2person CP - generic

[colonel_colon]

I'm looking for a generic control panel for two players.
My thought is:
two 8-ways; 7 buttons each (for neo-geo)
one 4-way
trackball
spinner
I know that this is a common control panel, but I was hoping to here some 'if I could remake this panel stories'
I want to be able to play games like Golden Tee at some point, so do people have problems hitting their spinner/4-way, if there up top? know what I mean? any other thoughts?

also, my puzzle fighter addiction is really out of control. I first discovered puzzle fighter when I was in Thailand in 1999. It was on the smaller sit down cabs. Everytime I sat down to play a resident Bangkok-ian we would play and then he would get up and leave. I guess they just wanted to play by themselves or at least not against a loud obnoxious American. Maybe I should scrap this panel and just build a puzzle-fighter only cab. It would truly be worth it.

peace!

[Tahnok]

"I want to be able to play games like Golden Tee at some point, so do people have problems hitting their spinner/4-way, if there up top? know what I mean? any other thoughts?"

I know that a lot of people stagger their spinners slightly to the left or right to allow for follow through.

[marsmarvin]

Colonel:

I'm building that precise panel except that for the 8-way joysticks I'm using button tops.  Why?  I want to be able to play Tron without cluttering up the panel with a big trigger-stick.

A top firebutton will also be useful for Battlezone.

[paigeoliver]

A couple suggestions to make your frankenpanel even more functional.

Put the 4-way right next to the 8-way for player one, it can share those buttons and requires less space than giving it a separate zone of it's own.

Replace one of the standard 8-way sticks with a top-fire and the other with a 49-way, then you are really set to play almost everything.

[marsmarvin]

Saint goes into some of these issues in his book.  Not to steal his thunder, but he suggests keeping the trackball centered on the panel, but down low near the player.

This is to allow you to play games like Golden Tee as they were meant to be played - slamming your hand down on the trackball without fear of cracking your knuckes into the bezel or a joystick.

[paigeoliver]

How many "Slam the trackball" games are actually in Mame. Because, well, I can't really seem to find them.

[Apollo]

Ditto

[RayB]

I find that "KickMan", when i originally played it as a kid, got me really spinning that ball left n right really fast...

So I guess you shouldn't worry about hitting the spinner, but maybe the joysticks on either side! hahahahaha

KickMan... oh man!

 

[colonel_colon]

Some good tips there guys.
I know there aren't many games in mame that require the 'slamming' of the trackball, but ya never know what games will be added. Maybe in the year 2020 mame will have a bowling-for-your-life game that will take america by storm. in which case, i dont want to have to build another panel.
just covering my bases....
colonel_colon

[Onji]

If i could redo my panel, i wouldnt have angled my buttons and joysticks like i did. At the time, I was thinking 'hey, people wont bump elbows if i do it this way'
Wrong decision. It fees real akward when playing fighting games etc.
I'll end up redoing the top someday, i want to flushmount the carriage bolts etc to hide em anyway

Here is what i'm talking about
http://www.lamerc.com/users/onji/mame/cab/image_3.html
(ive added a trackball since this pic)