Main > Main Forum
DIY Spinner using common Potentiometer?
kiwasabi:
Yeah the potentiometers on Pong wore out really quick. I read that it was estimated the number of cycles they were rated for would be exceeded within one week of being on location. What you want is an encoder wheel if you're to make something yourself. They sell them at places like Sparkfun or you can hack an old mouse (I believe you need an old ball mouse rather than a laser mouse).
And to whoever was asking about playing spinner games with a trackball... they really don't have the right feel at all in my experience. I would recommend getting both.Tempest with a trackball is arcade blasphemy.
DaveMMR:
--- Quote from: paigeoliver on July 15, 2014, 07:19:29 pm ---If you can only have one then you want the trackball.
--- End quote ---
A TB is definitely more versatile and the better option for those who want to cover as many games as possible.
Although there's a little gray area in there - if you're a fan of a dozen spinner games and maybe one or two trackball games, maybe a spinner may be the better option.
Also, not taken into consideration is that a spinner (at least nowadays) takes up a heck of a lot less space than a trackball. You could almost throw a TT2 spinner in as an afterthought, not so much with a trackball.
If you have to make omissions on your panel, make that "must-play" list first before planning out the panel.
kiwasabi:
--- Quote from: DaveMMR on July 17, 2014, 09:40:58 am ---Although there's a little gray area in there - if you're a fan of a dozen spinner games and maybe one or two trackball games, maybe a spinner may be the better option.
--- End quote ---
The trackball games I always go back to are Cabal, Sylvalion (Japan only release where you play as a dragon and can spin around and stuff), Marble Madness, Centipede/Millipede, and Missile Command. I really wish the SegaSonic game would control better because obviously a lot of love went into making that game by Sega.
Spinner games may be less numerous... Tempest and Arkanoid really. The spinner was underutilized I think. Oh yeah and Blasteroids.
Xiaou2:
--- Quote from: kiwasabi on July 17, 2014, 05:31:12 pm ---
--- Quote from: DaveMMR on July 17, 2014, 09:40:58 am ---Although there's a little gray area in there - if you're a fan of a dozen spinner games and maybe one or two trackball games, maybe a spinner may be the better option.
--- End quote ---
The trackball games I always go back to are Cabal, Sylvalion (Japan only release where you play as a dragon and can spin around and stuff), Marble Madness, Centipede/Millipede, and Missile Command. I really wish the SegaSonic game would control better because obviously a lot of love went into making that game by Sega.
Spinner games may be less numerous... Tempest and Arkanoid really. The spinner was underutilized I think. Oh yeah and Blasteroids.
--- End quote ---
Lot more spinner games than that. I like trackball games, but if I had to choose one, it would be a spinner.
While you can control spinner games with a trackball.. it never plays well enough to enjoy... due to losses of accuracy when you have some vertical vectors in your movements.
From the Wiki:
Conventional spinner games
Arkanoid arkanoid
Arkanoid - Revenge of Doh arknoid2
Blasteroids (version 4) blstroid
Wolf Pack (prototype) wolfpack
Tempest (rev 3) tempest
Tron (set 1) tron
Mad Planets mplanets
720 Degrees (set 1) 720
Aztarac aztarac
Forgotten Worlds (US) forgottn
Kozmik Kroozr kroozr
Crater Raider crater
Wheel Of Fortune wfortune
Victory victory
Omega Race omegrace
Cameltry (US) cameltry
Cosmic Chasm (set 1) cchasm
Dark Planet darkplnt
Vs. Hot Smash hotsmash
Boxing Bugs boxingb
Star Trek startrek
Push/pull spinner games
Discs of Tron (Upright) dotron
Zwackery zwackery
Forgotten Worlds forgottn *(only push)
Horizontal roller
Major Havoc (rev 3) mhavoc
Moonwar moonwar
Kick (upright) kick
Vertical roller
Drag Race dragrace
360° Steering Wheel
Super Sprint ssprint
APB - All Points Bulletin (set 1) apb
Pole Position polepos
Pole Position II polepos2
Road Blasters (set 1) roadblst
American Speedway (set 1) amspdwy
Bad Lands badlands
Demolition Derby demoderb
Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat indyheat
Speed Freak speedfrk
Ironman Stewart's Super Off-Road offroad
Ironman Stewart's Super Off-Road Track Pack offroadt
Turbo turbo
Konami GT konamigt
Buggy Challenge buggychl
Championship Sprint csprint
Fire Truck firetrk
Fire Truck firetrk
Grand Champion grchamp
Hot Rod (turbo 3 player) hotrod
Monte Carlo montecar
Stocker stocker
Super Speed Race sspeedr
Final Lap 2 finalap2
Subs subs
Mille Miglia 2: Great 1000 Miles Rally (95/05/24) gtmr2
Over Drive overdriv
Redline Racer (2 players) redlin2p
Sprint 1 sprint1
Horizontal paddle games
Boot Hill boothill
Clowns (rev. 2) clowns
Super Breakout sbrkout
Avalanche avalnche
Beam Invader beaminv
Gee Bee geebee
Warlords warlords
Field Goal fgoal
Blue Shark blueshrk
Circus circus
Sea Wolf seawolf
Sea Wolf II seawolf2
Vertical paddle games
Destroyer destroyr
Lunar Lander (rev 2) llander
Dual Spinner Games
Paddle Games
Arkanoid Returns
Off the Wall (Atari)
Off the Wall (Bally Sente)
Warlords (uses 4!)
Pop'n Bounce
Plump Pop
VS Blok Breaker
Flying
Blasteroids
Two Tigers
Driving
Super Off Road
Super Sprint (uses 3!)
Championship Super Sprint
Bad Lands
Ironman Ivan Stewart's Super Off-Road (uses 3!)
Ironman Stewart's Super Off-Road Track Pack (uses 3!)
Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat
Other
Atari 2 player games
Puzzloop / Puzzloop 2
Puzzle Bobble 2/3/4 (a.k.a. Bust a move)
Forgotten Worlds
* Additionally, you can use a spinner to play pot based racing games like Outrun. Some do not like the lack of centering spring... but its still able to be used well and with good accuracy regardless. (and if one really wanted, they could make a spring solution that can attack and detach as needed)
** I believe the above list is also missing games... due to the POOR level of picture documentation of the Rear side of the control panels. TX-1 for example, also uses a 360 degree optical wheel.. as well as two optical pedals.
*** Ill also add, that the lack of controller assembly pictures (for use in front-ends as well), is also a real shame. Many do not know what the controllers look like, and or even what they are. For example, Segas Turbo uses an optical pedal that has dual optos and a sliding tab... very similar to how the 49 way joysticks work. TX-1 has a dual pedal assembly, in which both pedal units use large diameter optical encoder wheels - the kind they used on Tron spinners...
PL1:
--- Quote from: Xiaou2 on July 19, 2014, 03:49:50 pm ---** I believe the above list is also missing games.
--- End quote ---
That page certainly does need some updates -- "the TurboTwist 2 is relatively new to the spinner scene. " :dizzy: :lol
LMK if you want a wiki login or have specific corrections and/or games to add to the list. :cheers:
Scott
EDIT: Made a few changes to the wiki -- mostly alphabetizing the games within each category, correcting a few errors, and adding several more games.
Found six _long_ lists of spinner/dial games, including several of yours, Steve. :)
I'll try to sort through them later.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version