Author Topic: The Great Track & Field Experiment (Read 8782 times)

pinzach · « **on:** January 28, 2012, 09:00:16 am »

Okay, I admit it, I suck at at Track & Field. Played it in the olden days in the arcade (1983) and my friend always beat me (schmuck). Owned a dedicated one for many years and never got much better. Had parties where folks beat my butt despite the fact that I owned the machine. Now I only play the game on MAME, but the results are pretty much the same, no breaking 10 seconds in the 100 for me.

The fact is, after all the years of trying off and on, I still (usually) produce a better score with one hand than two. I just can't get the rhythm down. Clearly, I could never be a drummer. Yeah, I've seen all the stuff online about guys using 3 and 4 finger methods to Lord-out at the game and yeah, I'm jealous like a mother.

So I was wondering, how many guys out there (not just the freaks on youtube) can slay at T & F? So, how about this, if you have access to the game (either dedicated or in MAME), crank the game up on default settings and run the 100 (the first event) 3 times. Report your best time on the survey in the right column of my MAMEblog. It's obviously anonymous (so no embarrassment) and a much better survey if guys of all skill levels do it, NOT just the uber-players. I'll play soon and post the results, good luck.

You can also post your time here, but please post it at my blog as guys from many sources and forums go to my blog and I'd like to have all the data in one place.

http://mamezach.blogspot.com/

<Edit by Haruman -- don't bypass the censor>

RayB · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2012, 07:19:48 pm »

Best method: hold both index and middle finger over each button, then alternate those fingers up & down. Leaf switches have a pretty small "throw", so you just need to bounce your fingers on the button lightly.

Smeghead · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2012, 09:48:07 pm »

map the run keys to the joystick left and joystick right!

waggle power > button thrash power

When the funfair came to down where I used to live in the UK, every now and again the Track and Field would have a joystick there instead of the buttons! OH what a find that was when it was like that, record breaking time

If you must use buttons, try just using one with your finger like a woodpecker on it
Or take the buttons out, stretch out the springs then put back for super responsiveness

amendonz · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2012, 09:54:56 pm »

Any one try the pencil lever method those dudes used in chasing ghosts. Looks the goods

southpaw13 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2012, 10:44:19 pm »

Pencil method works great. But the fastest times come from rolling your fingers over the buttons from your small finger to your index finger. It is hard to explain and tough to perfect but basically you can get 4 hits on one button really fast. Just tried it on my machine and posted a 9.29 first time. Haven't played in years. My fingers hurt!

pinzach · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2012, 09:48:11 am »

Quote from: southpaw13 on January 28, 2012, 10:44:19 pm

Pencil method works great. But the fastest times come from rolling your fingers over the buttons from your small finger to your index finger. It is hard to explain and tough to perfect but basically you can get 4 hits on one button really fast. Just tried it on my machine and posted a 9.29 first time. Haven't played in years. My fingers hurt!

Gonna have to try the finger rolling again. Tried before and can get it going for a little, but not usually maintain it well. Ran my three heats last night in my traditional method and couldn't beat 10.14.

southpaw13 · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2012, 09:36:22 pm »

I think there is a great cheat on Mame that let's you hold down a 3rd button and it runs at max speed.

tommyinajar · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:39:52 pm »

I too can not come near the times I got in the 80's.

I remember this being talked about before, one consension was it was easier in the 80's because they used leaf switches not micro switches.

tommyinajar · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2012, 10:41:25 pm »

Quote from: southpaw13 on January 29, 2012, 09:36:22 pm

I think there is a great cheat on Mame that let's you hold down a 3rd button and it runs at max speed.

I still haven't seen a way to use a trackball like some later model T&F cabs utilized.

pinzach · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2012, 07:05:32 am »

Most times are clustered together so far but we did get one under 8 seconds...

Le Chuck · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2012, 09:44:40 am »

So I tried the challenge a few different ways:

Happ micro switch buttons - few different techniques, lot of furious pounding - low 10sec
Spitfire GGG joystick left right waggle - high 8s low 9s (totally better but feel like I'm cheeting)
Omni 2 GGG joystick left right waggle - mid 10s. Guess the Omni has a longer throw than the Spitfire, or I was getting tired.

I suck at the hurdles but can now own the sprints and jumps.

Green Giant · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2012, 06:56:16 pm »

I have always been naturally good at track and field. You really have to hope for good genetics, and you must do the events which you are built for.

I am tall with fast twitch muscles so I stick to sprinting events like the 100 and 200. If you run every day and work on getting a fast start you can improve your track and field times.

ark_ader · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2012, 07:36:27 pm »

Same as the pencil method but with a Bic Pen.

In the UK arcades T&F was played with a joystick.

That will get you some stonking good scores with a Joy.

Kevin Mullins · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2012, 09:21:11 pm »

This thread reminds me... I need to get leaf switch buttons put in my machine one of these days.

(leafs just feel/work much better)

Gray_Area · « **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2012, 02:02:17 am »

Leafs might be fine if they're in good shape. I played the other night on a restored machine, and the leafs were a little fluffy. I do better at home on my microswitch buttons.

I recall seeing the finger rolling technique being from index to pinky. I can at least drum my fingers pinky to index real fast.

Useless Eater · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2012, 01:07:26 am »

when I was a kid my friends and I would bend our pocket combs over our middle finger and under the ring and index finger then tap the index finger while lightly pushing down the ring finger, it worked pretty good but it was still tough to jump/throw just right

RetroBorg · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2012, 07:06:00 am »

I use the nails on all four fingers and run them over the edge of one button, I can kick arse at this game for about three games then I find my nails are chipped and my finger nears the edge of my nails are bleeding.

I always thought the method above was the quickest way but my mate is a drummer and uses his index fingers, on both buttons and he is definitely faster than me, I can't do it his way, I obviously have no rhythm.

BadMouth · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2012, 10:38:13 am »

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned dance pads yet.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2012, 11:01:52 am »

Quote from: BadMouth on February 02, 2012, 10:38:13 am

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned dance pads yet.

What? And actually exercise? Get real man! That said I could always drag out my powerpad and show off my sweet long jump tiptoe technique - nobody actually tried to jump in Stadium Games did they?

tommyinajar · « **Reply #19 on:** February 02, 2012, 12:06:11 pm »

Quote from: BadMouth on February 02, 2012, 10:38:13 am

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned dance pads yet.

Dane pads?? That's soooo 2006.

Hook up a Kinect- and make sure to dial "91" on the phone first to save time...

(Yea right 90% of the people on here would ---smurfette--- if they can't sit on a barstool playing their cab.)

Cynicaster · « **Reply #20 on:** February 02, 2012, 12:44:50 pm »

Take a plastic cup (like a big empty beer cup you'd get at a ballgame), and rapidly wipe it back and forth across the run buttons. I used to get some screamin' results with this method, but it's pretty much cheating.

amendonz · « **Reply #21 on:** February 02, 2012, 05:16:30 pm »

For those olympics games on ps2 etc we used to bend bottle caps over our index finger and slide across the buttons real fast for the best times. Worth a go

Jakobud · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2012, 12:44:17 am »

Honestly I figured out that it was really easy for me to get a good rhythm going if I hit the buttons pretty hard. Like straight up pounded my open hands back and forth on the control panel. Not too hard obviously, but hard enough that it's loud. I was always able to get a much better rhythm that way compared to tapping the buttons with my fingers.

yotsuya · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2012, 09:37:24 am »

Quote from: Jakobud on February 03, 2012, 12:44:17 am

Honestly I figured out that it was really easy for me to get a good rhythm going if I hit the buttons pretty hard. Like straight up pounded my open hands back and forth on the control panel. Not too hard obviously, but hard enough that it's loud. I was always able to get a much better rhythm that way compared to tapping the buttons with my fingers.

That's what I do, but my scores were much better when I used Randy's leaf buttons!

RayB · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2012, 10:17:12 pm »

There's also some ruler method where you bounce a metal ruler, but I don't quite understand how it works. Funny thing though, I recently watched some Korean cop movie and it starts with a scene of this "simple" guy playing in an arcade, doing exactly this!

Gray_Area · « **Reply #25 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:06:24 am »

Quote from: Cynicaster on February 02, 2012, 12:44:50 pm

Take a plastic cup (like a big empty beer cup you'd get at a ballgame), and rapidly wipe it back and forth across the run buttons. I used to get some screamin' results with this method, but it's pretty much cheating.

Naw! Just ingenuity!

Quote from: RayB on February 03, 2012, 10:17:12 pm

There's also some ruler method where you bounce a metal ruler, but I don't quite understand how it works.

I use a ruler. I found this little rubber mushroom-like thing I put on the centre of my trackball buttons, and the ruler atop that. It's a little high, so I bend the ruler toward one side to close the gap. Jump button is mapped to the lower left of P2, which is right about where my pinky, extended, is.

Messing about tonight, I made a better 'fulcrum' device, out of a door toggle switch or something from some kind of SUV (I found it in a parking lot), and got down to 8:80 in the 100m. It's length is less, so the see-saw interval is a tad shorter, but it's still too high.

Optimally the device would be a 3'' x 2'' plate (perhaps flexible, with rounded corners) mounted atop a north/south-running 5/16'' half-cylinder. I'm working on that.

wweumina · « **Reply #26 on:** February 04, 2012, 07:29:37 am »

Ring finger and thumb for me alternating on the two run buttons. I can get 8.59 but I've pretty much peaked at that. Developed the technique over a couple of beers one day and haven't looked back. Can't get my head (or hand) around the full finger rolling thing though.

Afterburner · « **Reply #27 on:** February 04, 2012, 12:57:21 pm »

I'm like the OP....always suck at it.

Don't get to play it very often as the wife and kids all complain it makes too much noise with me slapping on the buttons.

tommyinajar · « **Reply #28 on:** February 04, 2012, 02:44:20 pm »

Quote from: wweumina on February 04, 2012, 07:29:37 am

Ring finger and thumb for me alternating on the two run buttons. I can get 8.59 but I've pretty much peaked at that. Developed the technique over a couple of beers one day and haven't looked back. Can't get my head (or hand) around the full finger rolling thing though.

I'd love to see a Micro VS Leaf switch contest. Maybe with someone who has a good time with one or the other. I haven't installed my leafs yet and if I posted my best time now with micro switches, everyone would call Randy ASAP for leafs...

RetroBorg · « **Reply #29 on:** February 05, 2012, 06:52:12 pm »

Quote from: Cynicaster on February 02, 2012, 12:44:50 pm

Take a plastic cup (like a big empty beer cup you'd get at a ballgame), and rapidly wipe it back and forth across the run buttons. I used to get some screamin' results with this method, but it's pretty much cheating.

Pretty much cheating? Definitely cheating!

You can achieve a similar result without cheating by cupping your hand, turning your hand over and rubbing the nails of all four fingers back and forth across a run button.

Using anything that isn't part of your body to hit the buttons is cheating as far as I'm concerned.

Le Chuck · « **Reply #30 on:** February 05, 2012, 07:06:13 pm »

Quote from: RetroBorg on February 05, 2012, 06:52:12 pm

Using anything that isn't part of your body to hit the buttons is cheating as far as I'm concerned.

By that logic if I can mushroom stamp my way into the high 7s then it's cool right?

pinzach · « **Reply #31 on:** February 06, 2012, 11:30:23 am »

Last day to get in your 100 meter time. There has been an interesting distribution of times so far. No one is expected to beat Fly, but in homage to dead 80s arcades everywhere, crank T & F up and do your best (then enter your time in the poll on the blog. It's anonymous).

http://mamezach.blogspot.com/

wweumina · « **Reply #32 on:** February 10, 2012, 04:53:20 am »

Quote from: tommyinajar on February 04, 2012, 02:44:20 pm

Quote from: wweumina on February 04, 2012, 07:29:37 am
Ring finger and thumb for me alternating on the two run buttons. I can get 8.59 but I've pretty much peaked at that. Developed the technique over a couple of beers one day and haven't looked back. Can't get my head (or hand) around the full finger rolling thing though.
I'd love to see a Micro VS Leaf switch contest. Maybe with someone who has a good time with one or the other. I haven't installed my leafs yet and if I posted my best time now with micro switches, everyone would call Randy ASAP for leafs...

Actually I have tried both and see no difference between good quality Micros and leafs. I'm sure different techniques and speeds would show a difference depending on how light your touch needs to be (and I have stuck with the leafs from GGG) but I think you need to be pretty fast before the switch is much of an issue.

RandyT · « **Reply #33 on:** February 10, 2012, 02:28:47 pm »

Quote from: wweumina on February 10, 2012, 04:53:20 am

Actually I have tried both and see no difference between good quality Micros and leafs. I'm sure different techniques and speeds would show a difference depending on how light your touch needs to be (and I have stuck with the leafs from GGG) but I think you need to be pretty fast before the switch is much of an issue.

The advantage from leaf switches will depend greatly on your play style. The key to those really low times will be in your ability to cycle those switches, not only quickly, but with properly alternation. A player with a light touch will benefit greatly from a leaf switch over a standard micro.

RandyT

wweumina · « **Reply #34 on:** February 10, 2012, 07:21:41 pm »

Quote from: RandyT on February 10, 2012, 02:28:47 pm

Quote from: wweumina on February 10, 2012, 04:53:20 am
Actually I have tried both and see no difference between good quality Micros and leafs. I'm sure different techniques and speeds would show a difference depending on how light your touch needs to be (and I have stuck with the leafs from GGG) but I think you need to be pretty fast before the switch is much of an issue.

The advantage from leaf switches will depend greatly on your play style. The key to those really low times will be in your ability to cycle those switches, not only quickly, but with properly alternation. A player with a light touch will benefit greatly from a leaf switch over a standard micro.

RandyT

That's actually what I was trying to say (though clearly not very well). I should also point out that the micros I'm comparing against are GGG soft touch micros which already help greatly over normal micros.

teeuwen · « **Reply #35 on:** August 23, 2012, 04:56:33 pm »

Sorry to resurface an old thread,

but i was playing this yesterday on my mame cabinet and my wife decided to play with me...

she posted a 10.20 on her first try in the 100m i was shocked

Gray_Area · « **Reply #36 on:** August 23, 2012, 07:12:14 pm »

Quote from: teeuwen on August 23, 2012, 04:56:33 pm

Sorry to resurface an old thread,

but i was playing this yesterday on my mame cabinet and my wife decided to play with me...

she posted a 10.20 on her first try in the 100m i was shocked

Was she using a comb or anything?

Turnarcades · « **Reply #37 on:** August 23, 2012, 08:13:25 pm »

You ain't seen nothing yet! If you go to 1.30 of this video from our UK equivalent of the annual Funspot tournament, you'll see UK Pac-Man champion Jon Stoodley's amazing Track & Field technique. This guy lapped and lapped the game, never losing an event with a score in the millions no-one could touch, forcing our score percentage for this game down to less than 2% of his. Ridiculous. I do take some solace in the fact he says Hyper Sports is not the same, as it doesn't get as good results from the same technique! And if you look closely at 1.35, you'll see yours truly attempting a score at Dig Dug (3rd machine up from Track & Field, behind my wife!):

MacGyver · « **Reply #38 on:** August 24, 2012, 03:04:03 am »

Reminds me of a tee-shirt I saw online.

teeuwen · « **Reply #39 on:** August 24, 2012, 02:06:45 pm »

Quote from: Gray_Area on August 23, 2012, 07:12:14 pm

Quote from: teeuwen on August 23, 2012, 04:56:33 pm
Sorry to resurface an old thread,

but i was playing this yesterday on my mame cabinet and my wife decided to play with me...

she posted a 10.20 on her first try in the 100m i was shocked

Was she using a comb or anything?

straight out old school, just pressing the buttons really fast.


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