Multi-game CP Overlays?

[willhs]

Hi,

I'm working on a 4 player CP that is essentially a "reasonable" frankenpanel.  I've been searching, and haven't found an answer to this question.  Has anyone made a CP overlay that incorporates button function?  For example, having bits of original art that indicate which buttons are punch, kick, block in fighting games, and have some other generic ones for "jump," "kick," "mutant ability," and whatever for the more common games?  I realize it isn't totally possible to label each button for all use cases, but it seems like you could get somewhat close.  But, given that I can't find any example of this even being tried, maybe it really is too hard?

The reason I ask is that I noticed people try to figure out what the buttons do by looking at the panel, particularly if they are jumping into a 4 player game.

Bonus question:  Has anyone put a harddrive into their portable panel, hooked into a USB hub, so they can carry their games with their panel?  I also can't find an example of that.  Generally, people either make a standalone controller, or they build an entire computer into their panel.

Thanks,
Will

[willhs]

To elaborate just a bit, I did some searching and put together the list of the "big" fighting games.  There is a lot of overlap, but Mortal Kombat is the main outlier.  I've lined it up in a sort of layout below.  I hope that makes sense.

Tekken         Punch left         punch right         
Killer Instinct      High attack Quick   High attack Medium   High attack Fierce
Street Fighter      Light punch      Medium punch      Heavy punch
Mortal Kombat      High punch      Block         High kick

Buttons:         [one]         [two]         [three]
Buttons:         [four]         [five]         [six]

Mortal Kombat      Low punch      Run (moved here)    Low kick
Street Fighter      Light kick         Medium kick      Heavy kick
Killer Instinct      Low attack Quick   Low attack Medium   Low attack Fierce
Tekken         Kick left         Kick right         

I would also map 3 of the buttons to the typical buttons used in 4 player games like x-men.  I'd probably use [four], [two] and [six] (or [three]) for the "jump," "kick," "special" that are usually used in those games.

[aldub516]

My only two cents would be this.. The "almost close" idea on the buttons labels is no good. Even one game that would be labeled wrong would make it pointless. At that point how does someone even know which games are right or wrong. With roughly 2,000 "playable" games, the label idea is not something I'd
Go with. As for the portable gaming.. I built a whole pedestal, but all the electronics were in the control panel.. So as big as the whole thing was, it was all mostly empty shell. I could take out 3 bolts, and carry my whole cp top away, plug it into a TV and wall and play anywhere. A pc motherboard and other parts aren't that big.. If u can fit it inside the wood box of the panel, it's portable I'll upload a pic of my build for u tomorrow