Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Lightguns => Topic started by: Guywiththegun on October 04, 2016, 09:38:28 pm

Title: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: Guywiththegun on October 04, 2016, 09:38:28 pm
I have a 2 player fighter setup. I'm willing to bite the bullet and ditch trackball games, driving games, and lightgun games . . but man is it tough deleting games like Centipede, House of the Dead, Outrun, etc. I don't want them around if they're not even gonna be fun. I'm keeping touch games (Trivia, quiz, etc.) since it doesn't really matter as long as you can position the crosshair easily enough.

Anyone have any success sorting it out to where they still retain a little of their magic?

I'm already mourning the loss of Arkanoid, one of my favorites. Joysticks weren't happening no matter what settings I tried.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: harveybirdman on October 04, 2016, 09:53:12 pm
Centipede is playable with a joystick, and there are several breakout style games that are designed with Joysticks in mind.

Kudos to you for realizing that Frankenpanels are at best distracting and full of compromise.

The solution of course is more dedicated builds.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: adder on October 04, 2016, 09:59:50 pm
and you can at least still enjoy games like paperboy and space harrier as they are not too bad with digital joysticks

ps. enduro racer.. thats a fun game which works well with a regular digital joystick (unlike other similar sega racing games such as hang-on and outrun)
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: DudeRegular on October 04, 2016, 11:44:36 pm
and you can at least still enjoy games like paperboy and space harrier as they are not too bad with digital joysticks

ps. enduro racer.. thats a fun game which works well with a regular digital joystick (unlike other similar sega racing games such as hang-on and outrun)
Enduro Racer is not bad. I find that paperboy is bordering on the not fun level of difficult with a digital joystick though.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: ninjabadger81 on October 05, 2016, 06:34:35 am
Interesting topic.

I've found various games that were unplayable have become acceptable by messing with the analogue setting (by game) in MAME.
Often reducing the speed/sensitivity makes a big difference.  Also turning off auto-centre seems to work well.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: Scassidy24 on October 06, 2016, 11:58:41 pm
I haven't tried any arcade  Driving games but I do use my fight stick setup with zsnes which opens the door to the SNES versions of Sprint, super off-road, and other arcade racing games that were (I'm not sure "ported"is the right word) to SNES

Anyway you can get some of your racing game fix and it works well using a 8 way joystick as a SNES d-pad


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Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: jeremymtc on October 07, 2016, 07:00:33 pm
Hang On (+ super and junior versions) work pretty well with a stick.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: BadMouth on October 07, 2016, 08:42:45 pm
A tutorial on tweaking the analog settings in MAME to make analog games play better with a joystick has bee only to do list for a long time.

It would need done individually for each game, but on the upside the same settings should work on any cab since there is no variation in the input from a digital switch.

I'll try to put something together soon.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: paigeoliver on October 07, 2016, 09:11:29 pm
In most cases you are better off just playing the console port of an analog arcade game than you are playing the arcade version with an 8-way stick.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: EssexMame on October 10, 2016, 09:51:20 am
A tutorial on tweaking the analog settings in MAME to make analog games play better with a joystick has bee only to do list for a long time.

It would need done individually for each game, but on the upside the same settings should work on any cab since there is no variation in the input from a digital switch.

I'll try to put something together soon.
I'd be interested in that information too  ;D
Title: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: Scassidy24 on October 10, 2016, 10:01:47 am
A tutorial on tweaking the analog settings in MAME to make analog games play better with a joystick has bee only to do list for a long time.

It would need done individually for each game, but on the upside the same settings should work on any cab since there is no variation in the input from a digital switch.

I'll try to put something together soon.

How about a general @analog setting tips and tricks" I could contribute on  an "intruduction to trackball and spinner config".  The more I think about it, Probably best as two separate threads
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: Mr. Peabody on October 10, 2016, 01:59:53 pm

Kudos to you for realizing that Frankenpanels are at best distracting and full of compromise.

The solution of course is more dedicated builds.

Nothing doing. I love frankenpanels, and I have no compromises.
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: harveybirdman on October 10, 2016, 02:26:50 pm

 I love frankenpanels

Good for you...



 and I have no accepted the compromises

FTFY
Title: Re: Is it worth configuring any trackball/driving/lightgun games for a joystick?
Post by: burn_654 on October 12, 2016, 10:58:38 am
In most cases you are better off just playing the console port of an analog arcade game than you are playing the arcade version with an 8-way stick.

I'm going to agree with that. Unless there is a joystick version or hack available (one example is that Rampart is designed for trackball but has a good and completely playable joystick rom as well) but if one isn't available for Arkanoid get the NES version.