| Main > Main Forum |
| Need control suggestions to match certain games |
| (1/4) > >> |
| YllabianSpaceGuppy:
I'm in the planning stage of building my first MAME cabinet and I'm trying to select controls that will be most like the originals for a few of my "must have" games. I'm looking for new, easily available controls that are hopefully priced reasonably. I'm going to do a swappable/modular cp so this won't result in a monstrous frankenpanel. Hopefully someone with knowledge of both the original games and modern controls can give suggestions for the following: 1. Crazy Climber - This is my number one holy grail game and I'd like to get joysticks that match the originals closely. What would come close? It's been a long time since I've even seen an original cabinet so I can't even remember if they are long or short throw, etc... I definitely would need a ball top though. I can't stand bats. 2. Defender / Moon Patrol - Is there a 2 way physically restricted joystick option available that would be good for vertical (Defender) or horizontal (Moon Patrol) type games? Again... ball top. 3. Tempest - I've read several MAME cab building guides that suggest Oscar or SlikStik spinners for Tempest. AFAIK these companies are now out of business? What's my best option for an authentic feeling Tempest spinner? 4. Ikari Warriors - Are there any 8 way rotary joysticks currently available? And if so, will I need a dedicated controller card for them? I saw rotary joysticks at Happ Controls but KLOV says Ikari Warriors used 8 way rotaries and Happ describes theirs as "12 position rotary". I can't tell from the descriptions if they are the same thing. If they are, they cost $53.50 a piece. Add in an Ultimarc Rotary Joystick Interface for $36 and I'm looking at $143 before shipping - ouch. What's my best option here? 5. Front Line - This game uses a unique 8 position rotary control that also pushes down as a button. I don't think there is anything like this currently available. One thought I had was an 8 way joystick with a top mounted button. Do you think this would work ok? Finally, I want to get a 4 way joystick that's close to what I remember from the arcades (Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, etc...). I see that Groovy Game Gear has the Leaf Pro joystick that is available in 4 way. They also have the True4 which looks promising. I'm not looking to replicate one particular game in this instance, I just want a good all-around old school 4 way. Any opinions or suggestions? Thanks in advance for any replies and for reading this long post. |
| mgb:
Hello and welcome :) I would think it would be hard to build one panel thats fits that bill without building something considered a frankenpanel. for a spinner, check out the spinners from Groovy Game Gear. They also have a push pull one http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=86&zenid=76msj1t9oritfu1rpvgglmfrp4 or theres the Ultimarc Spintrak http://www.ultimarc.com/SpinTrak.htm Those rotary joysticks from Happ are the same thing but they are bat tops. you may be able to find some used snk ones. There are some posts around here about Frontline. I guess you can use a push pull spinner but it won't be as authentic without the click and definate positions. I guess the rotary joystick idea may work. I personally find that my hand hurts from using rotary joysticks, (maybe I'm a sissy) here are some posts on Frontline http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=94965.0 http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=109868.0 The True 4 may work well for you, they look like a nice stick. or maybe the u360 will work best for your multiple needs. Good luck |
| Paul Olson:
I know you said you were looking for new, but I would really suggest finding original controls for the modular panels. For a general 4-way, the Wico leaf switch stick is great. They can still be found on ebay or put up a wanted post here or at KLOV. I really don't think you can beat that stick. I think crazy climber used 8-way wicos, but I am not sure. IF the game is important to you, get the real thing. I have Ikari Warriors sticks waiting to be mounted on panels, and yes, you will need an interface for those. I see pairs of these sticks selling for about $50 pretty regularly. For an all purpose spinner, one of the new ones from Ultimarc or GGG would be pretty good. I am using an old oscar spinner, but I also bought Tron, Tempest, and Arkanoid spinners to mount on panels (I REALLY need to start making panels again. :) ) I currently have way too much stuff, but if I had it to do over again, I would start out with: Wico 4-way leaf 2 Wico 8-way leafs 2 Competition sticks (if you like fighters) aftermarket spinner Happ 3" Trackball That will cover most of the games. You can specialize after that if you decide that you don't one of those sticks on a particular game. The first addition for me would be a real Donkey Kong stick. For you, I would suggest the LS-30 sticks (Ikari Warriors), since that is important to you. Defender and Moon Patrol are both best with a real Williams stick, but you would need 2 of them so you have vertical and horizontal. I would spend the money for Defender since it works so much better with the reverse button. Honestly, the wico 4-way is probably fine for moon patrol. If you never buy anything else, you can be perfectly happy, or you can go as wild as you want (or can afford). Getting into wheels and yokes is fun. I have Star Wars, Roadblasters, and Spy Hunter yokes waiting and I really hope I get them mounted this summer. I bought cheap when I started, and I have replaced a lot of them with better condition controls. I think it is worth it to spend more for a good one unless you have the time and ability to fix them. Have fun with it. I bought my first cabinet for MAME 8 years ago, and have been enjoying it ever since. I am in the process of a new redesign that will use an LCD TV, which I am looking forward to. I now have 14 of the games in my garage...mostly the ones that I bought dedicated controls for...Donkey Kong, Gyruss, Defender, Tempest, Moon Patrol. It is a weird hobby! With modular, you can recreate the exact controls of the originals, and I think that makes the games way more fun to play. Please post about your progress as you move forward. |
| YllabianSpaceGuppy:
mgb: I think I am going to go with the TurboTwist 2 from GGG. Any idea what topper would be a close match to Tempest? Thanks for the links to the Front Line controller threads. Hacking one of my own is a possibility down the road but my first read through of wugly's description went over my head. I could always try to track down an original but I've a feeling it wouldn't be cheap and I'm trying to keep costs down at the outset. Paul: I hear you about finding the original controls but I'm trying to keep things easy (and within budget!) and get the parts fairly quickly. I'm not a super-stickler for the exact controls but would like to be in the ballpark. It's literally been decades since I played most of the original machines so I doubt I would be able to discern anything but major differences at this point. Since I'm going with a modular cp design I could always get vintage controls in the future when time and budget allow if I feel it necessary. As far as the joysticks go, I think I want to try out the leaf switch sticks available at GGG. I believe they haven't been available for very long and I've not had much luck finding posts comparing them to the older leaf sticks. Can anyone provide feedback or links to reviews? I think I will take your advice on the Ikari sticks. It's one of my top games and I'd really like it to be authentic. Also, the price you quote is actually cheaper than the rotary sticks available new. You say you see them up for sale pretty regularly... would that be on ebay, "for sale" forums, or what? What are my choices for a controller if a I do get ahold of them? Would the rotary controller at Ultimarc suffice? I'm not much into fighters. My personal arcade experience was over by the time they became popular. I started around the time of Space Invaders and was out of the scene by the mid eighties (Commodore 64, heavy metal, and girls replaced arcade machines for me). I may add a set of fighter controls in the future but they are not part of my initial plans. I'm currently trying to decide on an attachment scheme for the modular controls. I'm thinking I will put most of the individual controls on separate panels but will have 1 or 2 complete panels including a Defender/Stargate layout. I have not seen a physical 2 way restrictor plate so I have contemplated creating one of my own and putting it around some sort of 4 way stick for Defender. If it's possible to get an original Williams 2 way though, I would like to. Can anyone point me to somewhere where I could buy one? Finally (for this post at least!), I'm trying to find layouts of certain control panels with dimensions so I can properly space my controls. In particular, I'd like to find Defender, Crazy Climber, and Robotron. These have to be somewhere on the web, right? I will definitely be posting pictures once I make significant progress. |
| scofthe7seas:
sniff sniff I smell a frankenpanel! ;D If you want to see how most arcade games layout looks like, gamesdatabase.com has a load of pictures of original CPs. |
| Navigation |
| Message Index |
| Next page |