Pop quiz: How many buttons?

[Mugzilla]

i-pac 4 is in the mail. I JUST received my Happs order:

TWO, 8-way joysticks.
ONE, 4-way j-stick
ONE 3" lightup trackball (Will be using a ps2 mousehack...)
A pile of assorted colored buttons.
A 1player and 2player button

I am thinking of 2 buttons for the trackball (So it can be used as a mouse for selecting games from the frontend...)

[size=12]How many buttons do you recommend for the 8-ways? The 4-way?[/size12]

Yes, I realize this is MY creation, my project, and that I can do it anyway I want to. My main question is how many do I need for YOUR FAVORITE games? (I will be using a hidden button for a SHIFT button so I do not have to put piles of visible admin buttons on the ctrl panel...)

Fighting games. (Street fighter, marvel vs capcom, MK 1-4)
Puzzle games.
Classic 4 way j-stick games?

[Mugzilla]

My main fear is to assemble my ctrl panel (With a $90 photocopy/graphic from kinkos under the lexan) and be a few buttons short to be able to play some game that I completely forgot about!

...and be unable to add a new button since it would damage my graphic...

Thank you one and all!

[pointdablame]

I'm kind of in the same boat as you as I'm still debating what to put in my CP.

It really does depend on your own tastes. I play very few games regularly that use more than 4 buttons, but I'll be adding 6 for fighters and what not. I'm seriously considering adding a 7th button so that I can have a NeoGeo layout and a 2x3 button fighter layout, but that would still be 6 useable buttons.  I was thinking about going with 8 buttons in case I decide to emulate PS1 games, but I don't think I'll end up with that.

I was also thinking that I'd add 3 buttons in between my 4way and spinner for those games. I also was thinking of 2 buttons for the trackball like you mentioned.

Hope that I was a bit of help or at the very least gave you another opinion. I'm very interested to see what everyone else says about this too.

[TalkingOctopus]

I think that the psx games that use 8 buttons would be ill suited for an arcade.  Keep the button count at 6.

[Mugzilla]

I think that the psx games that use 8 buttons would be ill suited for an arcade.  Keep the button count at 6.

Just to play devils advocate: the 2x3 layout for fighter games uses your fingers. What about adding a 7th button for your right hand's thumb?

What would I use it for? COULD it be used for a game I am forgeting? I DO enjoy playing Soul Caliber... (How many buttons does it take?)

NOOB Q: What is a link to find out what buttons/controls existed on all arcade machines?

[pointdablame]

well that 7th button near your thumb is exactly where I'd be putting my 7th. I'd set it so that button and the lower 3 woudl be my neogeo setup and the 2x3 woudl be for fighters and the like.

[Apollo]

Ok well if it's my CP and my fav games then I'll tell ya.
My CP has 2 X 8 way comps with 6 buttons each and MsPac/Galag 4 way with 2 buttons. That's it, no spinner no trackball.

[Bomber]

If you want to play missile command you'll need three trackball buttons. Unless you want to use the joystick buttons for it.

[traknfieldSUPAstar]

I'd have my 8-way sf2 configured buttons double up as the mouse buttons for the track ball as well as the buttons for the 4-way controls... i prefer a minimalist (is that how you spell it?) configuration myself devoid of any admin buttons if possible... just my $0.02

[paigeoliver]

I no longer have any cabinets that mix control types, but when I did I just had the extra controls use the same buttons as the main controls. BTW, it is much more functional to install your 4-way stick directly to the left of the player 1 stick and let it share the player one buttons.

[Mugzilla]

I no longer have any cabinets that mix control types, but when I did I just had the extra controls use the same buttons as the main controls. BTW, it is much more functional to install your 4-way stick directly to the left of the player 1 stick and let it share the player one buttons.

Yes, it would save a few buttons, but would destroy my freshly printed graphics:



I don't want to put too many buttons on top of spidey or wolvie! (And I have this HUGE blank spot in the middle...)

[curtis-r]

I actually combined my player 1 start & player 2 start buttons as right & left mouse-click buttons on my Opti-PAC.  The only problem is when you are editing text (.ini or .rc) files, when you try to click it also can enter "1" or "2".  In hindsight, I would have hidden 2 little Radio Shack push-buttons for the right & left mice functions.

For MAME, you have to have 6 buttons for each player.

BTW, is Soul Caliber available on MAME?  

[hooded_paladin]

For MAME, you have to have 6 buttons for each player.

BTW, is Soul Caliber available on MAME?  

1.  you don't have to
2.  yeah right.  In about 20 years.

[curtis-r]

1.  you don't have to
2.  yeah right.  In about 20 years.

Okay, let me rephrase that:

You don't HAVE to have 6 buttons for each player in MAME, but you really should to allow just about all games to function.  Of course, you can always limit yourself to less-button games.