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DIY Spinner using common Potentiometer?

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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.

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