How do I know what games are 4/8 way?

[dcsipe]

Is there a repository that lists which games are 4 way and 8 way?  Or is this just something you find out when you load the ROM?

[patrickmaher]

MAWS
Click on deluxe search at the top to search for and list all 4 or 8 way games by control type. Or find a specific game and look at the controls info for it.

[Howard_Casto]

Those sources give you a "kind of sorta" idea but keep in mind that mame's listxml output is horribly inaccurate for various reasons.  Controls.dat will give a more accurate listing, assuming the games are in the database of course.

[NOP]

(shameless self plug)

Use ROMLister
http://www.waste.org/~winkles/ROMLister

When MAME's xml file is merged together with controls.xml (which you can do inside the application) the accuracy is quite high. 

You can then find out not only all the 4way/8way roms, but also the ones that have an equal or less # of buttons as your machine, and support proper monitor orientation, and much, much more, all in one swell foop.

-jeff!