Mame Spinner for Arkanoid?

[rhett]

I just tried out the SlikStik tornado Spinner, and determined that it is not possible to simulate a real Arkanoid machine with it.  I'm pretty sure that the problem is that a real Arkanoid spinner had geared teeth, so 486 teeth passed through the encoder on every turn.  Sure, I can change around sensitivity and speed in mame, but at at best case, I'm going to get much more jumpy movement than a true arkanoid machine.

I noticed that some people have already done some work trying to use a real arkanoid controller with a mouse hack.  Has anyone really tried to make a spinner that works really well for arkanoid and had any success?  I'd really like to know if there is a way to save my control panel, as I'm a big arkanoid fan.

[fjl]

I'm no Arkanoid buff by any means so I can't relate to what you mean about the feel of the spinner. Although, I currently have the Turbo Twist 2 Spinner. And it feels pretty decent for playing Arkanoid on.

http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=268&zenid=3020c4b9dbef2488bac436769cd79828

[u_rebelscum]

Yup, the Turbo Twist 2 and SpinTrak are the only retail spinners that have high enough res to work well with arkanoid (1200 & 1000 cpr, respectively, vs arkanoid's 486).  BTW, try Revenge of DOH: it expects 972 cpr.

[amadama]

I just got the Turbo Twist 2 also and it is great with Arkanoid! Piece of cake to install too. I love it.

[lanman31337]

i got one off of this guy - http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?action=profile;u=10213;sa=showPosts - super duper nice guy, and even though it is a mouse hack, he did a really nice job on it.

[rhett]

I really wish that I had known beforehand that the Turbo Twist 2 and SpinTrak are the only retail spinners that work with Arkanoid.  I'm really surprised at this considering that the SlikStik tornado spinner gets such good reviews.  The tornado spinner is well constructed, but I assumed that a lot of people who buy a spinner for their mame box expect to be able to play Arkanoid.

I really think the link to that mousehack guy's thing should not be in this thread.  I'm sure he sells an honest product, but I have seen no evidence that his spinner has the resolution to properly support Arkanoid.

In my opinion, I cant imagine why anyone buys any spinner other than those 2.  I'm glad that this is cleared up now, at least in my mind.

[slube]

I took a TurboTwist2 and made a mini-panel out of it that I quite like.  It works well with Arkanoid, though it seems to work better with Arkanoid II.  With Arkanoid, it jumps around somewhat.

I would be interested to know what people think the best Mame settings in the Analog Controls section would be for this spinner when playing Arkanoid, i.e., when playing arkanoid with a TurboTwist2, what are the best settigs for Dial Digital Speed and Dial Sensitivity?

[fjl]

I was trying the different versions of Arkanoid and realized that there is a noticeable difference in the games. Seems like Arkanoid 2 seems to better suit the spinner sensitivity wise. Anyone who's played with these settings, what did you set the sensitivity to better fit Arkanoid 1 and the Taito version of arkanoid?

[RandyT]

I took a TurboTwist2 and made a mini-panel out of it that I quite like.  It works well with Arkanoid, though it seems to work better with Arkanoid II.  With Arkanoid, it jumps around somewhat.

I would be interested to know what people think the best Mame settings in the Analog Controls section would be for this spinner when playing Arkanoid, i.e., when playing arkanoid with a TurboTwist2, what are the best settigs for Dial Digital Speed and Dial Sensitivity?

You can't use the same settings for both of those games.  If you try to use the TurboTwist2 for Arkanoid without reducing the sensitivity, it will be too touchy.

Try ~41% for Arkanoid and 81% for DOH.  You may need to tweak these down a little if you are using a smaller knob than was used on the original, or up a little for a larger knob.

RandyT

[rdowdy95]

I use the slik stik tornando spinner.  I don't change anything as far as the sensitivity goes, but man playing the original ark. is tough.  Challenging to say the least.  The arkanoid 2 is more like how it should be.  So I just play the 2nd one.

[RandyT]

I use the slik stik tornando spinner.  I don't change anything as far as the sensitivity goes, but man playing the original ark. is tough.  Challenging to say the least.  The arkanoid 2 is more like how it should be.  So I just play the 2nd one.

It's probably so tough because you need to turn the knob a heck of a lot further to get the paddle to move across the screen.  Of course, DOH should be even worse in that respect, so maybe it's something else?


RandyT

[rdowdy95]

I use the slik stik tornando spinner.  I don't change anything as far as the sensitivity goes, but man playing the original ark. is tough.  Challenging to say the least.  The arkanoid 2 is more like how it should be.  So I just play the 2nd one.

It's probably so tough because you need to turn the knob a heck of a lot further to get the paddle to move across the screen.  Of course, DOH should be even worse in that respect, so maybe it's something else?


RandyT

Randy it has been years since I played the original Arkanoid.  So is that how it is though.  You really have to spin to get that thing to move.  Cause for me to shoot the thing across the screen I do have to spin fast sometimes.  I really don't remember.  I don't mess with any sensitivity settings, btu I can say that Arkanoid 2 is easier for me to play cause by default that one is more sensitive to the spinner movement.

[Kremmit]

I really wish that I had known beforehand that the Turbo Twist 2 and SpinTrak are the only retail spinners that work with Arkanoid. 

Depends on your definition of "work".  You can certainly play the game with the Tornado and other spinners, and up until very recently last year (how time flies), the TT2 and SpinTrak were not available.  People did indeed play Arkanoid back then, in the olden days.

That said, today I'd still definately go with one of the above, or an original Arkanoid spinner.

[telengard]

Good information.  I had asked a *long* time ago wondering why Arkanoid felt weird w/ my Oscar model 1 spinner.  It seemed like there was some serious lag between moving the spinner and seeing the vaus? move.  I'm assuming that it didn't have enough teeth or something.

~telengard

[Dreamwriter]

At least for Arkanoid 2, you want not only the TT2, but also the special Token-Top spinner top for it.  That lets you add friction, so the spinner doesn't freespin, and kind-of fights as you turn it.  Arkanoid 2 the spinner's gears are set so that you get that effect, so this setup gives you the closest you can get without getting the actual spinner from the arcade machine.

[Kremmit]

At least for Arkanoid 2, you want not only the TT2, but also the special Token-Top spinner top for it.  That lets you add friction, so the spinner doesn't freespin, and kind-of fights as you turn it.  Arkanoid 2 the spinner's gears are set so that you get that effect, so this setup gives you the closest you can get without getting the actual spinner from the arcade machine.

Arkanoid and Arkanoid 2 use the same geared spinner.

[ex_directory]

Old thread, but better to add my questions here than start a new one....

Have been using the TT2 with a customised knob just a bit smaller than the token top available from GGG. I have been trying different sensitivity levels but either way I am not as good as I used to be on this game, and I expect this is not me getting older and slower!!

If I catch the ball and then start the vaus from the left and turn my knob slowly, i go about half a turn until I hit the right hand side. This is using sensitivity of about 35%. Interested to know if this is comparable to anyone who has an arkanoid cab or believes there settings are correct.

Also, I assume the mouse sensitivity in windows control panel has no affect?

Slube mentioned below Dial Digital Speed and Dial Sensitivity. I have been changing only Sensitivity, is this correct?

Finally, I have on a couple of occasions spun the knob very quickly (to save a ball) and found my vaus going briefly in the oposite direction. Is this because the settings are wrong or a known problem with the TT2? BTW, I missed the ball on each occasion! 

Ex

[EwJ]

Relevant info here: wiki
There are a few links on that wiki page to related threads.

[massive88]

Does anyone know what the resolution of the SlikStik spinners are?

I didnt know about this issue either, and was completely unsatisfied with playing many spinner games with my Slikstik, Id like to know how far off I am from correctly emulating the real thing.

[u_rebelscum]

I'm guessing 48 CPR, going from old posts saying "between 40-50 CPR", old low res pics online, and standard numbers.

[massive88]

Wow, thats pretty abysmal.

[severdhed]

my spinner is not currently installed in my panel, but i played arkanoid on my friends cabinet today with a homemade hard drive/ optical mouse spinner, and it worked just fine.  yeah, it may feel different than the original cabinet, but it has been probably 15 years since i played a real arkanoid, so i don't even remember what that feels like.  the movement was very smooth and precise and we spent an hour or so playing arkanoid, tempest, and cameltry.

[Havok]

The point is you'll play better with a TT2 or Spintrak...

[destructor]

I have SlikStik Tornado and can say that this spinner is very weak. For Arkanoid useless.

[severdhed]

The point is you'll play better with a TT2 or Spintrak...

that may be true, but my spinner cost me less than $10..so i think it all works out in the end