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Qs Re: Required buttons, including admin.
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Ren Hoek:
I'm looking at starting work on my CP.

I have decided to use Happs super joysticks (are these the best for fighting games and shoot-em ups?) and 6 buttons (possibly 7 after reading about Neo Geo games - is anothe rbuton worth it?).  I am looking at including a trackball and spinner if my budget allows it.

How many buttons (if any) are required to accommodate both the trackball and spinner?  I've read up to 3 for the trackball.  I'd like to use the trackball as a mouse, so is 2 enough or do some games use 3?  Furthermore, where is the best positioning for these buttons (above, either side)?  What about the spinner, are buttons needed to assist the spinner for any games?  If so, can any of the other buttons be used instead?

Also, apart from the player 1 and 2 buttons, what additional buttons are required (such as credit buttons - I won't be using a working coin door).  I hear people talking about TAB and ESC etc as buttons programmed into the CP.  I assume these are important buttons for MAME.  Then peopel talk about using a shift button (again I assume to reduce the amount of buttons on the CP).

I would appreciate very much a response to these queries, as I am just about to start work on the CP and don't want to leave any stone unturned.  I have looked around this site but can't find the answers I'm after.
paigeoliver:
You don't need ANY extra buttons besides your 6 buttons for each player and your start buttons. Everything else just adds to panel clutter.

Spinners and trackballs can use the buttons off either player one or two. They DO NOT need dedicated buttons. If you want actual mouse buttons then wire a couple of your other buttons as the mouse buttons (Player 1 and player 2 start are good choices for mouse buttons).

As for the Neo Geo button. Have you extensively played any 4 buttons Neo Geo games in the arcade to an extent that you need the button layout to be the same (only the fighters are 4 button), if so, then go for the Neo Geo layout, otherwise it is just extra cost and extra clutter for no real reason.

The best "secondary" control to add on a budget is a 4-way joystick, or even better a pair of them (one for each player, as they are also better for puzzle games than 8-ways are). They go well directly to the left of each standard joystick, and sharing the same buttons as them.

After a 4-way (hundreds of games use 4-ways) the next best control to add is a trackball (about 60-80 games use trackballs, or at least play well with them). Next up would have to be a spinner (about 20 games).

Of course the sky is the limit when it comes to different controls. The specialty ones are almost endless, 360 wheels, 270 wheels, several kinds of yokes, steering harnesses with buttons, all kinds of shifters and pedals, several kinds of rotary joysticks, 720 spin/joy, Xybots sticks, analog sticks, Wizard of Wor 2x4-Way sticks, positional guns, light guns, up/down spinners, several kinds of top fire sticks, Vindicators controls, Assault sticks, 49-way sticks, several kinds of dance/"Stompin" pads, keyboards, turntables, pressure sensitive buttons (original Street Fighter), several kinds of boxing/arm wrestling controls, 2-way joysticks, 270 spinners (many pre-80 games), levers (Galaxian cocktail and others), bicycle pedals (Prop Cycle), holographic guns (Golly! Ghost!), Frontline spinner (different from others), bowling ball (Hyperbowl), Pinball plunger, roller (Major Havoc), and about a zillion others!
bigjase:
I'm new to this and am about to start my first cab. I do have a question about the amount of buttons. What games/types of games do you need 7 buttons for? I didn't get to the arcade much since I lived in the country, and mainly remember games having 4 buttons, such as Wrestlemania and TMNT. Thanks for your help.
thebrownshow:

--- Quote from: paigeoliver on September 29, 2003, 06:15:08 am ---As for the Neo Geo button. Have you extensively played any 4 buttons Neo Geo games in the arcade to an extent that you need the button layout to be the same (only the fighters are 4 button), if so, then go for the Neo Geo layout, otherwise it is just extra cost and extra clutter for no real reason.

--- End quote ---

I've got to say that I really like the Neo Geo layout for OTHER games -- NBA Jam, for example.  It seems a bit more comfortable to have "turbo" down on that thumb button.
unclet:
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