How do you control Asteroids?

[vidmouse]

Just curious how people set up their cabs for Asteroids
and Asteroids-like games... do you use the standard
MAME configuration with the joystick or do you
remap to buttons like the original arcade game?

Or, some other methods?  I thought about using
a spinner to control the rotation, wonder if that
adds a good element to the play.

[(+_+)]

This was one of the games I based my cp layout around. It's the only way to go.

     O  O            O  O
                 
                O

[Jeff AMN]

Buttons only is the ONLY way to play!

I'm currently hell-bent on finding an original Asteroids for my home. I have a few lines on one, I'm just trying to work the best price out for myself. Asteroids is pretty timeless, in my opinion, but you gotta play it like it was originally designed.

[dstone]

I've got an original Asteroids Deluxe and I must say, the original button layout is the way to go.

[ChadTower]

Original AD and Space Duel here... no MAME at all.

A spinner?  Sounds good, but I think that control translation would be hard, wouldn't it?

[Havok]

How do I control Asteroids? I put that beyotch in her place! Whips, chains and leather!

 

[ahofle]

I use left and right turn buttons from my player 1 set of buttons, and fire/thrust/hyperspace buttons from the player 2 set.  It's a little further apart than the real game, but works really well (better than joystick).

[Malenko]

I'm better with the mame config, so I use that

[ElfShotTheFood]

I've heard that Preparation H works fine.   

 


(sorry, couldn't resist)

[ahofle]

 
Yeah, that works pretty well on the whole.

[FrizzleFried]

Original AD and Space Duel here... no MAME at all.

A spinner?  Sounds good, but I think that control translation would be hard, wouldn't it?

I'd imagine a spinner would be easy to get used to if you were a Blasteroids fan.

[CheffoJeffo]

Original cab ... pure vector and buttons all the way.

[arcadefever]

Original cab ... pure vector and buttons all the way.

 

that the way i like to play it too 

i use to play the game on Mame with the joystick. One day i got the chance to play on a real asteroids  could not play the game anyore on a pc 

i end up buying an asteroids cocktail table 

probably the best game ever 

[ark_ader]

I use the last two buttons on the left and right on the X Arcade.

Just spice things up I have no hyperspace.....

Even if I did - I would end up exploding my ships. 

[NoOne=NBA=]

Just curious how people set up their cabs for ... Asteroids-like games.

That's an entirely different question than strictly for Asteroids.
Aside from needing spinners for alot of games, you will need to have multiple button arrays for some games, like Space Duel and Eliminator.

I built a Space Duel repro CP for my cab that used an extra button to allow you to play Asteroids in the middle of the cab.
It looked like this, and you played Asteroids on the red buttons.

OO   OO     OO   OO
      O     O       O

[dstone]

Original AD and Space Duel here... no MAME at all.
A spinner?  Sounds good, but I think that control translation would be hard, wouldn't it?

I'd imagine a spinner would be easy to get used to if you were a Blasteroids fan.

Asteroids with a spinner is basically Omega Race. Lots of fun, too. Took me a while to get used to the Asteroids button layout since I had the OR for about a year before the AD. In all honesty, the controls for OR actually feel more natural (for me at least).

[ChadTower]

I'd imagine a spinner would be easy to get used to if you were a Blasteroids fan.

I mean the translation in software from optical device to a set of buttons.  Might be tricky, though possibly done before, never tried it.

[ArtMAME]

For my first cabinet, I built this control panel :

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

It is optimized for Asteroids, Robotron, and Defender.  It will actually do most of the Joystick/Button classics rather well.  The middle Joystick is a 4-way for Pacman and others. 

My second cabinet was an original upright Asteroids...
that's all I am gonna say...

[More Cowbell]

You can't control Asteroids, you can only hope to contain it. 

[(+_+)]

Just curious how people set up their cabs for ... Asteroids-like games.

That's an entirely different question than strictly for Asteroids.
Aside from needing spinners for alot of games, you will need to have multiple button arrays for some games, like Space Duel and Eliminator.

I built a Space Duel repro CP for my cab that used an extra button to allow you to play Asteroids in the middle of the cab.
It looked like this, and you played Asteroids on the red buttons.

OO   OO     OO   OO
      O     O       O

I had a similar setup on my previous cab and I found the lower left and right button always got in the way. I know it sounds totally ghey but it made my pinky's get tired.

[NoOne=NBA=]

I had a similar setup on my previous cab and I found the lower left and right button always got in the way.

My hands cleared the right button completely.
I played with the position of the left one until it didn't bother me.
It kind of fell beneath my palm comfortably.

[u_rebelscum]

I'd imagine a spinner would be easy to get used to if you were a Blasteroids fan.

I mean the translation in software from optical device to a set of buttons.  Might be tricky, though possibly done before, never tried it.

It currently works in mame (0.117) and has for a little while; spinners can be used as any digital input now.  You just have to remap the spinner to the buttons the normal way (tab); the spinner has to be spun fast enough, but not too fast, for mame to remap to it, though.  The only spinners AFAIK that are able to be spun too fast easily are the Turbo Twist 2, SpinTrak, and hacked arkanoid spinners.  If you're not using these and it's not remapping, you're most likely not spinning fast enough.  Sometimes it's easier to hand edit the cfg file.

However, since the spinner is faking as to buttons, you won't get any exact spin speed control.  The ship will spin at a constant rate, just like as with buttons; IOW, spinning the spinner faster will not spin the ship faster.