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Raising Awareness of Japanese Parts and Button Layouts

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rCadeGaming:

EDIT: AS SOME HAVE BEEN OFFENDED, I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE TITLE OF THIS THREAD IS MEANT JOKINGLY.  I DON'T REALLY THINK THAT PEOPLE WERE UNAWARE OF THESE THINGS BEFORE I CAME ALONG, IT'S MORE THAT I WONDERED WHY I DON'T SEE THEM MORE OFTEN.

I've been browsing the site and the forums for a couple of years now, and have to say that I'm surprised how rare it is to see a cabinet with any Japanese parts or design elements in them.  

Before I get started, let me say that my main interest in arcade games is in 2d fighting games first (Street Fighter, Samurai Shodown) and shooters second (Dodonpachi, Ikaruga).  My preferences are generally centered around these genres, so I can see how others' preferences may differ.  I will be linking to this website a lot, which I think is a must read for anyone building a control panel:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/introduction.html

Also, here is a thread with some projects I've made using the things discussed below:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=118843.0

The first thing is the cabinet style; I always see them done in the American style.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the nostalgia, and these cabinets are often very well done, but it's not the only option.  One of my dream cabinets is an authentic American Ms. Pac-Man in mint condition.  Ms. Pac-Man originated here though.  When I'm playing something very Japanese, like Street Fighter III: Third Strike, it's sometimes nice to play it in a Japanese cabinet, like a Sega Astro City:

http://www.zax.com.au/astrocity.html

I would love to see a wooden cabinet built with an Astro City theme.  Cherry Wood with a light-colored stain, a real CRT, and big rounded corners in all the right places for that Astro City shape.

That cabinet would also need Japanese sticks and buttons, which are rare to see here.  I started out with crumby X-arcade controls, later moved up to Happ Competition sticks and buttons, but finally settled on a Sanwa JLF stick and Sanwa buttons.  For me, there is no going back.  When trying to execute complex moves in fighting games, the JLF's square restrictor gate, excellent leverless microswitches, low spring resistance, and smoothness, makes it twice as easy to do fireball and dragon punch motions, and block accurately.  If you are more into shooters than fighting games, you may prefer certain Seimitsu joysticks.  Check out this great table comparing the attributes of different joysticks:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#JOYSTICK_CHART

I think that fighters and shooters are the most technically demanding arcade games, as far as precise inputs go.  The fact that these sticks are suited for them should make them more than qualified for other genres.  I can play Donkey Kong and TMNT really well my JLF's.  

Joysticks can be customized as well.  If you wanted try a JLF but it feels loose, you can change the spring.  If you don't like ball tops you could use an adapter to make it a bat top.  I think the JLF's square restrictor gate is critical for fighters, but you could change it to an octagonal or circular gate if you wanted.  Seimitsus have the added option of a cross shaped gate to make a dedicated 4-way stick.  More info on modding joysticks:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/attributes_brands.html#JOYSTICK_COMPONENTS_MIXING_AND_MODDING

Info on restrictor gates:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/restrictors.html

The last thing is the button layouts.  This is one of my biggest pet peeves.  It's too often that I see the control buttons for each player laid out in a square layout like this:




Your hand is just not shaped like that.  Japan moved past this layout in the early 90's, take a look at this:



If you print that out, or even just hold your hands up to your screen, you'll see that it's curved properly to fit your hand.  The bottom row is skewed to the left a little bit so that your fingers can pivot comfortably between the two rows without having to move your arm.  Not only that but it places your arms and wrists at comfortable angle.  

If you try to place all four fingers along the bottom row of the square layout, your arm will be sticking out at a 45 degree angle or more (with you elbow in player two's way) unless you twist your wrist to a really uncomfortable angle.  Maybe some people are using their thumbs, but flicking your thumb sideways is a lot less responsive than just pressing down with your finger.  These problems are worst when trying to something that uses a row of four buttons across, like Neo Geo games.  

I would recommend anyone building a control to read this page on button layouts and try out several in a rough mock-up before making the final panel:

http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

I don't want to insult anyone, or single out any one cabinet.  Perhaps others aren't as serious about the same genres; maybe they don't play much with a four-across button layout.  I just wonder why I don't see of this stuff more often.  Overall cabinet style is a purely a visual preference, but I hope everyone putting in the effort to make these beautiful cabinets is putting enough thought into the controls.  I think how well the cabinet actually plays should be the most important part.

--

Since I'm already taking things that don't get enough attention I thought I should throw this in.  No one ever mentions the MC Cthulhu controller board:

http://shoryuken.com/forum/index.php?threads/the-official-cthulhu-and-chimp-thread-try-our-new-dreamcast-flavor.46572/

The main advantage of this board is that on top of PC, it adds easy support for the following systems:
Nintendo
Turbografx16/PC-Engine
Super Nintendo
3DO
Sega Saturn
Playstation
Dreamcast
Playstation 2
Gamecube
XBox
Wii (using Gamecube controller slots)
Playstation 3

You have to have one for each player, but they're only $35.  Also they're firmware upgradeable.

Oh, and this too.  The SLG-3000 Scanline Generator:

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=33454

paigeoliver:

Great information here. I have to ask though if you truly prefer the japanese controls. Particularly the sticks. The sticks on my Super Neo 29 always felt sort of cheap. I used to have a Street Fighter 2 machine that had the normal Happ supers swapped out for the 8-way microswitch version of the classic wico stick and those just felt right with the game. However I was never an expert level player and perhaps the japanese sticks are better at doing special moves?

This is the joystick I am speaking of.

http://www.lizardlick.com/Wico-8-Way-Microswitch-Joystick-NOS-Orange_p_549.html

Yenome:

that site was one of the first i found when i started looking for data on building a cab. i read it all front to back. and even tried a mockup CP with the sega japan layout. now that i look at it again i think when i do build my cab i will leave the 7th button on the right side of the 6. that is of course if i dont make both my middle buttons block and have that other one where it belongs for a MKist layout. I found the layout i tried uncomfortable. it seems like i needed to strech my fingers too far to hit the top buttons. but then again i could just be like every other american and be used to the square layout. if i hadnt messed up my mockup i would go try this layout out again

paigeoliver:

I also think that 4th button in the bottom row would be a lot better over on the right as well. I wish my machine was done that way.

amendonz:

It's also interesting to note p1 and p2 button layouts are slightly different to make up for the different angle your arms would be at as p2. The japanese were pretty clued up.
Also I prefer ls32 aswell, but my preference changes game to game, even games within the same series. Eg LS32 for ssf2t, jlf for sf2hf

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