How many buttons do I need?

[ratzz]

Hi all,

I've seen various layouts, and I was wondering if eight buttons (excluding admin buttons) was too much for my cab?

Wouldn't six be enough?

What games use eight? Just fighter games?

I want my cab to be as versatile as possible, but I don't want to add eight if the eight only support 10 games.

Thanks for your advice in advance 
Ratzz

[ryantheleach]

http://www.mameworld.net/maws/ should help, goto the deluxe search, but to help anwser your question.

maws says theres only,
8 buttons: 34 roms.
9 buttons: 23 roms.
10 buttons: 27 roms.

but the main reason in my eyes of why you would want 8 buttons or more is not mame, but if you intend on playing console or non arcade friendly pc games.

[Malenko]

to me 6 (2 rows of 3) is the minimum, then you can play all the street fighter type games. I take it one step further and do 7 buttons

like this:



it allows playing of Street Fighter games, and Neo Geo games. the 7th button makes a good run button for (Ultimate) Mortal Kombat 3, and I use the 7 4 and 5 buttons for games like NBA Jam and NHL Open Ice.  Its not the perfect layout but its the best Ive seen so far.

[javeryh]

Are you building a 2P cab?  I know you are building a "mini" so it seems like it would be way too tight for 2 sets of controls.  That said, unless you love playing fighters by yourself I think you'll be able to play most games with a 3 or 4 button layout... but again, it depends on what type of games you want to play and if you are going to be playing console games or not.  If it's a 2P simultaneous cab you definitely need the 6 or 7 button layout for some fighting action...

[ratzz]

Thanks for that guys ...

It will be a one player cab, and having looked over the 'control panels' thread, I think the common consensus is to go with the six buttons (possibly seven), and a good point raised here is that I may plan to play some PC games as well, so that may work out well.

Ratzz