Can someone please tell me the purpose of an eight button layout?

[jmcginley]

I'm sure this has been discussed several times, but I'm not able to search the site for "8 buttons" (each term needs to have at least two characters) and I didn't see what I'm looking for when searching "eight buttons"

I'm not interested in a debate/argument over what layout is best, I'm just curious if I'll be missing out on anything by having 7 buttons. 3 on top and 4 on bottom (for NEO GEO layout).

I'm not going to be playing any console emulators except maybe NES, SNES, and SEGA. Potentially Dreamcast just for NFL Blitz because I hear it's about the same experience as on MAME, but doesn't need as beefy of a PC.

I've read that no game in MAME requires more than 6 buttons. So all I can think of is PC fighting games that would require 8 buttons. I've heard SF4 and MKX use 8, but also heard that the extra 2 buttons are just combo buttons and are not necessary for game play.

I see control panels and fight sticks everywhere with 8 buttons, is there something I'm not thinking of? Do most PC fighting games use 8 buttons? Or do people just have 8 buttons if they're planning on running a lot of console emulators?

[harveybirdman]

You aren't missing anything.  It's done because some people want console/Steam support on their "arcade" cabinets.

[BadMouth]

Most people who do 8 buttons plan to use their CP with a console, like the xbox360 or PS3. 
The commercially built fight sticks have 8 buttons, so some games expect that you have all those available.

As of now you can get by with 6 for all the PC fighting games.  I like using my 7th button as a consistent "Tag" button across all games, but it is just posting a combo.
I've run SSFIV Ultra (upgraded from the original one step at a time), SFxTekken & MKK with 7 buttons without any issues. 
Injustice is a bit of a PITA.  See the thread in the software subforum.  I wasn't able to get MKX running on my cab because I don't have enough video memory, but I'd bet the controls work about the same as Injustice.

As far as console emulators, I installed them on my old setup but couldn't remember what the hell the buttons did if the game used more than 3 (same goes for steam games).
I didn't bother installing console emulators on my new cab.

So in short: 7 buttons is fine if you aren't planning to use it on a newer console.  There's an argument for Steam games, but in reality the list of games that require that many buttons and don't also require dual analog joysticks is literally only a few.  I've wasted a lot of money on Steam games that looked like they'd play ok on the cab, but required the use of both thumbsticks which doesn't work well on a cab.

Me personally, I've decided it's either 6 or 8 for the next build.
I've found that I don't like using the neo geo 4 in a row anyway, I much prefer to use the top 3 buttons and hit the first button in the second row with my thumb than try to reach over with my pinky or move my hand to get that "D" button.  (this is coming from someone with a Neo Geo themed cabinet that has that D button)

[jmcginley]

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm glad there is nothing lost by using 7 buttons.

I'm going to mess around with a 6 button layout to see if I'd mind doing the NEO GEO layout like you've suggested. I am doing a 4 player machine (which I know is typically frowned upon around here) but because of that reason I want it to look as least intimidating and as clean as possible. Don't want to clutter up the control panel with extra buttons that have no practical use.

[yotsuya]

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm glad there is nothing lost by using 7 buttons.

I'm going to mess around with a 6 button layout to see if I'd mind doing the NEO GEO layout like you've suggested. I am doing a 4 player machine (which I know is typically frowned upon around here) but because of that reason I want it to look as least intimidating and as clean as possible. Don't want to clutter up the control panel with extra buttons that have no practical use.

Nobody frowns on 4 player machines just because they are 4 player machines. There's always other factors involved.

[RTyper56]

some ppl run console emulators in their cabinets, and the only console I can think of thatll use that many buttons is an SNES (A, B, X, Y, L, R, Start, Select)

[BadMouth]

some ppl run console emulators in their cabinets, and the only console I can think of thatll use that many buttons is an SNES (A, B, X, Y, L, R, Start, Select)

You have the player start button for start and if you have a coin button, that can cover select.  It's not until you get into the consoles that had analog thumbsticks that so many buttons are required.

[TapeWormInYourGut]

MOAR BUTTONS



ALSO DIAGONAL JOYSTICKS TOO

[paigeoliver]

Nobody frowns on 4 player machines just because they are 4 player machines. There's always other factors involved.

I often discourage new builders from doing 4 player unless they have a herd of children. You might get your buddies to huddle up and scroll through TMNT with all 4 players one time. It won't ever happen again. Since the arcade hobby is way more about space than it is about money it is usually better to have two separate 2 player cabinets in the same space that 4 player cabinet would eat up.

[8BitMonk]

Another thing to consider for the two buttons in addition to being used for fighting game shortcuts is the Start and Back button on a 360 controller and the ability for the two extra buttons to invoke Shift functions if you don't have any other admin buttons.

[RTyper56]

You have the player start button for start and if you have a coin button, that can cover select.  It's not until you get into the consoles that had analog thumbsticks that so many buttons are required.

agreed.
my build will have 8 buttons per player (2 player), but the buttons wont be 2 rows of 4. I'm having mine as 2 rows of 3, with the last 2 above being the player start, and insert coin/select, and then one more in between the players as an end button to return from the game to the front end.

IMO, if your playing anything higher than an N64, id would just have USB controllers, or console to USB converters to play those games.
Some N64 games you can get away with not using some of the buttons, like the C buttons, and the D pad. not very many games used the D pad anyways.

also IMO, 4 player setups are only good if your having a gauntlet or TMNT cabinet.

[voltz]

Some crazy to think builds would include DOA and vs games because of the 4-player switchoff between tags and of course MK9 seems to support this as well. (I've yet to see anyone base a cabinet for this)  The only thing I have against them are the fact I don't see them on showcase style cabinets where you'd think the room/spacing is convenient.