Can someone explain how this machine uses player 1 and player 2 buttons?

[pcdoctor]

This is the first mame machine I've seen that has player 1 controls but two player buttons.
How is this acomplished?
How can player two use the same buttons as player 1?
Wait, I think I just answered my own question, the encoder is programmed for the same buttons for both players except the player 1 and player 2 buttons, right?

[JamesS]

Back in the old days.  There was only one set of controls, before the fighters.

Now what people did is, put in two quarters and hit the 2 person play.  Then get this, those people would alternate.  When player 1 died, player 2 would get to the control and play.

Crazy, crazy I know.  But that is how it was back in the day.

[pcdoctor]

So, if I wanted a machine like this, how would this be acomplished with an iPac or some other keyboard encoder?
I wonder what encoder this company is using?
I'm going to email them and ask.

[zaphod]

The controls are wired to the Player 1 inputs only.  Very straight forward.  The MAME emulator is what alternates player one and player 2's turns.  Pacman, Dig Dug, Donkey Kong, etc, etc all used this method.

[Santoro]

OMG  do I feel old all of a sudden.

 

[Stingray]

You and me both! Dang kids!  

-S

[zaphod]

Scary thing is, I had never played an arcade game that allowed two players at once until MAME.  Had been out of the commercial arcades for that long.  Still fondly remember spending hours at a Pacman cocktail at a local establishment.

[ErikRuud]

There were two player simultaneous games back in the day.  Not many but they were out there.

Warrior (The first two player fighter!)
Rip Off
Armour Attack
Atari Football(some even had 4 players)
Many of the old black and white tank and plane games were two player.

And of course PONG!!!!

I'm sure there were more that escape me right now.

[Stingray]

Don't forget Joust! The KING of two player simultanious play!

-S

[ErikRuud]

Also Space Wars.

[JustMichael]

And Space Duel!!!!!!!!!!!

[eightbit]

Where is that picture from?

[pcdoctor]

Thanks for the replies guys!

The picture is from www.lunacade.com

[shmokes]

Joust  is two-player simultaneous.

And I don't think you'd wire them both up to 1 player.  You don't want the game to alternate between player 1's turn and player 2's turn just because you put in more than one quarter.  

Am I wrong?  I haven't wired a panel yet (soon.....very soon....), but this is what makes sense to me.

[CM]

... and then the marketing guy at the end of the table said:

"I bet we can get more money into the machine if we make them play simultaneously!  This player-1/player-2 switching is just slowing down the QTR (quarter throughput ratio)"  

[Trenchbroom]

Don't forget "Warlords" or the "Sprint" series.  Great multiplayer fun.

Us old busters need a place just for ourselves.  I swear this is true:  saw a post on an electronic forum from some kid a few months ago.  He said that he was given a TV and that he needed help with it --he thought it was broken because it only shows the picture in black and white.  The best part was it took about 20 posts of people trying to help him before an old buster of vintage age (i.e. 30 or so) posted the obvious question:  is it a black and white TV?

Yep, it was.  

Addendum:

Reread this post--didn't want to come across as mean-spirited (crotchety?).  Glad PCDoctor got some help--that's what this forum is here for.  Just commenting on how time passes you by..

[spidermonkey]

JamesS, don't you have some dance dance generation party you should be attending right now rather then making us veterans feel like grandpa Simpson ?   .
Damn, I think I just found another gray but I can't reach the scissors unless somebody helps me out of my Rascal.

[Harakiri]

I remember the time when i had a sleazy 8-bit multigames console from atlantis and had to play 2 player games alternate with only one pad! I don't remember wich games were exactly but i remember playing Road Fighter alternating, i was kinda frustrating because the pad was falling apart!  

And i'm only 19...  

[JamesS]

Hey guys I am 36, I was speaking in Sarcasm terms hehe.