Planning first build : 4 play question.

[Stinks]

Hi all!


I was inspired into this hobby by a post on some other forums I frequent and found my way here. Still trying to convince the wife of my new "dream", but that won't stop me from planning it out in the mean time.


1) What is a good, comfortable size for a 4 player lay out? I've sketched up an initial idea in Visio (See below) and while it looks good on paper that doesn't mean it will be good for reals. Is 40" wide enough for a 4 player setup?

2) I have 3 buttons planned for players 3 and 4 but I've read in other posts that there are some games that require 4. Does anyone know off the top of their head what these games are? (If they are of no interest to me then I don't have to worry about them)




Thanks and until next time! (Which probably won't be long...I have plenty of questions, I'm just trying to find the answers without having to ask)






Note about the CP : The lines at the bottom is my way of trying to get a nice even curve along the front edge. I figure if I cut a handful of angled straight lines, it should be symmetrical. Then I just gotta sand it smooth. If theres an easier method, please let me know !

[javeryh]

People are going to start telling you not to angle your P3 and P4 joysticks.  I would tell you that P3 and P4 are hardly ever used and probably unnecessary considering the amount of real estate they add to the CP but you have to do what's important to you.  To me there are maybe 5 or 6 4-player games worth playing which isn't enough to justify building a giant CP.  I think most people go with 4 buttons for P3 and P4 - you might as well at only $2 a button.  I'm not sure about the width but 40" sounds pretty big to me.

Good luck and remember to take LOTS of pictures as you go.   

[Stinks]

People are going to start telling you not to angle your P3 and P4 joysticks.  I would tell you that P3 and P4 are hardly ever used and probably unnecessary considering the amount of real estate they add to the CP but you have to do what's important to you.  To me there are maybe 5 or 6 4-player games worth playing which isn't enough to justify building a giant CP.  I think most people go with 4 buttons for P3 and P4 - you might as well at only $2 a button.  I'm not sure about the width but 40" sounds pretty big to me.

Good luck and remember to take LOTS of pictures as you go.   

 

I'm mainly going with 4 players because I have a 9, 6 and 3 year old that will be fighting over it (Not to mention myself!) plus I know the wife enjoyed playing Xmen when we went to the movies with me.

X-Men is the only game I can think of that uses 3 buttons instead of 2. Of course, the only 4 player games I can think of are X-Men, TMNT, Sunset Riders (I think?), Simpsons and Gauntlet...thats the only reason I had 3 buttons instead of 4 (or 2). If theres an actual use for 4 buttons, then I'd happily add it.




My memory is fuzzy, I thought the old games had P3 and P4 angled. If not, I'll have to redesign it.

[Turnarcades]

It's a good layout and a good size. I've never had anyone complain about angled sticks for player 3 and 4 - only people with poor co-ordination have trouble. I would add a fourth button for player 3 and 4 as it may come in handy for 4-player games on other console emulators.

[TheShanMan]

Rampage and Rampage World Tour have 3 buttons (3 player game).

If you think player 3 and 4 will only get used a minority of the time, I would suggest doing what I've done. Use DB9 (serial) cables hooked to small boxes with a joystick and 3 buttons for player 3 and 4. I really don't like the look of massive 4 player panels myself, and my family only does 3 or 4 player games probably about 10% or so of the time.

[Stinks]

Thanks for the replies!


I'm pretty stuck on 4 players though. Even if it only gets used a fraction of the time, being able to hop on an play 3 or 4 players whenever the opportunity arises makes it worth it to me. (And building separate CP's for P3 and P4 seems like it would be even more work than just building the one?)


So, what I've gathered so far ;

40" wide CP should be long enough.
Add a 4th button for 3 and 4.
Angled controls are debatable.


Yah?



Oh, I 'found' KLOV and it lets me search by number of players, so I've gathered the answer to my own question there! I'll post a list to save anyone else the trouble.




I'll sort by years since I can only get 50 results at a time (There were a lot of 4 player games made! Wow)

4 Player Games and the buttons they use sorted by years :


19XX-1980
(We'll call this the 'Spinner' Years. Jesus there were a lot of "Tennis" games before 1980....or at least games that used nothing but a Spinner.


Atari Football - 1 ? (Hard to tell from the pictures. Uses 4 trackballs. COCKTAIL)
Atari Soccer - 1 ? (Hard to tell from the pictures. Uses 4 trackballs. COCKTAIL)
Barricade - 4 (U/D/L/R May be able to use a joystick for this?)
BiPlane 4 - 1 (2 Joysticks per player)
Car Polo - 0 (1 Pedal and 1 Wheel per player. COCKTAIL)
Challenge - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Checkmate - 0
Ckidzo - 0
Clean Sweep - 0 (Hard to tell from the pictures. Appears to use a spinner per player)
Comotion - 4 (U/D/L/R May be able to use a joystick for this? COCKTAIL)
Cops 'N Robbers - 1
Countdown - 0 (1 Spinner per player? No picture.)
Elimination - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Fisco 400 - ?? (Uses steering wheels)
Fun Four - 0 (1 Spinner per player? No picture.)
Goal IV - 1 (1 Spinner per player? COCKTAIL)
Hesitation - 0 (Hard to tell from the pictures. Appears to use a spinner per player)
Hit Me - ?? (No picture. No clue.)
Indy 4 - 0 (1 Pedal and 1 Wheel per player. COCKTAIL)
Knockout - 0 (1 Spinner per player? No picture. )
Leader - 0 (1 Spinner per player)
Meadows 4 in 1 - 0 (1 Analog per player. COCKTAIL)
Olympic Tennis - 0 (1 Spinner per player)
Pace Car Pro - 0
Pong Doubles - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Quadrapong - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Scoring - ??
Sea Battle - 1
Shark - 4 (U/D/L/R May be able to use a joystick for this? COCKTAIL)
Soccer - 0 (1 Spinner per player.)
Sprint 4 - 0 (1 Pedal, 1 Wheel and 1 4 way shifter per player)
Survival - 0 (1 analog per player. COCKTAIL)
T.V. Tennis - 0 (1 analog per player)
Table Tennis - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Take 7 - 0 (1 Spinner per player.)
Tennis Tourney - 0 (1 Spinner per player)
Tournament Table - 1 (1 Spinner per player)
TV Joker - 0 (1 Spinner per player)
Video Action - 0 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Video Action 2 - ?? (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Warlords - 1 (1 Spinner per player. COCKTAIL)
Wimbledon - 0 (1 Spinner per player.)
Winner 4 - ?? (2 Spinners per player?)
Wipe out - 0 (1 Spinner per player)

1981-1985

Gauntlet - 2
Vs. Mahjong - 2 (2 Screens ?)
Vs. Tennis - 2  ( 2 Screens ?)

1986-1990

Cadash - 2 (2 Screens)
Center Court - 0 (8 way and 4 way per player. COCKTAIL)
Crime Fighters - 2
Cyberball - 1 (2 Screens)
Cyberball 2072 - 1
DD Crew - 2?
Dark Seal - 2
Dunk Shot - 2 (Trackball per player. COCKTAIL)
Euro Football Champ -  2
Face Off - 1
Football Champ - 2
Gauntlet 2 - 2
Gold Medalist - 3?
Growl - 2
Hattrick Hero - 2
High Impact Football - 1
Hit the Ice - 2
Hot Rod - 0 (1 Pedal, 1 Steering Wheel per player. COCKTAIL)
Hyper Sports Special - 3
John Elway's Team Quarterback - 1
The Main Event - 1
Mexico 86 - ?
The Ninja Kids - 2
Punk Shot - 3
Quartet - 1
Ring No Ouja - 2
Runark - 2
Tecmo Bowl - 2
Tecmo Bowl II - 2?
Teenage Mutant (Hero) Ninja Turtles -  2
Touchdown Fever - 2
Touchdown Fever II - 2
Tournament Cyberball 2072 - 1 (2 Screens)
Trog -  1
V'Ball - 2
World Soccer Finals - 2


1991-1992

Arabian Fight - 2
Arabian Magic - 3
Atomic Punk - 1?
Atomic Punk Global Quest - 2
Bomber Man World - 2
Bucky O'Hare - 3
Captain America and the Avengers - 2
Captain Commando - 2
Crime Fighters 2 - 2
Dead Connection - 2
Desert Assault - 2
Dynablaster - 2
Euro Champ 92 - 2
Exbania - 2
Exvania - 2
G.I. Joe - 2
Golden Axe : The Revenge of Death Adder - 3
Heated Barrel -  ?
Hook - 2
Karate Blazers - ?
Rim Rockin' Basketball - 2
Ring Rage - 2
Roller Games - 2
Silent Dragon - 3
Spiderman - 2
Sunset Riders - 3
Super High Impact - 1
Teenage Mutant (Hero) Ninja Turtles : Turtles in Time  - 2
The Simpsons - 2
Vendetta - 2
Wild West C.O.W.Boys of Moo Mesa - 2
WWF Wrestlefest - 2


1993-1995

2 on 2 Open Ice Challenge - 3
Blazing Tornado - 3
CB System II - 6!!!!
Dungeons and Dragons : Tower of Doom - 4 (One good reason to have 4!)
Dunkmania - 3
Hattrick Hero '95 - 3
Knuckleheads - 3
Metamorphic Force - 2
Muscle Bomber - The Body Explosion - 3
Muscle Bomber Duo - Heat Up Warriors - 3
Muscle Bomber Duo - Ultimate Team Battle - 3
Mystic Warriors - 2
NBA Jam - 3
NBA Jam Tournament Edition - 3
Run & Gun - 3 (4 Player seems to require 2 screens)
Saturday Night Slam Masters - 3
Snow Bros. 2- With New Elves - ?
Super Cup Finals - 3
World Cup 94' - 2
Zero Team - 2


1996-2000

3 on 3 Dunk Madness - ?
Battle Circuit - 2
Dungeons and Dragons : Shadow of Mystara - 4 (2 Screens?)
Gauntlet Dark Legacy - 3
Gauntlet Legends - 3
Hyper Athlete - 3
NBA Hangtime - 3
NBA Jam Extreme - 4
NBA MAximum Hangtime - 3
NBA Showtime - NBA on NBC - 3
NFL Blitz '99 - 3
NFL Blitz 2000 - 3
NFL Blitz 2000 : Gold Edition - 3
Oriental Legend - ?
Run & Gun 2 - 3
Rushing Heroes - ?
The Age of Heroes - ?
Wayne Gretzky's 3D Hockey - 3
WWF Royal Rumble - 3

2001 and beyond

!?!?


I'll have to finish this later. I gotta run for now. ITS QUITTIN TIME!

[TheShanMan]

(And building separate CP's for P3 and P4 seems like it would be even more work than just building the one?)

Yes, though it's not a ton of work, and you'd be saving some work from the main cp that would become simpler anyway. My player 3 and 4 boxes are pretty utilitarian: they're just simple wood boxes made just wide enough to sit comfortably on your lap, just tall enough to house the controls, and just deep enough to give your hands something to rest on. No overlay or anything - being separate from the cabinet means it's not really warranted. If you're interested in more details, like pics, let me know. But if not, that's fine too of course.

[deepblue]

I'm sure you know this - but build what makes you happy. I'm also a 4 player builder - here's sketchup of my panel, which is 48" wide by the way:


I am making 4 player because I always enjoyed getting a bunch of friends huddled around an arcade back in my youth (usually Gauntlet!)

Make sure to get the wife's permission before getting serious - it takes WAY more time that you think, but it is tonnes of fun, and a labor of love!

Make sure and start a project thread and keep us posted.

[gonzo90017]

If you think player 3 and 4 will only get used a minority of the time, I would suggest doing what I've done. Use DB9 (serial) cables hooked to small boxes with a joystick and 3 buttons for player 3 and 4.

TheShanMan would you mind posting some pictures and more info?

[OTTOgd]

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you, Stinks. I have 6 young nieces/nephew as well as my own 4 yr old and I think a 4-player set-up could keep them busy. Here's a link to an older post listing games: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=16101

List of my fav 4-player games:
NBA Jam series
X-Men
WWF Wrestlefest
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Captain Ameica And The Avengers
Gauntlet series
Bomberman series

As far as CPs are concerned, I really like what 'stones' has designed and he's posted working files as well. I'm thinking I'd lose the 4-way joy and use u360s instead: http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=77867.0