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Spinner right-handed or left?

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epetti:
Random question: typically arcade control panels are setup assuming you use the joystick with your left hand and press buttons with your right.  For the trackball it's the opposite -- it's assumed you use it with your right hand and press the buttons with your left.

So what about the spinner?  All of the original arcade games with a spinner that I've seen have had the buttons on both sides so you could choose to use it with either hand.  So I'm curious what hand people here tend to use it with?

This is also to help inform how I setup the mappings on my control panel.  There are available buttons on either side the way I have it laid out currently, just have to choose which to map -- I suppose I could map both sets for ambidextrous use.

drventure:
I'd mock it up and see what feels best for you.

For my CP, I went with the spinner on the left, but I do have a few buttons to the left of the spinner that I +could+ map if I felt like it'd work better. But I haven't had to yet.

If you mount the spinner centrally, more or less between P1 and p2, then you could easily just map both p1 and p2 buttons as applicable for spinner games.

Gray_Area:
Depends on the game. I think Arkanoid had a button on either side, like some joystick games of the early 80s had. Tempest, being 1980, was a near-last vestige of the 'righty is mighty' era, and hence had the spinner to the right. Given I have a 2P frankenpanel, and I'm of the later-ish mode, mine is to the left. But, like d said, make a playland version.....

RandyT:

I'd say put it on the side you favor for writing, etc.  Unlike joysticks, spinners require digital dexterity (i.e. the fine motor control of fingers).  If right-handed, this is usually better on that hand.

My panel is too small for a trackball, so the spinner went right in the middle.  Always end up using the spinner with my right hand, as it just feels more natural to me.

TheOne:
I set mine up in the middle.  I'm right handed and my brother is left.  We both don't have a problem.  In the classic spinner games like Tempest and Centipede you can set your control buttons  for left and right handed play.

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