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Smallest "playable" CP for 2 players?
stuckpixel:
Reason I ask is that my dad and I are going to be building a bartop (in addition to my sit-down cab) for their place. The focus is going to be more on classic games, maybe some neo-geo fighters at most.
In your experience, what's the smallest 2 player CP that will work? Ideally I'd like to throw a trackball in there somehow as well, but we'll have to see on that one.
Crowquill:
Despite what some people tend to think, most original control panels were not 36" wide. My Neo-Geo dedicated 2-slot cabinet has a 23.75" wide panel. My Primal rage cabinet is the same width.
Some of this depends on how you want to lay out your buttons. The Primal Rage cab (my JAMMA cab) has a 2-button over 2-button layout. This leaves a little more room for other controls. You could easily squeeze a spinner into there and possibly a trackball. The layout won't be accurate for Neo-Geo fighters, but I currently have the MVS in there while I'm fixing up the dedicated cab and King of Fighters '99 plays just fine.
The button layout of the Neo-Geo cab doesn't leave much room for anything else. It is very comfortable to use, though.
Also keep in mind that it's not just what you can FIT into a panel, it's what fits and is comfortable to use. On my MAME cab I gave up on the trackball to have a comfortable 7-button layout for 2 players on a 24" wide control panel. Make a mockup out of scrap wood or even cardboard. See how everything fits together on the panel and how much room you have to play.
How wide were you thinking for the bartop?
NIVO:
my 2 player "fighter" panel is 21 7/8" wide and plays extremely well on my bartop(which is obvioulsy a larger bartop styled cabinet). Agreed with Crowquill on planning your layout and your intentions. Definitely take your time and mock them up to see what suits you and your family best. This way you can help prevent unforeseen problems and keep your design the way you intended it to be. :applaud:
stuckpixel:
I'm really torn as to how big I want to make the bartop. I have a 17" CRT, so I want to make sure that doesn't get dwarfed by the size of the thing. I'm also really torn if I want an oversized CP or not. It'd make it easier to play, but I also really dig the look of the classic cabs (nintendo cabs, galaga/ms-pacman, etc).
shardian:
I can't remember the guy (someone will come along with a link for sure), but a guy on here has made several kick butt bartops based on the pacman cabinet. One of them has a modular panel that has the trackball on it, so you only use when you need it, plus you have the extra room to really give the ball a spin.
This may be yet another option you could consider.