4 WAY PLAY OR NOT TO 4 WAY PLAY.. THAT IS THE QUESTION ?? !!!

[mattbrook]

Hey all.... Just building my cabinet. Doing it like the books shows you how to . But @ this point I'm not sure if I should make it a 2 player cabinet or 4 player. Now I know it would cost more $ for a 4 player cabinet. But is there some Pros and cons you all can tell me about. and do I have to build a different style cabinet from what the book tell me how to ?

  Thanks

[markrvp]

If you have 2 or more kids OR you are a college age person with lots of fraternity brothers then build a 4 player panel.

If you do not meet the conditions outlined above then stick to a 2 player CP.  The exception would be if you plan to play a lot of two player Smash TV in which case you would need four joysticks.

Most people who build 4 player cabinets find that the player 3 and 4 controls do not get used much.  Somebody will jump in here in the morning and say that their 4P panel gets used all the time, but evaluate for yourself how often you think you will have more than 2 people playing at the same time.

You can always plug in 1 or 2 more gamepads via USB hub if you really need 3 & 4 players for games like The Simpsons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Wild West Cowboys of Moo Mesa.

[quarterback]

I have a 2-player cab that rarely gets used as such.   The 2nd player's joystick gets used for Crazy Climber and Battlezone, but not much else.   I'll also note that 4-player CPs are frequently BIG... sometimes really too big for my tastes.

Of course you need to take into account what games you play and (as markvp noted) what your family/social circles are like, but I'd suggest you utilize the CP real-estate for a nice 2-player setup and include some other things you might want like a trackball, spinner, tron-stick, a dedicated 4-way, a sinistar 49-way or whatever.    I know I get much more use out of my trackball and spinner than I would out of 3rd and 4th player controls.

[mattbrook]

Yeah I'm thinking NBA JAM OR NFL BLITZ but you guys made a good point.. " HOW OFTEN". Think I'll stick with 2 player.

MARKRVP: AWWWWW Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles !!!! MEMORIES !!! 

Thanks all 

[hnugz]

Simpsons also 

[versapak]

I made mine 4 player, since I have 3 kids. Granted only 2 of my kids are at an age where they could game, and only one of those 2 even likes to, but still... Players 3 & 4 are seldom ever used.

That being said. If I had the chance to do it over again, I would still build it as 4 player, because even with the 3 & 4 spots rarely being used, it is great fun when they are (I highly recommend Super Mario War). That, and I think my cab would look retarded with only a 2 player control panel (UAII cab).

[Rio Rebel]

I'm thinking about the same thing, and leaning heavily toward only a 2 player.

I have a lot of fond memories of playing 2p Karate Champ, though, and wouldn't mind having 4 sticks.

There's the CO2 unit from Slikstik.

[yugffuts]

I'm trying to make the same decision, however there a few games that lead me towards a 4 player panel.

Simpsons/TMNT/Xmen/Sunset Riders etc
Wrestlefest/WWF Superstars/Saturday Night Slam Masters etc
NBA Jam Series

I'll probably go for the 4 players, since I have the room for it.

[brophog]

it is great fun when they are (I highly recommend Super Mario War

That is quite fun. Thanks for the link. It's pretty cabinet friendly too in the fact it doesn't use a mouse. It would be handy to have an IPAC though because it's not setup for standard MAME keys and I found having to jump with the up arrow a bit annoying.

IPAC's programmibility takes care of those things though!

[missioncontrol]

please tone down the all caps on your subject line....

I understand that your just ambitious at getting started, but even when it's in small letters we will still see your threads....

thanks.....


oh and I'm doing a 2 player control panel

[mattbrook]

Thinking... about 4 way again control panel..... 

[soulblazer28]

Hello, I'm new here and I'm going through the same dilemna of planning the layout.  I figure the times when four people will actually be in my house in a gaming mood would be once a year.

I saw one of the projects on the byoa examples page that described using additional USB controllers for the 3rd and 4th player for those rare moments. I figure this is a great setup, the guests can use the cab and I can use the USB. No biggie.

In the end I'm going with removable panels (not modular) using RJ45 connections. The main board will be a typical Street Fighter II layout but with an additional joystick on each side for Smash TV and Total Carnage.