Mirrored Image CP's

[_) (V) (-)]

Not sure that I am using the proper terminology here but . . .

I am wondering if anyone has debated the pro's and con's of a 2 player control panel with the J/S & Buttons layed out, sort of like this...

BBB      J       J       BBB
BBB      1      2      BBB


I was thinking it would be great to have the two J/S's together inthe center of the CP for Robotron or Vanguard but may put some players at a disdvantage if they were forced to use the 'leftie' controls.

One advantage for my own 'extend-a-tron' project would be less cutting into one sides of my cabnet, but, that is more of a selfish lazy personal type reason. 

Has anyone tried this and regretted it?

[NinjaEpisode]

unless you're putting your joysticks 3 feet apart, you already will have the joysticks in the middle, at the same height, and since you won't be using the buttons for robotron you just ignore them.

[shardian]

You can still use both joy's for robotron with a traditional setup. You will just be a little off-center from the screen. Big deal, considering you are always off-center for any other game.

[DaveMMR]

Don't mirror your controls.  It's like saying "I hate you, player two!" (or in your case, player one). 

[Level42]

Well, I've always wondered why most CP's have the joystick on the left and the buttons on the right. Assuming that most people are right-handed, you would expect that the most important control (the joystick) would be operated by your right hand, and the less important (the button) with your left. When I use a joystick (Suzo Competion Pro) for my Atari 130XE, I always control the stick with right hand and use the left button for firing. Also, the Jakks Ms. Pac Man I bought recently has the same set-up: buttons on the left.

I have configured Galaxian to use my P2 (Right side) joystick, and use the right-most button of P1 as fire. It feels much more relaxed this way.
I also play Ms.Pac Man with the P2 (right side) joystick because it's very close to the center of the screen. This is a great substitue for a dedicated stick in the center.

[Chris]

Well, I've always wondered why most CP's have the joystick on the left and the buttons on the right. Assuming that most people are right-handed, you would expect that the most important control (the joystick) would be operated by your right hand, and the less important (the button) with your left.

Depends on how many buttons and how important they are.  You usually only have one stick to deal with and multiple buttons, so I can manipulate the stick with my clumsy hand and the buttons with my nimble hand.  With Tron, I actually played with my arms crossed on the spider level.

On the other hand, for trackball games it's the opposite; I prefer the right hand on the ball and the left on the button. The exception is Missile Command, and of course there precision with the buttons is critical.

But that's just me.  My left hand is particularly uncoordinated which is why I can't play the piano worth a darn

[Kremmit]

Some older games were arranged buttons/left, joy/right.  I don't know when, how, or why that arrangement was dropped, but the current standard wasn't always standard.

[_) (V) (-)]

It's like saying "I hate you, player two!

Yeah, that's kinda how I thought about it. 

It would actually 'look' better, as in, more symmetrical and all that but, I'm not really into 'form over function'.

I'll just have to hack away more cab and make room.

the current standard wasn't always standard

I remember the original Arati 2600 joystick had only 1 fire button and  encouraged' using the right hand for stick manipulation, left thumb for firing.

Was it was the first NES system that reversed the 'D-pad' placement?

Thanks for all the responses!

[ArtMAME]

I have a mirrored control panel that works great for Robotron, Defender, and Asteroids, and most everything else, except fighter style games.   I made that way because I absolutely had to have the joysticks centered for Robotron. 

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=54556.msg534988#msg534988

It even works well for 2 player Joust. 

[Stingray]

All the CPs I've built have the stick on the right/ buttons on the left. That's how I like it and anyone who complains about the layout is free to build their own.

-S

[Hoopz]

All the CPs I've built have the stick on the right/ buttons on the left. That's how I like it and anyone who comlains about the layout is free to build their own.

-S

 

Me too.  On a 4 player CP, I did make P1 with the joy on the right and buttons on the left.  But the other controls are backwards (to me) with joys on the left and buttons on the right.  Most of my friends prefer it that way.  I don't.

I would suggest that you mock it up on scrapwood or cardboard to see what you like.  My CP is symetrical by accident but functional by design.

[ahofle]

I think it's amazing how quickly you adapt to a layout with the joystick on the right without even thinking about it.  Also, consider this: what hand do you use to play pacman?  I would bet for most people it's the right hand.

[ppilot]

I've done this on two of my cabinets and I like it.

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=47572.0;attach=21743;image

As a matter of fact, I remade this panel to put the buttons a little more closely together and make them more even, and I re-did it the same way.

I have it set up so that if the game isn't '2 player simultaneous', either side works, so a person can use whatever side they prefer.  I can use either, so for 2 player simultaneous games I usually just take the right.

The thing is, 98% of the time you're probably going to be the one using the thing, so just make it the way you want.