NeoGeo button layout - Do most people use their thumb for button A?

[Bursk]

I was looking at some pictures of NeoGeo cabs and noticed that the buttons are ordered like this:

  b c d
a

This seems to me like you'd be using your thumb for button A (which I assume is the most used button in most games), but wouldn't that feel somewhat unnatural?

Like a lot of people, I plan on going for this sort of setup on my CP (which will be used to play more than just NeoGeo games):

  x x x
  x x x
x

I'll probably be using the bottom row of three as my primary '1 2 3' buttons, with the top row being '4 5 6' (top row being used mostly for fighting games).  I suppose I'd want to map the bottom-left button as '4' for those arcade games that use four buttons.

So if I'm used to playing most arcade games with this setup...:

  4 5 6
  1 2 3
4

won't it then be odd to play NeoGeo games and use my thumb for button 1 instead of button 4?

Sorry for the long-windedness of my post; I just want to know what system most people use.

If anyone can suggest a good button layout that will allow to to swap between Neo and non-Neo games easily i.e. without me having to stop and think whether a button is '1' or '4', it'd be much appreciated.

[severdhed]

i dont know if this helps, but i discoverd it when setting up my x-arcade controller.

in mame, you can tell it you are using a specific controller, which then remaps the keys to match up with that controller (x-arcade, hotrod, slikstik, etc).   these profiles are located in your mame\ctrlr directory.  in there there are .cfg files for the different controlls.  if you look at the hotrod or x-arcade files, you will see towards the bottom that you can specify a different button layout for neogeo games.

so all you have to do is modify this to match up with your button layout and save it, then tell mame you are using that type of controller. 

for example...

if you have buttons

  4 5 6
  1 2 3
4

you can let most mame games function that way, and when you play a neo geo game, it will automatically change to:

  x x x
  2 3 4
1

i may not have explained it very well, but if you look at the .cfg files, i think you will understand.


I am in the process of redesigning my control panel as we speak, and i am debating if i should add the neogeo button, right now i just have

  1 2 3
  4 5 6

i use that for all games, including neogeo..i dont really find it difficult to use, but then again, i never really played many original neogeo arcade games. 

for those of you who do have them, is it worth doing? or should i just keep it the way it is?

[brophog]

We had this thread recently.......there are only a few NG games that use 4 buttons and most of them are fighters. I still recommend the time tested standard 6 button layout.

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[leapinlew]

We had this thread recently.......there are only a few NG games that use 4 buttons and most of them are fighters. I still recommend the time tested standard 6 button layout.

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I agree with Brophog. But, the thumb button would be nice for defender (reverse) and Mortal Kombat 3 (run).

[Grasshopper]

What I'm wondering is, what fingers the original NeoGeo designers expected people to use? And is this documented anywhere?

I've seen several different designs of NeoGeo Control panels over the years. On some panels button one is distanced quite far from the other three buttons suggesting that the designers expected the thumb to be used for pressing that button. However, on other panels (the majority) button one is positioned only slightly below and to the left of the other buttons suggesting that the forefinger should be used.

FWIW, using the thumb feels more natural to me.

[Tiger-Heli]

I've seen several threads saying that the thumb was supposed to be button A.

Now what I could try to find out from MAME or controls.ini (except) that I'm too lazy to check right now, is whether three button games used B, C, and D (which would feel normal) or A, B, and C - which would be a bit awkward.

[severdhed]

well, metal slug was a 3 button neogeo game, it used A,B C, D was not used.(at least according to the little into video that tells you how to play)