Launchbox/BigBox questions

[dylaninwv]

Need some helpful advice.

I built my cab quite sometime ago with MAME 0.149 and Maximus Arcade as the front end.

Looking to do an upgrade to latest ROM set for MAME, and want to replace the FE when I do.

I've been looking at LaunchBox, which seems great, but I have some questions about.

Unfortunately, I do not like Hyperspin from an aesthetics perspective - too much flash, too many things going on in the screen at the same time. While LaunchBox does look to be a similar interface to Hyperspin, it does look like it is very customizable, so I am wondering if it is possible to customize LaunchBox to have it be an interface with more of the PROs to the Maximus layout that I like.

So, here's the list of PROs and CONS of both Maximus and Hyperspin that I like:


MAXIMUS
PROs and CONs:
I like the simple scroll down menu list of just the ROMs I like, not all of the them. The CON is I have to edit this list manually. I know that LaunchBox can address the list problem to remove the BIOS, hacks, etc) - can the LaunchBox selection menu be more of the scroll list that the Hyperspin-style wheel?
I like the startup movie option and custom screen saver option.
I like the arcade machine preview with the marquee, static image of the game and the 30 sec video preview of gameplay displaying on the cab on the side
Emulator selection menu - I like the simple swap to the side for selecting the emulators - I only use Coleco, Nintendo, batch files, Daphne, Intellivision, Genesis, and MAME emulators, and a Jukebox.

Things that I didn't like about Launchbox (BigBox) from what I've seen:
Don't like the Hyperspin-style wheel - can this be changed?
Don't like the transparent marquees for game selection in MAME - I like the rectangle style marquees
Can I do custom startup movies, and screen savers?
Can I limit the emulators to just the few, and change how to select the emulators similar to Maximus?
Does Launchbox come with an MP3 jukebox?

Feedback is appreciated. Please note that these are just my preferences that I like - not looking for the old verbal Maximus vs Hyperspin fistfight etc. Just looking for honest feedback to see if Launchbox can be setup the way I prefer.

[nipsmg]

Things that I didn't like about Launchbox (BigBox) from what I've seen:
Don't like the Hyperspin-style wheel - can this be changed?

Yes, check out their forums , themes section.  I like CriticalZone CityHunter, but there are TONS of themes.

Don't like the transparent marquees for game selection in MAME - I like the rectangle style marquees

Again, this is theme dependent

Can I do custom startup movies, and screen savers?

There is an entire forum section just for custom startup videos: https://forums.launchbox-app.com/forum/82-big-box-startup-videos/
There's an attract mode / screen saver built into BigBox.  I don't know if you can do custom screen savers.

Can I limit the emulators to just the few, and change how to select the emulators similar to Maximus?

Absolutely, it's extremely flexible.

Does Launchbox come with an MP3 jukebox?

Not built in, but here's a potential solution:
https://forums.launchbox-app.com/topic/35668-jukebox-platform-in-bigbox/

[dylaninwv]

Thanks nipsmg!!! 

Next big question...

Are the latest versions of MAMEUI and LaunchBox/BigBox compatible with Windows 7, or Windows 10 only? Reason is, I have some batch files that run old games that only run on Windows 98 - which I have running in MS Virtual PC on Win 7 Pro.

[gildahl]

I went from Maximus Arcade to GameEx, personally finding it to be the most similar in "spirit" to it.  You might want to give it a try. 

[Gilrock]

I've never used Maximus Arcade but I'm using Big Box currently.  It looks really nice but I haven't dove too much into configuration stuff.  I definitely have too many options on the initial screen and until I go into the Arcade section and select Favorites I'm finally in a list that guests could navigate.  One thing that I wish they would allow is I keep wanting to navigate everything with the joystick but it seems like you can use the joy right action to move into some areas but other times you have to press a button.  I want to just be able to go right, right, right and then only hit a button to confirm launching a game and then left, left, left anytime I want to back out of a game screen.  It would make navigation so much easier but my idea just invoked negative responses.