Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Project Announcements => Topic started by: GeoMan on September 19, 2013, 10:57:02 am

Title: Trackball Arcade Controller [FINISHED]
Post by: GeoMan on September 19, 2013, 10:57:02 am
This is my last arcade controller project: trackball + buttons

I am using a 2 1/4 trackball from Ultimarc, the usual arcade buttons and a MiniPac to drive them all.

Below you see the top cover with the trackball enclosure and the buttons, the finished trackball and the back side.

(All my controllers can be placed side to side and use them together for games with strange controlls - i use my Dual and my Spinner controllers to play Battlezone/Assault using the joystick from the first and the trigger joystick from the second)
Title: Re: Trackball Arcade Controller [FINISHED]
Post by: shiori1425 on September 19, 2013, 11:12:19 am
That looks nice man.  :cheers: I like the whole modular theme you have going on.

I am curious why you use so many buttons if your design is so modular though.  Like this one, what game need 10 buttons with the trackball?
Title: Re: Trackball Arcade Controller [FINISHED]
Post by: GeoMan on September 19, 2013, 11:25:51 am
That looks nice man.  :cheers: I like the whole modular theme you have going on.

I am curious why you use so many buttons if your design is so modular though.  Like this one, what game need 10 buttons with the trackball?

None. But you can play games that require only buttons! For example you can play Q-Bert using the Red/Orange buttons mapped to the 4 diagonal directions.

Besides, i had free space on the controller and i thought that it was a good idea to use it: it adds weight to the controller and i can use the extra buttons for other functions (Insert Coin, etc).