How can anyone live without a spinner?

[johnnysmitch]

I just started building my freestanding revolving control panel of death this weekend, and I couldn't resist making a quick temp panel for a couple buttons, trackball, and SPINNER - seriously guys, why even bother building a CP without a spinner; tempest owns all.  It was worth the almost $100 for a SlikStik tornado for tempest alone...  on a side note - which spinner knobs do you guys use?  I got the one with O-rings on it, and I really like the feel.

[Tahnok]

I don't have or use a spinner. I don't think I have ever even seen one in real life! I'm just not a fan of the type of games that use it . It's purely personal preference of whether or not you want a spinner.

[pointdablame]

I have always included a spinner in my control plans.  I just can't live without playing tempest or arkanoid/breakout.  It's also nice since it doubles as a steering wheel and I have no place to put an actual wheel.  

Spinners may not add a ton of games in comparison to other controls, but I'll have to agree and say that I personally couldn't make a CP without one.

[ChadTower]

I feel the same way about vector monitors.  How can anyone be a Tempest fan playing it on a raster?

[SirPoonga]

I had the spinner off my control panel, I almost died    

[GamingGreg]

I'm a big fan of Tempest and Tron, so a spinner on my panel was a must.  I'm using an Oscar Controls spinner (Model 3 I believe).

[Sephroth57]

yeah i think i played arknoid once in an arcade... that was the only time i used a spinner. spinner games are pretty boring to me

[Hoagie_one]

huge fan of blasteroids

[FractalWalk]

Omega Race . . . there is no substitute.

[Aceldamor]

Tron, Arkanoid, Warlords.....nuff said

[Sylentwulf]

I'd love to have one, but budget and space limit me to either a trackball,or a spinner. No question. Trackball it is.
I'm sure at some point I'll end up adding one on to my CP, but who knows when that'll be.

[Minwah]

I never played any spinner games when I was a kid (they'd all gone)...

But yes now I love them...nothing else feels right.  Blasteroids rocks, Tempest does too...

And if you like Tempest, you must try Juno Nemesis (PC Game) - plays great with a spinner  

[hulkster]

and now for some blasphemy for all you spinner guys.....

I'VE NEVER PLAYED TEMPEST

yup, im 23 years old, and have never played the game.  ive seen it on Starcade (old arcade gameshow) but thats about it.  i guess thats sad.  but anyway, saying "who can live without a spinner" to me is like "who can live without a 4 player control panel???"  diff'rent strokes fer diff'rent folks.

[Aceldamor]

I'VE NEVER PLAYED TEMPEST

You're a sad, sad, little man......    j/k

You should give it a try...it's really fun...in an eye stabbing nightmare kind of way.  

[Chris]

I used to have a homemade spinner on my CP; now I just use my Happ trackball for spinner games.

--Chris

[hunky_artist]

how well do you find playing that Chris, does it work well?

[quarterstringer]

I'VE NEVER PLAYED TEMPEST

yup, im 23 years old, and have never played the game.

I think you can be forgiven, since the game is older than you.

[Minwah]

I'VE NEVER PLAYED TEMPEST

yup, im 23 years old, and have never played the game.

I think you can be forgiven, since the game is older than you.

Heh, I am only 1 year older than Tempest, but never got to play an original until 2 years ago...

Edit: I have to say also for those whose never played it that nothing compares to an original vector screen.

[SirPoonga]

then there's a bunch of the paddle games where a spinner will work well, like lunar lander, clowns, etc..

[vputz]

Aah, Tempest... and yes, there is no comparison with the original vector screen, but I still think it's fun even on a bad RCA composite connection to a circa 1992 cheap TV, with fuzzy lines and poor black balance (though it's impossible to see the wee dots at the end of the tunnel well enough to use them for planning).  

It's just that good a game.  Simple, elegant, tricky, and requires a lot of attention.

-->VPutz

[NoOne=NBA=]

It's just that good a game.  Simple, elegant, tricky, and requires a lot of attention.
quote]

That depends upon your goal I guess.

My 5-year-old nephew just likes to spin the spinner in one direction as quickly as he can, and shoot as he goes around.
If things get too hectic for him, he hits the Super Zapper.

I think he enjoys the game more than I do, so.....

[quarterstringer]

I remember why I spent so many hours on Tempest, if you ended the game on some certain scores, it gave you 40 free games.

[MrBond]

It's humbling to think that the game is older than I am...hehe
I actually have played Tempest in the arcade while on vacation; it has become a sort of ritual, a flashback to something I had never experienced...placing me in a kind of quasi trance...ok, maybe not, but I still think the game is genuinely fun and unique.  The spinner control is probably one of the coolest I've played with.  I'd really like to get a nice one.  Currently I have an Arkanoid spinner installed, but it 'sticks' now and then, with one of the spokes on the gears worn away. (replacement parts available?)

I remember why I spent so many hours on Tempest, if you ended the game on some certain scores, it gave you 40 free games.

Wow!  You learn something knew every day!  From history.dat:
- TIPS AND TRICKS -

These are cheats that were apparently left in by somebody at Atari. They were removed in ROM 217 and 222 software revision 2. First, you must complete level 8 and get a score with the format XXYYZZ : XX must be greater than 16, YY between 29 and 60, ZZ is a code listed below...
00 - freeze screen
01 - access bookkeeping totals
05 - allows playing during attract mode
06 - 40 free credits
11 - 40 free credits
12 - 40 free credits
14 - credit sound without actual credit
15 - credit sound without actual credit
16 - 40 free credits
17 - 40 free credits
18 - 40 free credits
41 - switch last 2 digits of score
42 - increase score quickly
46 - demonstration mode - start at any level, up to level 81
50 - player moves by itself
51 - player moves by itself
60 - objects drift down
66 - objects drift right
67 - objects jump
68 - objects drift up
70 - objects drift up

After code '05' (play during attract mode) is activated, the following cheats become available...
Set the last two digits to 46 : Random-colored level with wrong enemies.
Set the last two digits to 48 : 255 extra lives.

[Hoagie_one]

wow, that would explain why i got to play tempest all day once when i was a kid.  i walked up to the game and there was like 35 credits on it...i played for an hour, at least......i was a sucky tempest player when i was 8

[pcdoctor]

I owned a Tempest about 5 years ago.
The machine started acting up.
I assumed it was the vector monitor but a guy told me it was the motherboard.
I ended up selling it.
Little did I realize that I was unable to put other games inside it but vector stuff.
I then got a Crystal Castles.
I was in the same mess again.
Only trackball and horizontal games.
I ended up selling that too.
I plan on getting a mame cabinet specifically for tempest, crystal castles, marble madness, centipede and millepede.
It will have a four way joystick too.
I guess was an Atari fan in the 80's.

[spidermonkey]

Major Havok is my favorite game so my Oscar model 3 has some serious mileage on it but I'm still longing for the day that Oscar decides to reproduce a few of these http://www.basementarcade.com/arcade/4sale/roller/overall.jpg   so I can play my favorite game with the correct type of spinner (its actually called an "Atari roller controller")  I'm thinking about robbing one of the wheels off my twenty year old skate board and making my own.