Major Havoc roller use elsewhere?

[SavannahLion]

I was looking over the Ram Controls website and I have to ask.

Was Major Havoc the only game ever to use that roller?

I'm game for popping $200 (when I get the cash) for the repro Havoc controller, I just need to know if it was ever used in other games.

As near as I can tell, the answer is no. I just have to double check.

[RayB]

No.

"Kick" aka "KickMan" used a single axis roller too, but it was shaped like a trackball.

[shorthair]

No.

"Kick" aka "KickMan" used a single axis roller too, but it was shaped like a trackball.

Not that you couldn't use it for that, also. But, hell, if you have a spinner, why not use that? Why didn't they, for that matter? Hell, far as that goes, why didn't they just use a track ball and forget the jump button?

[TOK]

Not that you couldn't use it for that, also. But, hell, if you have a spinner, why not use that? Why didn't they, for that matter? Hell, far as that goes, why didn't they just use a track ball and forget the jump button?

Major Havoc conversions did have spinners. Pretty common Tempest conversion.

[Kremmit]

There was a prototype Atari game called "Accelerator" at last year's California Extreme show that used TWO rollers.  Unfortunately, it's not in MAME and isn't likely to be added.  There was also a prototype Exidy game called "Teeter Torture" that used a similar side-to-side roller.

So, to answer your un-asked question, yes, all that money for a control that's just for one game, a game you could play with a spinner anyway.

BUT if you grew up playing on a real, dedicated Major Havoc machine, a spinner just doesn't cut it.  That's why I'm buying one of the RAM rollers.

[bfauska]

The Wiki lists 4 roller games
Major Havoc
Moonwar
Kick and
Dragrace

However, the pics and description on klov sure don't look like a roller.

It's a cool looking controller though, and I wouldn't be suprised if some of the other spinner games were fun to play with it.

[spidermonkey]

I have the larger "Moonwar" version in my 2nd cab which I use for Major Havoc, Kickman (aka "Kick"), Moonwar (obviously) and I also like it for Blasteroids. It is however quite a bit larger then the MH version. Slightly bigger then a hockey puck.  The major Havoc version will find its way to me once Uncle Sam coughs up my tax refund.

[ChadTower]

Major Havoc is one of the great all time unsung arcade games.  One of the very top of the food chain vector games, for sure, in gameplay terms.  Very unique and a lot of fun.  I would love to have a Major Havoc.

[RayB]

KickMan does not play quite as well with a spinner, unless you tweak the sensitivity. Part of that game's challenge is really spinning that roller to get over and then stopping it at just the right spot...

[Glaine]

Major Havoc is one of the great all time unsung arcade games.  One of the very top of the food chain vector games, for sure, in gameplay terms.  Very unique and a lot of fun.  I would love to have a Major Havoc.

Anyone that disagrees can burn.
I can't imagine taking apart a Tempest for it, but wouldn't it be great to have them both in 1 cab?

[ChadTower]

Isn't Major Havoc horizontal and Tempest vertical?

[Glaine]

Isn't Major Havoc horizontal and Tempest vertical?

Yup, I was talking about earlier, someone said it was popular to convert Tempest to Major Havoc. I don't like the idea of a Tempest being hurt, even for a Major Havoc, would rather just put the Havoc in its own cab.

[RayB]

Major Havoc is one of the great all time unsung arcade games.  One of the very top of the food chain vector games, for sure, in gameplay terms.  Very unique and a lot of fun.  I would love to have a Major Havoc.

Anyone that disagrees can burn.
I can't imagine taking apart a Tempest for it, but wouldn't it be great to have them both in 1 cab?

I have to ask, WHAT is so great about it?  It never caught my fancy. It's basically a platformer with a time limit?

[ChadTower]

It is fun.  I enjoy it. 

[Kremmit]

I have to ask, WHAT is so great about it?  It never caught my fancy. It's basically a platformer with a time limit?

The whole vector thing- they're pretty.  MH has (IMHO) the best graphics of all the vector games, and in a groovy space/robots theme to boot.  And while it's technically a platformer, the unusual control scheme (for a platformer) and the very unusual low-gravity movement make it feel and play so differently from any other platformer that it's really not fair grouping in in with them.  And then there's the mini-breakout game in between levels, and the three different arcade shooter-type pre-levels before you get to the actual "platformer" part.  The difficulty starts low enough that even first-timers feel like they did well, but ramps up enough that even hardcore players get tons of replay value out of one.  Secret codes you can enter to bypass the early levels, but only if you're good enough at the breakout mini-game.  Unusual yet attractive cab with great art, good resale value,  blah blah blah.

Did you ever play the real deal, or just MAME on a raster monitor with a spinner?

[RayB]

Did you ever play the real deal, or just MAME on a raster monitor with a spinner?

Yup, I played the original a few times back in the 80's. Never really "hooked me", so that's why I was asking what's so great about it.

[ChadTower]

I don't like the MH dedicated cab much... the art is nice, but the cab shape itself doesn't do it for me at all.

[ark_ader]

You can use that roller for wetting your stamps, perfect for the mailroom!   

[Kremmit]

Did you ever play the real deal, or just MAME on a raster monitor with a spinner?

Yup, I played the original a few times back in the 80's. Never really "hooked me", so that's why I was asking what's so great about it.

Ahh, well.  Everybody's got their favorites, and everybody has some "classics" that they just don't like.  I never did like Food Fight, Mr. Do!, Crystal Castles or Marble Madness, but there's plenty of people out there that think they're the schnizzit.   

[shorthair]

KickMan does not play quite as well with a spinner, unless you tweak the sensitivity. Part of that game's challenge is really spinning that roller to get over and then stopping it at just the right spot...

....I just by default have used the stick for this game. Didn't know (or wasn't paying attention that) it used a different controller.

on MH: I've only played it a few times, so far, but not knowing about the mini-break out, each time I'd forget it was there that it was over almost before I knew it was there. Will have to play it, tonight, so I can play the mini for the first time.

on those games last mentioned: I can see not being into Food Fight (Splat, though not quite the same, I think kicks its ass), or Mr Do! (a glorified Dig Dug, which I thought had cool graphics but wasn't into the play, really), but CC and MM are smurfin killer. But there are those who are more into vectors than raster.