Mayflash DolphinBar (Wiimote to PC)

[Stu1983]

I know I haven't posted in a very long time... I have been lurking about but just don't have the same time to devote to my emulation hobby anymore.

I did treat myself to a new gadget though and just had to drop by to say how great it is.

I seen the review for Mayflash DolphinBar over on the Dolphin blog

Getting my Wiimote working reliably on my HTPC/Emu PC has been a long term on/off battle for years. I've never found a solution that was full proof. I had 1 that I posted here years ago but it still would let you down randomly.

I thought for £15 the DolhinBar was worth ago and boy is it worth it.

I works perfect, just pair the Wiimote using the synce button once and that's it, from now on you turn on your PC hit a button on the Wiimote and your connected again.

I've even went out of my way to try and get it to mess up, I unplugged the dolphin bar and reinserted the usb, press a button on the Wiimote and it's connected again.

I've taken the batteries out of the Wiimote while playing, put them in again, press a button on the Wiimote and it's connected again.

Even taken the batteries out and unplugged the Wiimote but again put it all back together, press a button on the Wiimote and it's connected again.

It really seems like they have the connection issues nailed.

I haven't tested the latest Wiimotes but the review on Dolphin blog says they work with the latest firmware update.

You can use it in different modes; Mouse, Gamepad and Emulator

I'll not go into all the features as the review on the Dolphin blog pretty much covers everything other than to add that the Gamepad mode seems pretty interesting as it allows Xpadder to see the Wiimote This means we can easily assign keys to each button and the IR tracking is seen as am analogue joystick.

The Dolphin blog doesn't like it as a system mouse as it's too jittery but I think its pretty usable, they mention a half second pause after pressing a button but I don't have that issue with the firmware that was released a few days ago. I wouldn't want to use it to replace my system mouse on my main PC but I can easily open/close windows, drag icons, double click etc. Highlight exact paragraphs of text is a wee bit tricky but doable, so it's perfect for my HTPC/Emu.

I tried a first person shooter but I agree with the Dolphin blog its unusable

It's really easy to switch between mouse/gamepad and emulator mode, you just hold the home key and press up,down or right.

I really can't recommend this enough for any Dolphin users, my only complaint is the USB lead is only 1m so it doesn't reach from my HTPC to the top of my TV but a small USB extension will sort.

[GeorgeT]

so it would/would not function as a lightgun in MAME?

[Adultery]

If it does I already have a couple of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0055WG1GK?pc_redir=1411726337&robot_redir=1

That would be pretty awesome if it did work. I don't see why it wouldn't since it's more or less a mouse anyway, but I would love to know if it's any good for mame before I invest in it.

[Adultery]

I said screw it and got one. It's worth the $25 investment. Found it on Amazon of all places, and my Prime means it'll be here in no time: http://www.amazon.com/TOTALCONSOLE-W010-Wireless-Sensor-DolphinBar/dp/B00HZWEB74

They say that it has a "game mode" so it will work with PC games... Maybe I will have to write a plugin for it. Either way adding Wii motes to my cab in an effective way is a great move so I can't pass it up.

[tthurman]

If this works with MAME/Lightguns with the ease and dependability that Stu mentions, this would be a great addition. Please let us know how it goes when you get a chance.

[rockyrocket]

Recently set up a wiimote whiteboard and came across Touchmote as a good option for pairing with win7 64....

http://touchmote.net/

Ps, A wii-whiteboard set up works rubbish with Bluestacks .

[Stu1983]

so it would/would not function as a lightgun in MAME?

I had a quick play about but I don't think its is suitable as a proper light gun for Mame.

It does work if you use a version of Mame with DirectInput enabled but there is too much drift if you move from the center of the screen e.g. you can hit the center perfect but as you aim an inch to the right the cursor will actually move 1.5 inches, if you aim 3 inches to the right the cursor will actually have moved about 6 inches.

Also the cursor is always higher than your aim, even in Windows, if you hold the Wiimote up and look down it like it's a gun, the cursor will sit an inch high on screen.

If you keep the Mame's cursor enabled and use that to aim instead of 'looking down the barrel' so to speak, it can still be fun but I'll stick to my AimTrak

[tthurman]

Yeah, that's a deal breaker! Would've been sweet had it worked for that too!

<edit> Thanks for the info!

Edited September 28, 2014 by tthurman

[Adultery]

Well it came today so I'll be playing around with this over the weekend. Who knows, maybe I can jack around with it and make it work.

I don't want to spend the money on an aimtrak for the handful of games I want to play. If I can find a suitable solution maybe I can get it to work as a steering wheel too...

/end high hope mode