Console Emulators and Joysticks

[Peja]

Hey everyone.....now that my monitor is working, it is time to focus on my control panel for my dynamo showcase cab.  I am going with a quad panel since I will entertain friends and family often with it. 

I want to play MAME, NES, SNES, and Dreamcast for sure....possibly N64 as well.  But mostly it is for MAME and Dreamcast (Virtua Tennis, PowerStone, Blitz, NBA Jamz).

Are the Dreamcast controllers originally analog?  Is my only option really a U360 joystick or does Dreamcast play just fine with an 8-way?  Perhaps someone who has these emulators set up on their system can let me know.

Thanks,
Peja

[mgb]

I've never used the Dreamcast emulators but I have a Dreamcast so I can tell you that it kinda depends on the game. The controller has both a thumb d-pad and an analog stick. Besides it 4 digital buttons, it also has 2 analog triggers.
I believe alot of games will control with either the analog stick or the d-pad but there maybe some games that will not play well with your setup.
This is some times the problem with home stand up emulation cabs. We just can't play every game (not the way they were meant to be played, anyway)

I have Virtua Tennis, so I can see how it plays with the d-pad but I think the analog would be smoother.
With most emulators, I'd think you'd be able to configure the controls for however it suits you, so if a game normally uses an analog control, I would think the emulator would allow you to set it up for use with an 8-way, but gameplay may not be as enjoyable.

[Aberran]

U360 is about the only analog solution that is what I would consider affordable.  Combining it with other controls can be limiting.  You have very few options for trigger buttons but most games short of racing do not use the analog inputs for them.  If your playing a racing game why not just use some pedals right? Most games will work with the digital controls the few that don't you can either play with a gamepad or not at all or hobble together some virtual control setup with a U360 and your other controls (might only be needed in games that need a dpad and analog and more than 4 other buttons).  As you can see with all those qualifiers you down to a small amount of games that are going need it but if they are ones you plan on wanting to play arcade style I say go for it.

Most analog only games use the same stick for menus some use the dpad the latter are going be your most problematic.  I am planning on making a modular designed arcade controller "portable like" not cabinet like.  In it I would make a "hitbox" like panel in which buttons replace a dpad for menus.  I guess you could also get a compact style digital stick and put it up to one corner out of the way for the times you need two sticks.  My ideal setup would be a switch to toggle between dpad and analog stick so it could serve double duty, but I warn you now that is much more trouble than its worth.

Hope all that makes sense ... its just what I have discovered so far.

Aberran

[Peja]

Interesting Abberan( I have followed your other post about on the fly switching)......I guess I pretty much have to go with the U360 then.  Hopefully it plays nice with nullDC and the Dreamcast games.  Unfortunately, it may be kind of pricy since I will probably need 4 of them.  Unless, I should just go with 4/8 way for player 3 and 4, but when playing games like Virtua Tennis and Powerstone you kind of need the whole range of motion which an analog would provide.  Hopefully the few games I do plan on playing will use the analog as an up and down for menus.  Too bad there is no document that lets you know which games do and which don't.....wishful thinking I suppose.

I assume a dedicated 4 way wouldn't act as a dpad for menus would it?  Since I am going with the pre-made north coast panel cut out, I could always put one in there.  Otherwise I will leave it out and just use the U360s.

mgb......concerning the two rear analog triggers, could something like that be mapped to two of my buttons on my CP?  Each player will have 6-7 buttons at their station.

Thanks for the response from both of you.

[nick3092]

Or for DC games, you could just use some wireless 360 controllers with the windows receiver. The layout is pretty close to the original. Then use your regular controls for other stuff.

[Aberran]

you can map the triggers to buttons but they will not be analog only digital and a 4way would be great for menus.  I would set up two controller setups for the emulator one with the u360 as the dpad for games using the dpad primarily and one with it as the analog with your dedicated 4way as the dpad and you should be golden.

actually might not need that since I cannot think of a game that uses the dpad primarily its either dpad and analog are both movement or the analog is and the dpad does nothing or is for menus/options kinda stuff. 

So U360 to analog 4way to dpad you should be good ... can't remember how virtual on is setup if i can dig out the disc I'll put it in my Dreamcast and let you know.  Its been a while too long really

[Corbo]

I play virtua tennis, powerstone, crazy taxi and gauntlet legends on my cab with a standard stick.  For anything else I plug an Xbox360 controller in, you'll need analogue for the N64 as well.

[Peja]

Corbo, do you know about Blitz or NBA Jamz working with a standard stick?  With Virtua Tennis and Powerstone......how is the movement?  Would it be better with the analog?

Aberran, that doesn't sound too hard to use a 4 way and a U360.  While I would like to save money on a cheaper stick, I am not sure I have much of an option.  How durable are the U360s....I am sure I will have to put some ground rules out there for friends and family because on my current cab, I watched my brothers throw that stick around quite hard.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[Aberran]

I know about cost it will be sometime till I can get a U360 and I hope that after it all it will fit well with my setup that is going mostly be japanese parts built of thin layers of material.  But I have a lot of work till I worry about analog . My posts are just out here because is is one of my greater concerns on how practical/feasible it is to include at all. 

I think that the demand for more options is present, but when I come to this forum it seems to be downplayed.  Analog is something standard on gamepads been that way for a long time.  Why its so difficult and even when possible so restrictive on homebuilt control panels I may never know. 

And we are just talking sticks here ... buttons now that is another story entirely.

[Peja]

If I knew most Dreamcast games played fine with and 8/4 way stick I would probably have bought them by now but unless someone can tell me that is the case, it looks like I have to drop some dough on the U360s.  Hopefully they are durable enough to withstand at least a little bit of a beating.......I know those sticks in the arcades do since most people don't care about throwing them around.

I haven't even looked into buttons yet.....I guess I was naive enough to think I could just get happs buttons and call it good.  Probably a lot more to it than that isn't there.

Thanks again.
 

[Corbo]

Peja, it works fine, but I dare say an analogue control would be better for more subtle movements.

[Peja]

Thanks for the response.......my wallet was hoping you would have said it works perfectly but I figured I wouldn't be that lucky haha.  Looks like I may be going with the u360s.  Hopefully they are durable.

Thanks again.

[ark_ader]

Two X Arcade Tanks piggy backed.  Plus two 5-1s.