[SOLVED] Help: 720 Original Controller W/ Optipac - Cant get it working in 720

[Reezy]

I have an original 720 arcade controller (OK i have 3 of them).. hooked to an Optipac and working in windows fine, also working as a spinner fine in MAME for various games (Tempest etc) but it will not map correctly for 720. Im using Mame 0.137 because that is what came with "The Hyperspin Project" which is the front end I am running.

Below is my (Controls>This Game) Screen in Mame


Below is (controls>this game) screen from a known working setup (Jstookey)


Why am I missing those Dial options? I think this is why its not working for me, the version of MAME I am using has 720 set to use AD Analog Stick instead of DIAL? Its hard for me to figure out because I dont know much about the inner workings of MAME, I dont code, and all the info that I have regarding how to get this controller working properly s about 5 years old (Analog+ days)

SIDE NOTE: I saw this thread:http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=108728.0 and I think Derrick Renaud may have the answer for me, but as I am a newb I am unable to PM people, if somebody could fwd this thread to him, or put me in touch with him some other way, that would be great.

I have been working on this for over a week and it's driving me nuts. After I get this working, I vow to never let anyone have this problem ever again.

Thanks guys

[BobA]

This might help you.    720 driver

[Reezy]

Thanks, I have read everything I could from that site, some of it is hard to understand since it is so old. I am actually emailing back and forth with Jake (author of said site) to try and get things working.

I am currently going to try various versions of Mame to see what kind of results I can get. Problem is my working rom(s) wont work on some versions (it says "bad dump" "rom corrupt" or something like that) and I dont know why? Do I need new versions of those roms? I know I cant ask where to get them, but how about the filenames and sizes? To verify I have the right roms for the right Version?

If I do get it working, then I have to start working on getting it to work w/ my Hyperspin Setup, which may be updating from 0.137 to 0.143 and if that V doesnt work for 720, I have to use a separate V of MAME just for that game, and I am not sure how to get Hyperspin to do that either (figure it out later)

I think I have probably contacted anyone who ever had a 720 controller and made a post regarding it online.. super frustrating, but this game is totally worth it.

[BobA]

MAWS can give you info on ROM names and MAME versions.

MAWS

[Savannan]

if youre using 137 rom set..then you need mame .137...not the newest mame unless you have the updated roms.  every so often with new versions of mame, the devs like to rename/delete files here and there...*if* you want to use the newest mame then i would use clrmamepro to rename/find out what files youre missing.  just to let you know asking for roms is a NO NO  and will probably get you banded on this board..just do what everyone else does and google what you need.

[Reezy]

if youre using 137 rom set..then you need mame .137...not the newest mame unless you have the updated roms.  every so often with new versions of mame, the devs like to rename/delete files here and there...*if* you want to use the newest mame then i would use clrmamepro to rename/find out what files youre missing.  just to let you know asking for roms is a NO NO  and will probably get you banded on this board..just do what everyone else does and google what you need.

Thanks for the help. I am pretty sure I didnt ask for roms.

[Reezy]

I ended up getting it working right away as soon as I started trying different versions of MAME. The first version I tested was 0.143, and my ROM didnt load, so I then tried MAMEAnalog+, fired it up in a DOS window with -mouse trigger and it loaded the ROM. Funny thing is when i went to set the 720 controller in (Controls>This Game) It wouldnt recognize it. I decided to try mapping the 2 Dials using the mouse I had hooked up, and low and behold I got a good response from the joystick. It was then just a matter of setting the sensitivity.

Heres a short (super short) clip of m playing, I really only filmed this because it was weird glitch I had never experienced. I plan to film a proper video shortly:


Problem Solved. It wouldnt work in 0.137 for some reason. It works for sure using MAMEAnalog+, and even though its super old and outdated, it at least proves what the problem was and how to fix it (use a version that supports the input you are using). Im sure there are newer versions that will work, possibly 0.143 (I have yet to test it w/ a updated ROM). The confusing part is that this apparently worked in older versions, then was broken in later versions and then fixed in newer versions (newer than 0.137). I also have yet to test Derrick Renauds version, which Im told works great as well.

Thanks for your help, I have learned a great deal about how MAME works and more importantly, I have my favorite game working.

[Derrick Renaud]

Did you try a new version of MAME and go to the driver configuration menu and select real control?

[Reezy]

Did you try a new version of MAME and go to the driver configuration menu and select real control?

Thanks for your reply. I have yet to do that. After the 2 weeks of trying to get it working, I was so stoked that I ended up playing it for a few hours and decided to do the rest another day (probably today). I have your version as well as 0.143 and the corresponding ROM SET. I hope it does work in newest V so I can update my Hyperspin setup and easily incorporate this game. Otherwise I have to do something tricky like tell HyperSpin to Load 720 using a seperate Mame exe... not sure if I can even do that.

The part that boggled my mind about getting this to work is that I read it worked in older versions of MAME (0.89) or so, and I just assumed that the progress would be translated into later versions of MAME, but for some reason it was taken out or switched to AD ANALOG STICK (at least in V0.137) and that will never work...  I would like to extend a middle finger to whoever decided to take the real controller option out, instead of allowing the user to choose what control they actually had... control schemes shouldn't be limited by who has what controller, and instead shouuld remain authentic to the original game. Isnt that what MAME is all about? Recreating our arcade experiences and preserving them?

Side Note: I was running REV4 and it is WAY easier than what I'm used to at the arcade. I have been lucky enough to live near 3 720 cabs in my lifetime and they were all very similar in play, maybe the same REV.  In REV4 I get the super jumps off the manhole springs all the time, a few times in every game,  and that would VERY RARELY happen in any of the actual cabs I played. I also got outside of the fence because of this glitch which has also never happened to me on a real cab. I actually landed on the roof of the Helmet Shop before I got out of the fence. Also the blue random bonus points seem to be EVERYWERE... maybe its dip settings, but its different than what I'm used to and way easier.

[Reezy]

Did you try a new version of MAME and go to the driver configuration menu and select real control?

I just tested it w/ 0.143 and it worked great! I chose driver (REAL) and it still wasnt responding. I checked the INI and it had  MOUSE_DEVICE Mouse it still wasnt responding to my controller or my mouse. I loaded it up in a DOS window:   Mame -mouse 720 and it worked fine.

I then exited and went back into the INI and changed  Dial_device from Keyboard to mouse and it started working immediately. I can even map the 720 controller by turning it back and forth when in CONTROLS THIS GAME.

I had some weird calibration issues,skater wasnt pointing in the right direction and I realized it was because my optical mouse was still hooked up and when it would move slightly or get bumped it would mess up the calibration. I tested this by pointing the joystick to 12 and then moving my mouse till it lined up properly and it was well, until I moved the mouse again.   I started it up with the mouse unplugged and it was fine.

Since I do have a trackball to install as well, I am thinking that I will have to enable multimouse in INI so that neither control will affect the other.

Now begins the task of updating my Hypersin Setup to 0.143 w/ the new roms.   Thanks to: Jake Stookey (jstookey), Andy @ Ultimarc,Derrick Renaud, U_rebelscum (MameAnalog+), and anybody else that may have helped me.

Please feel free to contact me if you need any help getting your original 720 arcade controller working in MAME, I will help.

[yotsuya]

That's awesome! I play 720 with my spinner, but obviously it's not the same.

[ark_ader]

I deleted my 720 roms because of a certain person....

[messhof]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but I have been on the hunt for a 720 joystick..

Reezy: Do you still have the 3 of them? Any interest in selling one?

[Reezy]

I do have 2 extras still, I have yet to revitalize any of the three I own. I would definitely be willing to sell the worse of the 3. Im pretty sure that a new bushing and greasing etc would fix most of it.

I have been scared to take the thing apart, though I should order a new pivot ball and get it over with.

What's it worth to you? I can get pictures to you, I will private message you my email