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Thoughts on this button layout for my first small 4-player cocktail?

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JeebsFat:
This is my first attempt on a Mame Machine, so go easy on me. Hopefully, I'm in the right sub forum, too!  ;)

So, what do you guys think?

Yellow is the coin button, whites are 1 and 2 player buttons, and blue is shift. This thing will be on the smaller side with only a 15in monitor. (This is a super cheap, use want I have around kind of build) This button layout fully fills an i-pac 2 (32 slots).

For the controls, I quickly realized that the more I thought about it, the more I wanted. It is a slippery slope, indeed! I wanted 2 player across each other for vertical cocktail flipping and also wanted two player side by side for horizontal beat-em-up's. I should be able to do some twin stick shooters with this too. Maybe some two player twin stick shooters, but it might be a bit awkward. I went with 3 buttons per joystick as per metal slug and asteroids and keeping it simple.

I am considering putting the screen on a hinge for playing horizontal games more comfortably. This would give easy access to the guts too.

Anyway! :blah:

Just wanted to see what you guys thought before it's too late! ;D

Dekieon:
You don't need a shift button. the shift function on the Ipac works by detecting two button presses to give you a new option.

An example whould be to holder Player 1's button 7 and press the pause to open the volume control. Or pressing botth P1 and P2 to exit, that sort of thing, you don't actually have a button that is just a SHIFT.

So for your layout you could make yellow the coin button, white p1 and p2 buttons, and blue the pause, and then have P1&P2 together to be exit.

You don't need a pause, but I highly recommend it.

DaveMMR:
Yes ditch the shift button and maybe put a coin on the sides (like where a coin door will go - GroovyGameGear sells coin reject shaped lighted buttons.) You may consider arching the buttons slightly but that's all preference really.

Otherwise looks good.

CpCaveman:
I agree, dont need the shift button unless you want a hidden one for changing settings/emulators , but use it for exiting a game back to the menu (only button you dont have, and WILL need unless its a one game machine) and if it is going to be a two player cab vertical and horizontal only, you could run them in parallel and free up half your inputs, answered a similar one a while ago on how to do it (see diagram, just wire both player 1 vertical and horizontal buttons to the same inputs then the same with player 2 vert and horiz, loop the ground wires at each station then a dpdt switch would make only one set of controls active) , the switch makes only one set work at a time or if you leave it out both active at the same time, and the spare inputs could be used for other things (volume etc) hope it helps :)

PL1:
Welcome aboard, JeebsFat.

Another thing to consider is that for some games, which "coin slot" you use decides which player position gets the credits.

If you want to play Gauntlet and you only have P1 Coin (5) wired up, you will be the Warrior, and can't have a second player join you as Valkyrie (P2), Wizard (P3), or Elf (P4).

Also keep in mind that you can take the games that have cocktail video mode and map the side (P3 + P4) controls to that game so you can play facing eatch other

If you only want 2 players at a time, you can wire the P1 side and P1 front controls in parallel with each other and do the same for the P2 side and front controls.

If you want to be able to have up to 4 people playing at once, step up to the IPac4 so you'll have enough inputs for everyone's controls, coin buttons, and start buttons.

If you choose to use shifted functions, use them sparingly and plan them carefully.


Scott

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