MAME Cabinet - How many buttons do I need?

[WillyByte]

I'm building a cabinet limited to games that benefit from a 4-way Joystick.  Most of the games I anticipate installing are listed on the page attached to the link below.

http://armchairarcade.com/neo/node/486

Not including admin, coin, or player buttons is there a simple way to find out how many buttons I'm going to need?  Are there ways to sort game lists by number of buttons required?

[Ian]

From what I can tell, it looks like only 2 buttons. You may want to go 3 just in case.

[WillyByte]

Thank you Ian.  I'm going to make it 3. 

[haynor666]

Iron Horse uses 3 buttons and that's a max but Telephone Mahjong uses also mahjong panel.

[mgb]

3 will definitely cut it for you but I think you'll find two covers pretty much any classic 4-way game.

[paigeoliver]

Iron Horse uses 3 buttons and that's a max but Telephone Mahjong uses also mahjong panel.

Iron Horse is an 8-way game that mame mistakenly lists as 4-way.

The real answer to that question is 2 buttons, unless you want Mouse Trap, in which case you need 4 buttons.

[PL1]

Iron Horse is an 8-way game that mame mistakenly lists as 4-way.

The real answer to that question is 2 buttons, unless you want Mouse Trap, in which case you need 4 buttons.

Iron Horse looks like it allows you to use the whip on a down-right diagonal, but that's just the sprite animation for the down direction.

Gun only shoots in 4 directions.

Movement is only in 4 directions.

Based on first-level gameplay, this doesn't appear to be an 8-way game.

Am I missing something here?   


Scott
P.S. Updated this FAQ entry.

[kooky]

Punch Out / Super Punch-Out has three buttons - those games are awesome and both on your list.

[haynor666]

Iron Horse is 4-way. Just try enter any diagonal and see what happens This game uses 3 buttons - shoot (whip, gun, fist), bomb and kneel.

[PL1]

Punch Out / Super Punch-Out has three buttons - those games are awesome and both on your list.

Good call, Kooky -- added both games to the FAQ.   

Minor correction, Super Punch-Out!! needs a 4th button for duck. (Verified in MAME)

Control : 4-way joystick (pull up on the joystick to duck)

Buttons : 3

=> [1] LEFT BLOW, [2] RIGHT BLOW, [3] KNOCKOUT BLOW

Scott

[PL1]

Took a closer look at the list linked in OP and noticed that Karate Champ is on it. (two 4-way joysticks per player)



I'd take the list as a good starting point, but check the entries since the guy who compiled it posted this reply:

Hi Bill, thanks for this list. I'm wondering if I'll need (two) 4-way sticks for any of these? For instance, if PacMan was simultaneous two-player. Thanks much...

No, they're all pretty much one player alternating, so only one joystick is needed.

Interesting side note: The source Bill credits for the list is this BYOAC thread from 12 1/2 years ago.

Paigeoliver started that thread -- his 83rd post here -- 10,052 posts ago.        


Scott

[paigeoliver]

I was mistaken, Iron Horse is indeed 4-way.

Iron Horse is an 8-way game that mame mistakenly lists as 4-way.

The real answer to that question is 2 buttons, unless you want Mouse Trap, in which case you need 4 buttons.

Iron Horse looks like it allows you to use the whip on a down-right diagonal, but that's just the sprite animation for the down direction.

Gun only shoots in 4 directions.

Movement is only in 4 directions.

Based on first-level gameplay, this doesn't appear to be an 8-way game.

Am I missing something here?   


Scott
P.S. Updated this FAQ entry.

[keilmillerjr]

You don't need admin buttons.

[DeLuSioNal29]

I have 3 on my 4-way CP, just in case.  I'm using a xx-in-1 and in the service menu it needs 3 buttons to navigate around.  So I'd go with 3 to be safe.

D

[WillyByte]

Just found out (or reminded after 30 years of not having played) that Defender requires 5 buttons.   It's not a 4-way joystick game as I specified in my original question and I am thrilled with the 3 button CP I built.  Still, I'm adding this comment in case it's helpful to anyone who may see this down the road and is at a similar stage of planning/building.

Defender
Joystick: 2-way (up, down)
Buttons: 5 [Fire-Thrust-Reverse-Hyperspace-Smart Bomb]

[Thenasty]

unless you run the HACK for Defender and it brings you down to 3 buttons (Fire, SmartBomb, Hyperspace)

The hack if I remember correctly you use the LEFT/RIGHT on the Joystick to REVERSE/Thrust.