Suggestions for minimum buttons

[MameMe]

Basically I've decided to go with 3 controllers on my control panel.  The two on each end will more likely be T-Sticks and the middle will be a WICO 4-way.

The WICO dedicated 4-way is when I play alone which will be 90% of the time on games like pacman, mspacman, maybe track n field.  The end sticks will be when nephews come over 10% of t he time and we play fighting games like SF & MK.

The thing I can't decide on is how many buttons I should have for each controller.  From what I gather 6 buttons are minimum for fighter games right?  How about those 4 way games, are 3-4 buttons enough...too much?  I know I don't want 7 buttons on the ends, and to be honest I don't want 6 unless they are absolutely needed for most games.

I guess I just need some advice from your experiences.  Thanks group.

[Tiger-Heli]

The thing I can't decide on is how many buttons I should have for each controller.  From what I gather 6 buttons are minimum for fighter games right?  How about those 4 way games, are 3-4 buttons enough...too much?  I know I don't want 7 buttons on the ends, and to be honest I don't want 6 unless they are absolutely needed for most games.

I guess I just need some advice from your experiences.  Thanks group.

I think you want six on the ends for fighter games.

Question 1 is - for alternating 8-way games (Gyruss, Timepilot, I assume you intend to use the end joystick?)  (I will assume so)

For the 4-way - the next question is "Would I be comfortable using some of the other players buttons for these games?".

If so, you don't need any buttons.

If not, it's a rapid case of diminishing returns -  

0 buttons - Pacman series, others
1 button - DonkeyKong series,Galaga,Galaxian.  (lots of 8-way games, but I won't include them).
2 buttons - don't really know of any, there probably were 1 or 2, lots of alternating 8-way games, but . . .)
3 buttons - only ones I know of were 8-way
4 buttons - probably too many

[Lilwolf]

As for a dedicated 4way... I have a wico leaf and would recommend the extra money for a happs mspacman reunion stick.  The have a smaller throw and feel better in my opinion.

Next..

are you worried about realistate or number of inputs in a keyboard encoder or price per button?

why?  You can easily have the 4way and the 4way buttons use the same inputs as the first player (but a ground cutoff switch is nice to remove the ability of the second player to grab the stick to mess up your super upper cut when they are dizzy).

[MameMe]

Tiger-Heli..so from what you said I think I might only need 1 button for that 4-way in the middle then.  Only because I don't play too many other games that use more than 1 button.  If I do though, I can use the Player 1 joystick & 6 buttons to play pretty much anything.

Instead of using another players buttons I guess I could use Player 1 buttons like suggested.

LilWolf..I am worried about realestate as I don't want a crowded control panel.  I think I can connect the 4-way & the player 1 joystick to some of the same connections on an I-Pac.  So no I'm not worried about that.

Does 1 button for the 4-way & 6 for the end joysticks sound reasonable then?

[Tiger-Heli]

Tiger-Heli..so from what you said I think I might only need 1 button for that 4-way in the middle then.  Only because I don't play too many other games that use more than 1 button.  If I do though, I can use the Player 1 joystick & 6 buttons to play pretty much anything.
Instead of using another players buttons I guess I could use Player 1 buttons like suggested.

I think you will be okay with 1 button.  And you don't need that, but it might be more obvious how to play than having to use P1B1.

Does 1 button for the 4-way & 6 for the end joysticks sound reasonable then?

Personally, I like 7 button layouts like the HotRod SE (even if some are duplicates so only six inputs), to allow for easy Neo-Geo games, but if you never play those - - -

[Daniel270]

Don't forget Stargate and Defender... those require 6 or 7 buttons...

[Tiger-Heli]

Don't forget Stargate and Defender... those require 6 or 7 buttons...

Not really, Stargate needs six, but it's a two-way joystick, not 4-way, so I would use the P1 controls to play it.  Also it's alternating, so you could use both the P1 and P2 buttons for it, depending on the layout.

[paigeoliver]

Real minimum number of buttons is 4.

Little kids will truthfully have just as much fun with the 4 button Neo Geo fighters as they will with the 6 button Capcom ones. I usually put 4-buttons on cabinets that I build for other people, and just leave the capcom fighters off.

[MameMe]

I'm so Indecisive   it makes me mad.   I've had an x-arcade solo for a month now and I haven't used more than 4 buttons.  Even when I play fighter games like MK or SF.  I'm not a hard-core fighter gamer unless its QuakeIII but that's another forum.  

Although... I like the way 6 buttons look on a CP, and I doubt I'll ever use them all.

If I ever decide I'll remember to post it here.