list of games with left/right only joystick?

[txcanoeman]

I would like to know all the games that use either a joystick or buttons to move (or rotate) left and right.  I used to use the advanced search feature of KLOV, but that is gone now.   Any ideas on how I can find this out?


I am now ready to build several cabaret cabinets for the gameroom each with a dedicated control panel.

2 way left/right joystick and left/right buttons
4 way
8 way
2 8-ways

[jerryjanis]

Hmmm...  Mame drivers have an option to model a 2way joystick but I don't think that it's very reliable...  Maybe Defender is listed as an 8way joystick.  Probably that is to accomodate the "left/right" feature.

My best suggestion would be to use google.  Search for:

klov "2-way"

Next, click "more results from www.klov.com"

This will show you every game that the Killer List of Video Games lists as using a 2 way joystick.  It's probably not complete, but for 2ways I don't know of any better way.

The klov search for the same thing didn't work very well.  It only listed 2 games.

Also, I went to klov's Bubble Bobble page and it is listed as using a 2-way, but for whatever reason it didn't come up in the Google search.  So don't forget Bubble Bobble and it's many clones/sequels/etc.

Lastly, I would do searches in google for "2-way" "2way" "2way joysick" (etc.) ...  Just look to every end of the world to compile a list, and then test the games out to verify them in Mame.  Then post the list here!

[paigeoliver]

Probably the best way to ferret out the 2-way games is to just look for them manually.  Since Klov is not always right, and Mame tends to lump most of the 2-way games in as 8-way.

Also, there are quite a lot of games that are playable with a 2-way as long as you are willing to give up entering initials in the high scores (some games only use up and down for that).

[jerryjanis]

How would you suggest going about checking the games manually?  By playing all 4000 of them?  Seems to me that could take a while, and would be even more error prone than klov!

[Apollo]

Why would you build a cab with 1X8 way when you are building a cab with 2X8 ways? Seems like a lot of work for nothing really.

[paigeoliver]

Ok. It is not like you are manually checking 4000 games.

Use Mame 32 for this.

First eliminate the clones. Bam, there goes most of the games right there.

Now, eliminate EVERYTHING made after 1983, as there were only like a few 2-way games made after that (Bubble Bobble, Galaga '88, and the later games in the Space Invaders series are pretty much the only ones).

You can obviously eliminate all the trackball games.

That leaves you with a pretty manageable list to check out. Many of the games you will probably already be familiar with, and thus you won't even have to load them, (you already KNOW that Pac-Man is not a 2-way game, etc).

[jerryjanis]

There are plenty of games after 1983 that use a 2-way that I wouldn't want to miss out on if I built a dedicated cabinet for 2-way games.

[paigeoliver]

Yes, but the post '83 2-way games are all exceptions to the rule, and thus you already know about them, and don't have to go searching for them.

[txcanoeman]

Why would you build a cab with 1X8 way when you are building a cab with 2X8 ways? Seems like a lot of work for nothing really.

good point.  I may rethink that one.

One reason for each individual cabinet is to have managable lists of games.  I haven't figured it out exactly but I am thinking of the top 50 or 100  games on each control panel.

Another reason is I am thinking of

[Carsten Carlos]

An one-joystick-panel is easier for the alternating games.

E.g. you could play Gyruss with 2 players, but the game only supports one joystick. Of course player2 could jump to the left-joystick, but this isn't that elegant.

If you map both joysticks to the same input for these games, an accidently (or not accidently) hit from the second stick could mess up your game, so this isn't a solution either.