6 or 7 buttons next to main joystick?

[blind_dado]

I noticed that it's pretty standard to have 6 buttons for each 8-way joystick, but sometimes there is a seventh.  What's that seventh one use for?  Do I need it?

[RoomTenONine]

It is for Neo-Geo games that originall had a 4 button arc.

[erictrumpet]

Total newbie question from a non-newbie. Always been afraid to ask this since it seems like I should know. What exactly are Neo-Geo games? I think it's an early multi-game machine, but not sure. Someone set me straight on this once and for all please!

Eric.

[Ginsu Victim]

Early? No.
http://www.neo-geo.com

[RoomTenONine]

This should help too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neo_Geo_(console)

[Turnarcades]

Depending on where you're from, you will have either seen loads or none at all. You may even have played Neo-Geo Games in a non-original cabinet and not realised the cool selection possible all in one machine. The thing that set them apart graphically is they mostly tended to have a very 'Japanese' look, plus they were fairly high-spec compared to other Jamma affairs; the biggest giveaway was on most (if not all) games, you had a white 'Neo-Geo' splash screen that popped up during the demo sequence.

Original Neo-Geo Games didn't have as wide a distribution, at least in the UK. It's more likely you played a single game houed in an old Jamma cabinet, with a button short of the 4 needed!

[Malenko]

It's more likely you played a single game houed in an old Jamma cabinet, with a button short of the 4 needed!

in all  fairness not all neo geo games used 4 buttons, alot only used 1 or 2 (puzzle bobble, windjammers,etc)

a lot of people, like me, add the 7th button to recreate the neo geo layout on the bottom row, but it also comes in handy as a run button for UMK3, and use the first 3 buttons of the "neo geo" layout for games like NBA Jam, Open Ice, etc because its better FOR ME then having 3 buttons in a row

[erictrumpet]

Okay thanks guys. Truth is I have have never seen a Neo-Geo cab in the wild and never played a Neo-Geo game until MAME. I think it is part geography and part timeline -- the arcade gaming in my youth took place in the USA northeast from about 79-85 so most of my memories are playing the standard well-known classics in dedicated cabs. Not till MAME did I ever encounter this Neo-Geo business. And I am still a bit confused at the word "console" used in reference to it -- I thought console always meant a home system, like Atari 2600, Colecovision, NES, N64, Sega, Xbox, Playstations -- apparently there actually was a Neo-Geo home console, so was Neo-Geo coin-op first or home console first? I ask because I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my cab... I want it to emulate only coin-op titles. No Atari 2600, Apple II, etc... (except for the occasional PC game).

Eric.

[Ginsu Victim]

No worries. Mame doesn't emulate console games. Neo Geo home consoles were pretty much an arcade in a box. See the links above for more info.

[Malenko]

Okay thanks guys. Truth is I have have never seen a Neo-Geo cab in the wild and never played a Neo-Geo game until MAME. I think it is part geography and part timeline -- the arcade gaming in my youth took place in the USA northeast from about 79-85 so most of my memories are playing the standard well-known classics in dedicated cabs. Not till MAME did I ever encounter this Neo-Geo business. And I am still a bit confused at the word "console" used in reference to it -- I thought console always meant a home system, like Atari 2600, Colecovision, NES, N64, Sega, Xbox, Playstations -- apparently there actually was a Neo-Geo home console, so was Neo-Geo coin-op first or home console first? I ask because I am a bit of a purist when it comes to my cab... I want it to emulate only coin-op titles. No Atari 2600, Apple II, etc... (except for the occasional PC game).

Eric.

Im still in the northeast USA (MD/DE line)  There was a console version of the neo geo calles the AES; the arcade is called the MVS  I have both , oddly enough I actually have 2 of each. The Neo Geo was an arcade first but the home version came out and the games were literally identical same data and everything contained on the carts, thats why on some neo geo emulators you can switch the BIOS between AES and MVS and still use the same roms.

there is a wealth of knowledge on those links above.

[isucamper]

not sure what the guts of a neo geo cab looked like, but the home console was just that... a deck that you plugged cartridges into.  It was kind of the holy grail of home consoles during its day.  the games cost 200 bucks a pop but offered true arcade gameplay at home during the days of the Super NES and Sega Genesis

http://cgi.ebay.com/SNK-Neo-Geo-AES-system-7-Games-NEOGEO-CD-CDZ-RARE-NR_W0QQitemZ120285778323QQihZ002QQcategoryZ123442QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Space Fractal]

The 7 button layout is for many favorits for a combinered neogeo & street figher II button layout.

3x2 for Street fighter II and the bottom 4 is for neogeo (where the first button in the left is typical used for first button and is placed a bit lower than rest).

[erictrumpet]

This was said in another thread but is worth mentioning again here, the 7th button if positioned close to the stick is also useful as the reverse button (left hand thumb) in Defender/Stargate.

Eric.

[Spaced Ace]

Just go straight six.  Otherwise you'll have to tell everyone who plays your arcade, "What? Oh, that button...  It doesnt do anything."

[Malenko]

not sure what the guts of a neo geo cab looked like, but the home console was just that... a deck that you plugged cartridges into.  It was kind of the holy grail of home consoles during its day.  the games cost 200 bucks a pop but offered true arcade gameplay at home during the days of the Super NES and Sega Genesis

LONG URL

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