it by mistake)

[dphirschler]

Heeeyyyy... you are onto something.  Are you talking about using the diagonals on the 8-way joys for "fire"?  I think that is gonna be my solution.  I don't know about the other guy though.

So up and down move the tank.  up/left or up/right or dn/left or dn/right on either stick would fire.  Good idea.


Darryl

[hyiu]

nah.... that won't be good...

then you'll have to keep moving and once you stop moving... you're not firing....

maybe its just me... but I need to aim and fire... sometimes... need to just stand there and fire....

if you hold the fire buttonand it'll continue to shoot... then knee button / foot pedal is a good idea....

sorry... didn't have any ideas to contribute....
I'll think about it when I have time...

ps: I love the game assault too....

[Brad Lee]

The Mame Battlezone driver actually already has a built in 8-way joystick hack that you can use.

Velcro wouldn't work right.

Pulling up wouldn't work very well because that would be awkward.

The only other major dual topfire game that I can think of is Assault, and you need dual 4-ways for that anyway, and who has dual 4-ways on their panel?

I do
Actually it's a pair of T-sticks but that does the same thing heh

For assault what I do its this- Ive got my P2 buttons a little above and to the right of the 2p stick(on the right side). The t-sticks are short so I usually cover the top of the stick with the palm of my hand, and can hit the p1B1 or b2 with my ring or pinky finger. The other option is the do the same with my left hand(P1) and use my thumb for fire on p1b1

I intend this winter to remedy the top-fire situation. Ive got some of the "robotron" ball style sticks that are hollowed out for a button assembly in the top. I havent decded if I'll use the leaf bases they come with, or fit the ball sticks into te t-stick bases, or just do another panel and go swappable

[jukingeo]

I know that this is an old thread, but I was thinking about the same thing since I was setting up a smaller than normal size control panel because I am building a bar/counter top cabinet.   I opted to go for a dual joystick set up and I had qualms about a top fire button especially since I am right handed and the right hand joystick would be the one I would be using for most games.  I was going to put an 8way-4way switchable stick in that position.   The other stick could very well be a standard 8 way.   With both sticks in 8 way mode, I could very well realize the possibility of playing many double joystick games.  However, for these games I usually rest my hands atop each stick...so a fire button there would be a no no.   So I didn't want to rule out the tank games and thus the thought had occurred to me to wire in a temporary footswitch to use with the bartop cabinet and use that as a fire button.

Apparently after reading this thread, I am not alone in that idea.   I had tried to do some research on tanks to see if there was ever one that use a foot control to fire the main gun.   I know that in many fictional movies, Star Wars in particular, there was use of a rail gun that had a foot switch trigger.  (I will let you Star Wars fans guess which film).  The use of a footswitch WOULD allow me to rest my hands atop the joysticks as that is how I have grown accustomed to working a game with two joysticks in the first place.

So I am wondering if someone actually did implement this concept and if so, how well did it work?

Thanx,

Geo

[Turnarcades]

Bender modfied a ball-top stick (U360 was it?) with a small top-mounted fire button for his 'Benderama' project. It looked non-intrusive so this could be the way to go?

[Thenasty]

how about making BATTLEZONE 2 player. One controls, and the other player push the fire buttons


foot switch, thats what I did with TRON, oh man it's tuff. Maybe in BZ no need to keep stepping on the switch.

I thought of a THUMB button. Where you wear the button on the thumb when needed for a game.

A fake thumb with tiny button inside.