Button layout/configuration questions

[jdjuggler]

I'm wondering how most mamers layout their player buttons.  I see mostly 6 and 7 button layouts - that look something like this    
OOOO    or  OOO
OOO            OOO
                                 
Questions:
1.  For many games where there are just a fire or a fire and jump buttons - do you use the top row or the bottom row?

2. Do I really need 4 buttons for Neo-Geo games?  Do most Neo-Geo games use all 4 buttons?  Or is there another use for that row of 4?

3.  I heard some people using their "main" row of  3 buttons for player 1 wired as their mouse buttons.   This removes the need for adding 3 mouse buttons somewhere else on the CP.   Of course, mame configured correctly to use the mouse buttons for joystick games.  Problems or opinions about this?

Thanks,
JD

[Sasquatch!]

1.  For many games where there are just a fire or a fire and jump buttons - do you use the top row or the bottom row?

If you're going according to the Neo-Geo layout, the top-left button is "A", the one just to the right of it is "B", and so on.

2. Do I really need 4 buttons for Neo-Geo games?  Do most Neo-Geo games use all 4 buttons?  Or is there another use for that row of 4?

I'm pretty sure it's mostly done for Neo-Geo games.   I can't think of anything else that uses four buttons in a row like that.

3.  I heard some people using their "main" row of  3 buttons for player 1 wired as their mouse buttons.   This removes the need for adding 3 mouse buttons somewhere else on the CP.   Of course, mame configured correctly to use the mouse buttons for joystick games.  Problems or opinions about this?

Button 1 in MAME is also "mouse 1", so you could set the first button to be "mouse 1" instead of "ctrl" if you wanted to.  I don't foresee a problem with it, although I haven't done it myself.

[Odonadon]

I'm wondering how most mamers layout their player buttons.  I see mostly 6 and 7 button layouts - that look something like this    
OOOO    or  OOO
OOO            OOO
                                 
Questions:
1.  For many games where there are just a fire or a fire and jump buttons - do you use the top row or the bottom row?

I use the buttom buttons.  This is how MAME is setup, by default.  I also have two buttons located below - seperate from my group of 8 arranged in 2 rows of four.  I use these for some games too - ones that only make use of 2 buttons.

2. Do I really need 4 buttons for Neo-Geo games?  Do most Neo-Geo games use all 4 buttons?  Or is there another use for that row of 4?

Well, think ahead.  You might find it convenient were you to use another emulator - perhaps certain SNES games can best make use of this layout...  But to answer your question, most newer Neo Geo games (60%) that I've seen make use of this configuration.

Odonadon

[jdjuggler]

Thanks guys.
I'm pretty sure I'm going with the bottom row of buttons for the games that use only 1, 2 or 3 "action" buttons.

My other question was whether or not most Neo-Geo games use ALL 4 buttons?  
I looked at a handfull of the Neo-Geo games and those had no use for the 4th button.   I guess that 4th button doesn't take up too much room.  So I might just add it any way.
JD

[Distortion]

I'm actually doing mine like the HotRod joysticks....
  OOO
  OOO
O

That way the fourth button off to the left functions as a mortal kombat "run" button as well as the A button for my neo geo games.  Works quite nicely, just finished it today.

As for using all the buttons, almost all neo geo fighters use all 4, but very few others use all of them.

[Chris]

I looked at a handfull of the Neo-Geo games and those had no use for the 4th button.   I guess that 4th button doesn't take up too much room.  So I might just add it any way.

There's the key.  Look at the games you want to play, and plan accordingly.  For example, I don't ever play Capcom fighters, so there was no point in putting in the "standard" 6-button Street Fighter layout.  I ended up settling on a four-button diamond layout, which works well for most games that I want to play, and can even be configured as a 4-way stick in a pinch (doesn't feel realistic, but it's the only way I can do the tank level or lightcycles on Tron).

--Chris