Too many emulators in cab?

[eds1275]

y'allsa buncha haters hatin'

[yotsuya]

y'allsa buncha haters hatin'

[leapinlew]

Well, first there was this:

Coming up with completely imaginary rules and problems like “game list clutter” and “the controls never map right” and “you can’t stand in front of a cabinet for 100 hours to play an RPG” and “this was not meant to be played with that” is not constructive or useful to anybody coming here to seek information.

And you emphatically agree with him:

Cynicaster's final paragraph hit the nail on the head.

And then shortly thereafter you say this:

The one practical difference I've run into between console games and arcade games is that starting an arcade game is always intuitive (not from the front-end, but from the game's attract mode), while it's not always obvious for console games. Many are easy enough, but some of them require an arcane sequence consisting of a mix of the "start" button plus an arbitrary gamepad button.     

So he hit it on the head but you have an opinion on controls not mapping properly... this is a completely imaginary rule of yours, right? I mean, how dare you try to offer advice, lol. You better watch it or some jerkwad wannabe will call you an elitist. Seriously Drake, you are coming off like a total pisser in this.

Here is a post where a guy wants advice for a 4 player panel: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,149654.0.html and of course, people are suggesting angling joysticks and amount of buttons. You two better get in there and tell them what snobs they are and that everyone has different opinions.

[CheffoJeffo]

Oh ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- ... now they're talking about the (in)suitability of arcade controls for console games! 

[yotsuya]

Don't worry, I'll advise him to smoke a bowl and play Zelda once the temperature rises....

[Hoopz]

Buying Terabytes of Roms online sounds like an excellent use of the free market system.   

[Richardgregory]

I didn't expect my original post to have generated so much feedback and conflict   

Thanks all for the opinions.  For my own, I'm going to stick with MAME and maybe NES (for Super Mario) and that's it.  Oh, and yes, Daphne for Dragon's Lair.

MAME does have many titles, but a good bulk of them are crappy, so I'll have to filter those titles as well instead of cluttering the menu selections.

[leapinlew]

I didn't expect my original post to have generated so much feedback and conflict   

It happens sometimes. For the most part, it's nothing too serious. At least, I don't take it too serious.

Thanks all for the opinions.  For my own, I'm going to stick with MAME and maybe NES (for Super Mario) and that's it.  Oh, and yes, Daphne for Dragon's Lair.

MAME does have many titles, but a good bulk of them are crappy, so I'll have to filter those titles as well instead of cluttering the menu selections.

Is there some reason you want to play the NES version of Super Mario instead of the arcade version (I think it's called VS. Mario).

As for the clutter, are you using ROMlister to help create a list of titles that work with your controls first? That's my starting point. I create a big list of games that work with my controls and select other desirable criteria.

[EMDB]

Thanks all for the opinions.  For my own, I'm going to stick with MAME and maybe NES (for Super Mario) and that's it.  Oh, and yes, Daphne for Dragon's Lair.

MAME does have many titles, but a good bulk of them are crappy, so I'll have to filter those titles as well instead of cluttering the menu selections.

Is there some reason you want to play the NES version of Super Mario instead of the arcade version (I think it's called VS. Mario).

As for the clutter, are you using ROMlister to help create a list of titles that work with your controls first? That's my starting point. I create a big list of games that work with my controls and select other desirable criteria.

Mario Bros is completely different from Super Mario. Add SNES emulation for really nice Super Mario World versions which look nice and play great with arcade controls

[leapinlew]

Mario Bros is completely different from Super Mario.

Right, I meant vs Super Mario Bros. I don't think there is a VS Mario.

[Cynicaster]

I didn't cite those examples so I can respond to them.  If you add up all the emulated games, they exceed 30,000 especially when you consider multiple revisions of a game and multiple regions. As for terabytes, that's super easy to do if you have disk based systems emulated and all the ISOs. The PSX and Saturn libraries will have you exceed 2 terabytes. I mean the fact they sell 4TB drives preloaded with roms on the internet should give you some idea of how much data a full library of everything could take up. Lastly I had *WELL OVER* 100 hours in Chrono Trigger, probably close to that in Final Fantasy 6 aka Final Fantasy 3 and probably 150 in Tales Of Vesperia (new game+ and the grade shop are addictive!). Hell I have over 500 hours in Diablo 3/ROS. So just because you havent experienced it or think its not possible, doesnt mean that it is impossible.

When I said "exaggerated" I was talking about the extent to which some of us use console emulation being exaggerated.  I don't doubt for a second that there are 2TB of roms our there or RPGs that run for 100 hours. 

I've been saying all along that it's not "all or nothing" with console emulation.  One does not need to "commit" to an unwieldy list of 30,000 games just for the sake of playing the ones they enjoy, that play well with arcade controls. 

Yet, almost every post on here that has railed against console emulation has begun by framing the notion with some ridiculous scenario that not one person has recommended--30,000 games, 100 hour RPGs, smoking pot with Zelda (??)--then proceeded to mock it and rip it down. 

It's interesting that nobody has responded head-on to the specific idea of playing certain 8- and 16-bit era console games and provided a good reason why it would be ill-advised.... presumably, because there is no good reason, and the games inarguably play great with arcade controls.  But clearly, it's deemed terribly uncool to admit this, hence the use of easy-to-mock scenarios that not one person has actually advocated.   

[monkeybomb]

It's interesting that nobody has responded head-on to the specific idea of playing certain 8- and 16-bit era console games and provided a good reason why it would be ill-advised.... presumably, because there is no good reason, and the games inarguably play great with arcade controls.  But clearly, it's deemed terribly uncool to admit this, hence the use of easy-to-mock scenarios that not one person has actually advocated.

People like what they like and fill in reasons after.  The reason not to play is if someone doesn't like it.  The consistent advice from everyone is play whatever way makes you happy.  For many of us that's console games on the couch and arcade games on the arcade.  But some guys actually like getting kicked in the balls, so Zelda on a cabinet isn't that crazy if it floats your boat.

[DrakeTungsten]

Yet, almost every post on here that has railed against console emulation has begun by framing the notion with some ridiculous scenario that not one person has recommended--30,000 games, 100 hour RPGs, smoking pot with Zelda (??)--then proceeded to mock it and rip it down.

There's a fine line between optimism and stubbornness. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect rubbing their noses in reality yet again will yield any more results than past attempts.

The topper was when one of them claimed  "We MADE those mistakes ourselves"* So everyone in the circle jerk** built a cab which included console controllers to play an epic-length RPG, only to realize after standing there playing it for hours that it was a bad idea? That most assuredly is not a reason to value their judgment.

It's interesting that nobody has responded head-on to the specific idea of playing certain 8- and 16-bit era console games and provided a good reason why it would be ill-advised

Hey, wait a minute, I have.  "Ill-advised" would be a little strong, but at least, in my second post, I brought up a challenge to playing these games which is in fact unique to console gaming (given that we are discussing otherwise cabinet-friendly console games.) It was a minor challenge to me, but I can see people throwing it in the "con" column for consoles. No disrespect to Cynicaster, but the challenge I mention is described up-thread if you're interested. Repeating it would just create one more opportunity to have a straw man constructed from something I've said. (If the circle-jerkers want to find it, just look for the post where I called you all elitists, recommended a TB worth of isos, and said mothers are notorious free-loaders and glory-hounds)

*Used to be a paraphrase. The original quote works better. Thanks Lew!

** I know, if I only stopped pointing that out, you'd deign to finally be reasonable. That's what's been holding you guys back. Just like saying "I don't think you're elitists" put an end to the "elitist" martyrdom, right?

[yotsuya]

It's interesting that nobody has responded head-on to the specific idea of playing certain 8- and 16-bit era console games and provided a good reason why it would be ill-advised.... presumably, because there is no good reason, and the games inarguably play great with arcade controls.  But clearly, it's deemed terribly uncool to admit this, hence the use of easy-to-mock scenarios that not one person has actually advocated.

People like what they like and fill in reasons after.  The reason not to play is if someone doesn't like it.  The consistent advice from everyone is play whatever way makes you happy.  For many of us that's console games on the couch and arcade games on the arcade.  But some guys actually like getting kicked in the balls, so Zelda on a cabinet isn't that crazy if it floats your boat.

Well said.

I'm consistent with the advice I give. "Based on my experience, your best bet is to limit your arcade cab to MAME." (I would add Daphne as well) That doesn't mean you CAN'T add other emulators, but again, based on my experience, I wouldn't. The problem is people will always point out the two or three SNES games that are playable, but usually the N00b doesn't stop at those 2 or 3, which is where you get the 30000 games. So if someone ASKS, like the OP did, that's why I give the advice that I do.

Oh, and if you don't get the "smoke a bowl" reference, you haven't seen "Analyze This".

[harveybirdman]

I have support for NES, Genesis, Snes, Psx, TurboGraphix16, and PC Engine CD rom all on my MAME setup.  Not to mention I originally intended to have PC, N64, and Dreamcast support.

It's not that some titles don't play well on arcade contols, I concede that I have a blast playing Lords of Thunder, Alleste, Zanac, and more.  On slow machines, Nulldc and Epsxe, are important if you want 3D games to work.

But from a practicality standpoint you have to admit that the majority of all the games on the libraries were intended to be played from the couch  or in the case of the 8 Bit systems derived from a superior arcade version.

What I have experienced and what countless others have mentioned in this thread is that  guests tend to become paralyzed by the sheer volume of choices when it comes to picking a game.

Also it is completely honest when I say that I like countless others began with the notion of one cabinet to play every game I could ever possibly want to play.  Over the years I've found that such a plan is not only impractical but not very pretty either.  I'm certainly not the only one that believes so.

At the end of the day I agree with you, some console games can be and should be enjoyed on Arcade controls, however the vast majority of console libraries may subtract more than they add to a project.

[yotsuya]

Yet, almost every post on here that has railed against console emulation has begun by framing the notion with some ridiculous scenario that not one person has recommended--30,000 games, 100 hour RPGs, smoking pot with Zelda (??)--then proceeded to mock it and rip it down.

There's a fine line between optimism and stubbornness. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't expect rubbing their noses in reality yet again will yield any more results than past attempts.

The topper was when one of them claimed "you should listen to us because we've already made these mistakes ourselves". So everyone in the circle jerk built a cab which included console controllers to play an epic-length RPG, only to realize after standing there playing it for hours that it was a bad idea? That most assuredly is not a reason to value their judgment.

It's interesting that nobody has responded head-on to the specific idea of playing certain 8- and 16-bit era console games and provided a good reason why it would be ill-advised

Hey, wait a minute, I have.  "Ill-advised" would be a little strong, but at least, in my second post, I brought up a challenge to playing these games which is in fact unique to console gaming (given that we are discussing otherwise cabinet-friendly console games.) It was a minor challenge to me, but I can see people throwing it in the "con" column for consoles. No disrespect to Cynicaster, but the challenge is described up-thread if you're interested. Repeating it would just be one more chance to have a straw man constructed from something I've said.

Again with the circle jerk comment. Someone must have had a disappointing Saturday night.

Yes, before you fill a 1 TB hard drive with every game known to man and proclaim it the most awesome retro gaming machine ever, only to watch your disappointed friends walk away from your cab because it didn't play "Goldeneye" in a way that is even remotely fun, you SHOULD listen to people who have made that mistake before. They know what they're talking about. After all, the best advice should come from some semblance of experience. Otherwise, it's just pulling stuff out of your ass.

[leapinlew]

The topper was when one of them claimed "you should listen to us because we've already made these mistakes ourselves".

Fun fact, no one actually said that sentence you put in quotes.  

Yotsuya said: "We MADE those mistakes ourselves, and we're trying to help others in their process."

So, that's a little different I'd say. What exactly is your beef Drake? You mad that we are sharing our experiences and not sprinkling enough YMMV and IMO statements?

[leapinlew]

Nearly everyone has said do whatever you want, or some variant of that. No one has taken a hard line stance that there is only one way to build a cabinet despite efforts to typecast a segment of BYOAC'ers.

Think about where this is being posted. This is an arcade forum. Of course opinions are going to be slanted towards playing arcade games on your arcade cabinet and consoles on the couch. Go to a console forum and it wouldn't surprise me if the opinions there are slanted for using gamepads. This shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

[DrakeTungsten]

Well, first there was this:

Coming up with completely imaginary rules and problems like “game list clutter” and “the controls never map right” and “you can’t stand in front of a cabinet for 100 hours to play an RPG” and “this was not meant to be played with that” is not constructive or useful to anybody coming here to seek information.

And you emphatically agree with him:

Cynicaster's final paragraph hit the nail on the head.

And then shortly thereafter you say this:

The one practical difference I've run into between console games and arcade games is that starting an arcade game is always intuitive (not from the front-end, but from the game's attract mode), while it's not always obvious for console games. Many are easy enough, but some of them require an arcane sequence consisting of a mix of the "start" button plus an arbitrary gamepad button.     

So he hit it on the head but you have an opinion on controls not mapping properly... this is a completely imaginary rule of yours, right? I mean, how dare you try to offer advice, lol. You better watch it or some jerkwad wannabe will call you an elitist. Seriously Drake, you are coming off like a total pisser in this.

Here is a post where a guy wants advice for a 4 player panel: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,149654.0.html and of course, people are suggesting angling joysticks and amount of buttons. You two better get in there and tell them what snobs they are and that everyone has different opinions.

Wait, this didn't only throw Cheffo for a loop? God help me, I'm going to try to walk you through this...

Cynicaster's first sentence said "rules and problems", right?  So the phrase in question could either mean he was intending to describe one category of things which has some properties of rules and some properties of problems, or the list which followed contained two types of items - "rules" items and "problem" items. Are you with me so far?

Edit: Oh never mind, I just noticed you're still an "elitist" martyr, despite the fact that I said I don't think of anybody here as an elitist. Hopeless.

[Hoopz]

I don't even know what you guys are arguing about at this point.  If anyone needs a specific example, playing Intellivision games via Nostalgia on a cabinet would be awful. The directional pad is a 16-way, 12 buttons on the keypad that are used in particular patterns sometimes (baseball) that wouldn't translate well to bottoms on a Cap, along with the side buttons (4 that were mostly used as tops and bottoms mapped in most games), means that the controls simply don't carry over.

For lesser consoles (Atari ---steaming pile of meadow muffin---, Nintendo crap, etc) that had inferior games and basic controls for slower kids purchased by parents who didn't love them as much, maybe it'll work. YMMFV and IMOP.

Queue circle jerk.

[yotsuya]

Queue circle jerk.

We're saving it for Saturday night at ZapCon. DeL's room. Bring gloves.

[CheffoJeffo]

Wait, this didn't only throw Cheffo for a loop? God help me, I'm going to try to walk you through this...

Cynicaster's first sentence said "rules and problems", right?  So the phrase in question could either mean he was intending to describe one category of things which has some properties of rules and some properties of problems, or the list which followed contained two types of items - "rules" items and "problem" items. Are you with me so far?

Edit: Oh never mind, I just noticed you're still an "elitist" martyr, despite the fact that I said I don't think of anybody here as an elitist. Hopeless.

I gotta say, I admire your tenacity and capacity for outrage. Trying to use comprehenionsal ridicule to make your point and to win friends is a bold strategy. I can't wait to see how it works out for you.

Go the extra step and talking about actual language as if it were a programming language? Stroke of genius!

Insult, dismiss and walk away instead of completing your point? It's like a simulated mike drop. Wow.

Thing is, Billy Joel, if you are going to mock people for the way they interpret the written word, you can't lead off with a sentence that doesn't even parse properly.

"only throw Cheffo"

You can do better and you'll have to if you ever want to get out of the slush pile.

[Hoopz]

Queue circle jerk.

We're saving it for Saturday night at ZapCon. DeL's room. Bring gloves.

A good host would provide them.

[yotsuya]

Queue circle jerk.

We're saving it for Saturday night at ZapCon. DeL's room. Bring gloves.

A good host would provide them.

True. I'll make sure they're in the swag bags.

[Hoopz]

Queue circle jerk.

We're saving it for Saturday night at ZapCon. DeL's room. Bring gloves.

A good host would provide them.

True. I'll make sure they're in the swag bags.

+1 rep for you

[DrakeTungsten]

I didn't expect my original post to have generated so much feedback and conflict   

Thanks all for the opinions.  For my own, I'm going to stick with MAME and maybe NES (for Super Mario) and that's it.  Oh, and yes, Daphne for Dragon's Lair.

MAME does have many titles, but a good bulk of them are crappy, so I'll have to filter those titles as well instead of cluttering the menu selections.

Glad to hear you were able to cut through the BS and perhaps found worthwhile advice.

[yotsuya]

Queue circle jerk.

We're saving it for Saturday night at ZapCon. DeL's room. Bring gloves.

A good host would provide them.

True. I'll make sure they're in the swag bags.

+1 rep for you

I'm a man of my word...

[P.H.U.]

When my CRT based MAME cab is finished, I am going to keep it to MAME, Zinc, Daphne, and Dreamcast, just for arcade games. I want to keep it for arcade games because they were all designed for quick entertainment while standing and being social. These games were hugely profitable for game makers and operators all while doing it a quarter at a time. It is a different experience. If I want to play a console game which requires long investments in time, I would rather be on a couch. But that is just me. I have no desire to play 2600, Colecovision, etc because most of the libraries there were just arcade ports.

Part of the problem you mention is that you are using HyperSpin. I love HyperSpin and contribute frequently on their board. But once you have a certain number of systems, it becomes no longer fun. I know a lot of HyperSpin guys that set up systems just because. It is really difficult to get HyperSpin to launch favorites from different systems. Wish Bad Boy Bill would make that easier. Anyways, might want to get a different, more simple FE if you are torn.

[DrakeTungsten]

The consistent advice from everyone is play whatever way makes you happy.

Yes, some folks contribute such fortune cookie advice off that bat, and others will resort to it only after being pressed about the rest of their "advice". Except it's nothing more than a feel-good gesture. It isn't particularly helpful, especially when everything else leading up to it is decidedly unhelpful. A functioning human being doesn't already know to have fun by doing what makes them happy? "Make yourself happy" is what their massive experience ultimately brings to the table? You can just as easily get that from a grandmothers' knitting forum.

Rational person: "What are the pitfalls of playing console games on your cabinet?"
Circle jerk: "They were made for the couch/they're too long/files are too big/various control issues/game lists will be too long".
Rational person: "Thanks, but none of those objections apply to my preferences or the games I intend to run. I'm baffled that none of you experienced sages did not think to address this yet, but what about console games that are arcade-like?"
Circle jerk: "Respect the 'arcade' in 'arcade cabinet'/you're not recreating my childhood".
Rational person: "Huh?"
Circle jerk: "Play what makes you happy."

Yeah, that's not helpful. It wasn't like this when I first started visiting this site.
 

[yotsuya]

The consistent advice from everyone is play whatever way makes you happy.

If you press them, then yes, you usually end up with this. While it's a feel-good gesture, it isn't particularly helpful, especially when everything else is decidedly unhelpful.

Noob: "What are the pitfalls of playing console games on your cabinet?"
Circle jerk: "They were made for the couch/they're too long/files are too big (an odd complaint in 2016)/various control issues".
Noob: "What about the cabinet-friendly 8-bit and 16-bit games?"
Circle jerk: "Respect the 'arcade' in 'arcade cabinet'/you're not recreating my childhood".
Noob: "Huh?"
Circle jerk: "Play what makes you happy."

Yeah, that's not helpful.

"Play whatever makes you happy", quite frankly, is a reaction that is kind of akin to "You're not listening to me, so do whatever the hell you want, I don't care anymore."

Only in this case, the OP is fine with our advice, it's just you and your fascination with circle jerks that's not.

[leapinlew]

The consistent advice from everyone is play whatever way makes you happy.

If you press them, then yes, you usually end up with this. While it's a feel-good gesture, it isn't particularly helpful, especially when everything else is decidedly unhelpful.

Noob: "What are the pitfalls of playing console games on your cabinet?"
Circle jerk: "They were made for the couch/they're too long/files are too big (an odd complaint in 2016)/various control issues".
Noob: "What about the cabinet-friendly 8-bit and 16-bit games?"
Circle jerk: "Respect the 'arcade' in 'arcade cabinet'/you're not recreating my childhood".
Noob: "Huh?"
Circle jerk: "Play what makes you happy."

Yeah, that's not helpful.

I guess you read what you want. So... how was your comment helpful... at all... to anyone... anywhere? Just inflammatory trollish behavior.

Also, this wasn't a n00b asking for advice on the pitfalls of playing console games on his arcade cabinet. It was someone who asked for other peoples thoughts after he had decided that running all the emulators on his machine was too much. At that point, many of us commented how we also traveled down the same path. If I were to recreate the conversation, it looks like this:

MAME guy: "I have found too many emulators on my cabinet is a pain, what do you think?"
Team SuperHappyFunTime: "Totally agree. I built a cab to rule them on when I first started and learned they were made for the couch/they're too long/files are too big/various control issues".
Team IDoItMyWay: "HEY NOT EVERYONE DOES EVERYTHING THE SAME WAY. YOU GUYS ARE MEAN CIRCLEJERKS!!!"
Team SuperHappyFunTime: "Do whatever you want. We are just sharing experiences we've had and seen many others have"
Team IDoItMyWay: "CIRCLEJERKS!!! YOU JUST WANT PEOPLE TO ONLY DO THINGS YOUR WAY. YOU GUYS HAVE POOR READING COMPREHENSION AND ARE MEAN. ALSO, YOU ARE MEAN."
See, it's easy if you just make up a conversation in your head. ;P

To any noob who reads this. First, I'm sorry, lol. Second, if you want proof this place isn't full of the kind of people and attitudes DrakeTungsten is talking about, go look in project announcements where people are actually building things. How many people are getting roasted for going their own way? Practically none. This is a great community, but we do get a few DrakeTungsten types from time to time. He should get off it and give it a chance.

[yotsuya]

Kinda fitting...

[CheffoJeffo]

To any noob who reads this. First, I'm sorry, lol. Second, if you want proof this place isn't full of the kind of people and attitudes DrakeTungsten is talking about, go look in project announcements where people are actually building things. How many people are getting roasted for going their own way? Practically none. This is a great community, but we do get a few DrakeTungsten types from time to time. He should get off it and give it a chance.

This.

DT has been running off his personal characterizations of people, demonizing and insulting them, spouting "circle jerk! circle jerk! circle jerk!" without any reasonable clue who those people are or even what they are saying. He seems to be fixed and firm in his belief that they aren't helpful. He's wrong and he's being a dick. ---fudgesicle--- that.

[Le Chuck]

Whatever you build - whatever the control scheme - whatever the monitor orientation - one thing will make sure it's successful at your next get together.  ONE THING. 



Make sure it can play Boonga Boonga. 

[Cynicaster]

I actually started out as MAME only; in fact, if I searched back on this site, I could probably find at least one post from me advising somebody that console emulators on the cabinet are a waste of time.  But, I changed my tune somewhat as I observed how things played out over time.   

Of all my extended family and friends, very few of them appreciate retro video games like me.  What I found over the years was that most people visiting my house and going “wow, cool!” at my MAME cabinet make no distinction between “arcade games” and “console games.”  To them, they’re all just old video games, somehow brought back to life as if by magic, on this big machine I built.  They don’t know what emulators are, what ROMs are, etc.

“Do you have that Ice Hockey game where you get to pick the fat, skinny, or medium guys?”
“Do you have Mario Kart?”
“Load up that one fighting game we used to play… what’s it called… Streets of Rage!”
“Do you have Miner 2049er?”
“Do you have Enduro?”

I’d have to explain, “nah, sorry, this thing only plays arcade games.”  I could always tell they didn’t really get what I meant by that.  After all, I probably just finished explaining to them that there is a PC inside the cabinet… so what’s this about arcade games again? 

Finally, I decided to load up an NES emulator due to the preponderance of requests for NES games.  The next time somebody asked for Super Mario 3, I was ready.  And I realized it wasn’t all that bad; I’d get playing some of the games with friends and end up enjoying it.  So, I added a few more emulators for consoles I personally had (Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Genesis).  I tried some others, and ended up deleting them because they didn’t work very well with the controls (Atari 5200 comes to mind, I’ve still got INTV on there but probably not for much longer).

I remember playing Robotron X on the original Playstation, but when playing on the actual console you’d have to use the stupid d-pad for movement and the face buttons to shoot.  Now I’ve got that game running on my cabinet with twin sticks… pretty damn cool; vastly superior to even the “real” experience of the original hardware. 

So, MY advice to noobs reading this thread is this: don’t spend a thousand hours laboriously loading up every emulator and rom you can find, “just because”.  That’s a recipe for burning yourself out.  But, if you think of something from your past that you want to play with arcade controls (8- and 16-bit era shooters and beat-em-ups are great choices, as are SOME platform games), or if you just want to explore some old games on different platforms out of curiosity, there’s no harm in giving it a whirl on your cabinet.  Some of them are great fun, others not so much.  Keep the ones you like, ditch the ones you don’t. 

[yotsuya]

I actually started out as MAME only; in fact, if I searched back on this site, I could probably find at least one post from me advising somebody that console emulators on the cabinet are a waste of time.  But, I changed my tune somewhat as I observed how things played out over time.   

Of all my extended family and friends, very few of them appreciate retro video games like me.  What I found over the years was that most people visiting my house and going “wow, cool!” at my MAME cabinet make no distinction between “arcade games” and “console games.”  To them, they’re all just old video games, somehow brought back to life as if by magic, on this big machine I built.  They don’t know what emulators are, what ROMs are, etc.

“Do you have that Ice Hockey game where you get to pick the fat, skinny, or medium guys?”
“Do you have Mario Kart?”
“Load up that one fighting game we used to play… what’s it called… Streets of Rage!”
“Do you have Miner 2049er?”
“Do you have Enduro?”

I’d have to explain, “nah, sorry, this thing only plays arcade games.”  I could always tell they didn’t really get what I meant by that.  After all, I probably just finished explaining to them that there is a PC inside the cabinet… so what’s this about arcade games again? 

Finally, I decided to load up an NES emulator due to the preponderance of requests for NES games.  The next time somebody asked for Super Mario 3, I was ready.  And I realized it wasn’t all that bad; I’d get playing some of the games with friends and end up enjoying it.  So, I added a few more emulators for consoles I personally had (Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Genesis).  I tried some others, and ended up deleting them because they didn’t work very well with the controls (Atari 5200 comes to mind, I’ve still got INTV on there but probably not for much longer).

I remember playing Robotron X on the original Playstation, but when playing on the actual console you’d have to use the stupid d-pad for movement and the face buttons to shoot.  Now I’ve got that game running on my cabinet with twin sticks… pretty damn cool; vastly superior to even the “real” experience of the original hardware. 

So, MY advice to noobs reading this thread is this: don’t spend a thousand hours laboriously loading up every emulator and rom you can find, “just because”.  That’s a recipe for burning yourself out.  But, if you think of something from your past that you want to play with arcade controls (8- and 16-bit era shooters and beat-em-ups are great choices, as are SOME platform games), or if you just want to explore some old games on different platforms out of curiosity, there’s no harm in giving it a whirl on your cabinet.  Some of them are great fun, others not so much.  Keep the ones you like, ditch the ones you don’t.

I think that is both very fair and well said. Good for you.