Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: CGRemakes on November 04, 2003, 10:50:08 pm
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I was wondering if there was a program (or of one could be written) that would allow users to use a coin door for non MAME games. For example, I own several computer games (written for computer, not-emulated) such as NBA Hangtime, Mortal Kombat, Atari Anniversary edition, etc. that only require the user to press start. I was wondering if there would be a way to have a program that runs in memory that requires you to insert a coin before the start button becomes activated. I wouldn't think it would be that hard, but I don't know that much about it. Would this be something that would be usefull?
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It would depend on the game and it would be difficult. What would be the point?
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The point would be to be able to use a coin door for non emulated games. It would be for effect more than anything. Obviously it's functional without it, but it wouldn't be the same as dropping a coin in to play.
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You could map the coin button to the start button so you'd have to put a quarter in to press start. Changing the messages to say insert coin would not be possible.
I don't understand peoples fascination with this, its come up here several times before, why bother?
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That'd probably work. I just figured with it being designed for a computer, you have to press start more times than for arcade games (menu options and things), so I didn't want to have to insert a coin each time I wanted to make a selection. Like I said, I was just curious if something like this had been done or were possible. Thanks for the input.
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yeah this has been discussed very recently:
http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=15;action=display;threadid=12349 (http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=15;action=display;threadid=12349)
I think that you are stuck with the start button but will probably survive :).
Honestly, most of my friends question my sanity when they have to put quarters in my free arcade.
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I don't think you could ever get this working the way you want, without modifying the game software itself. The closest you could possibly come is making a circuit that blocks pressing of the "start" key more times than the number of coins that have been inserted. I don't know how that would behave with things like continues, pausing the game, accesing a menu, etc. etc.
It would go like this, shown in a table with coin-insert events, start-press events, and START indicating whether the game sees the start button or not. Counter counts up when a coin goes in, counts down when start is pressed, and only allows a start press to pass if the counter is not zero.
counter | 0 1 0 0 1 2 3 2 1 2 1 0 0 0
ins_coin | * * * * *
press_start | * * * * * * * *
START | * * * * *
Hope that comes out looking anything close to a table. It probably won't.
By the way, the circuit to do this would be worthy of a final project in some electrical engineering classes. So if when I say "7402" you automatically think "NOR gate" and know from memory which pin is VCC, you can probably build this.
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That's ok, it's not the end of the world if I don't have to insert a coin to play. :) Sorry, I didn't know someone had beat me to the idea, I didn't recall ever seeing anyone else mentioning it. Thanks again for the input!
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Use the coin switch on the coin door in place of the start switch.