Ms. PacMan Twin

[MNMax21]

So, I’ve been debating redoing my arcade control panel.  I don’t really have a good answer as to why, just want a change and was thinking about going LED this time around where the buttons light up based on game being played.  Anyways, I have been trying to once again answer the age olD question about how many buttons, etc.  I think I’ve settled on 7 for players 1&2 and 4 for players 3&4.  (Let me know if this sucks!). I don’t play enough console stuff and if I do, I think I’d rather plug in a game controller via USB.

In my search, I somehow stumbled across this video about Ms. PacMan Twin.  I had never heard of it, but the game itself looks fun, seeing as its two player simultaneous Ms. PacMan play.  I guess it’s a hack out of Argentina.  It says it’s now working in MAME.  Has anyone got this game working or is this just a rouse?  
 

Video below

 

 

[tthurman]

Interesting, I saw this just the other day too, but didn't spend any time digging into it.

I stopped planning for anything but single player, because, well, that's the reality of it for me!  I can't offer much advise due to this, but with your panel and the much smaller selection of 3 & 4 player games (much less having a need for high button count), that sounds reasonable to me (the single player).

Good to see you posting.

[Draco1962]

For two player CPs, I think the layouts for the X-Arcade Tankstick and similar strike the right balance for the number of buttons. 

[tthurman]

This is one of the best looking control panels I've ever seen!  Looks like they went with six on players 3 and 4.

 

James Van Horn - Ultimarc Control Panel

There's always the slagcoin guide for ideas and spacing.

[MNMax21]

Ha.  That’s actually the one that inspired me to try a redo.  I don’t mind my current setup.  I just added plexi to the top after the fact and that made the plexiglass higher than the tmolding.  I then bought 1” tmolding and that covered it up, but the molding kept popping out.  Slightly different size for the routed out thing.  I then used some glue and that got between the plexiglass and artwork.  Thus, my OCD can’t play on it without staring at the glue!  Ha.  I also want to recess the screws for joy/trackball underneath.  I don’t like them on top anymore.

I read some on BYOAC that many don’t like that L shape between P1 and P3, P2 and P4.   Makes it difficult to spread out for four players I guess.  My current panel is more triangular there.  I might keep it that way.  I messaged the builder on BYOAC about the panel and buttons they used.  He asked for $60 for the plans, but mentioned the buttons he used.

I do use slagcoin too!  Ha.  I like the buttons to to go more with the finger size, what I believe is more the Japanese style for arcade.   This has the buttons placed by finger size, so middle finger button is highest, etc.

After some research, I cannot seem to locate any four player arcade games that had more than 4 buttons for P3 and P4.  At this point, I have only the four in the design.  Again, if I did more SNES stuff, I might build them out more.  Having four seems to make it easier to space out more freely too.  I’m getting close to done on the artwork.  It’s 46”x17”.  I’ll post a pic here when I get it more finalized.

Thanks for the input!!!! It’s greatly appreciated.

 

[MNMax21]

Here's what I have so far.  Need to make some changes to button hole size and layout still, but it's getting there.

[tthurman]

2 hours ago, MNMax21 said:

that many don’t like that L shape between P1 and P3, P2 and P4

I've often thought the aircraft carrier CP design looked much better than it was practical, but if your going to incorporate pinball flipper, etc buttons on the left/right sides, how else?  Sorta hard to accomplish that on a large swooping 4-player half-moon panel.

Personally, I've always thought that one drop down button out there on the lower left is sort of a bastard button on an island, but maybe in practice it's really handy.

I think I would like the arched button layout, but mine is straight and I like it pretty well.  If I were building a new panel I believe this is the one I'd go with due to the smaller size of my hands.

 

This layout uses the standard Japanese arcade design, but the proportions are set so the buttons fit together more evenly and closely. The buttons form equilateral triangles and a square.

 

Being somewhat of a completest as well as the aforementioned "single player", I would scratch players 3 and 4 and instead put a dedicated Asteroids layout on one of those positions and something like two four way ball top sticks in the other, one tilted for Q-Bert and the other arranged for Pac-Man / Galaga style games.  I would also have to incorporate two 8 way (maybe ServoStik's) sticks somewhere straight on for Robotron/Smash TV/Crazyclimber etc..

This would require a level of thought that I've not yet invested, but you can see that my goal would be more game coverage and less focus on increased players, but that's just me and my personal preferences.

 

[MNMax21]

Sounds like all good plans!!  The random off center button is for Mortal Combat run.  Something I loved playing.  I have some buttons currently on my control panel for pinball, but I never really got that into pinball.  Just not the same on an upright.  I have two Magstik’s from Ultimarc for P1 and P2 that can be changed from 4way and 8way.  
 

Once the pandemic gets figured out, I’m sure the neighbors will be back over to play.  Then my 4 players is needed.  NBA JAM and TMNT were staples for me.  Then 3 for Rampage.  I have three daughters that love playing too. 4 player is a must for me.

 

So the random 4 way I see outside of the 4 players on arcade panels is for Asteroids?  I could never figure that out.  Is it something you think should be done when I already have a changeable 4way/8way joystick?

I do like the idea of a flight stick for After Burner though.  I used to love that game.

What games are typical played with a spinner?  

[tthurman]

Asteroids was juts five buttons, same for the Deluxe version.  I would think that four way was for Pac-Man and Galaga style games.

Tempest, Arkanoid, Mad Planets (if you have a flightstick too).....Disc's of Tron (but specialized spinner with up/down)

 

 

[tthurman]

 

[tthurman]

Here's a nice list.

 

Tempest/tempest -perfect for spinner(spinner+2buttons)
Tempest Tubes/temptube -as above(spinner+2buttons)
Tac/Scan/tacscan -scrolling shmup, nice use of spinner(spinner+2but)
Major Havoc/mhavoc -2D/3D shmup/maze, nice with spinner(x-axis roller+2buttons)
Star Trek/startrek like Battle Zone, ok for spinner(spinner+4buttons)
Cameltry/cameltry -perfect for spinner(spinner+1button)
Peggle/peggle-misc game(unknown, spinner best for play)
Puzz Loop/puzzloop-puzzle(spinner +1 button)
Beam Invader/beaminv -spinner controlled toughie space invaders clone (spinner+1button)

Pong/pong -all these type of games are great with... (spinner)
Super Breakout/sbrkout -why breakout not mamed? (spinner +button)
Straight Flush/sflush -breakout style with cards (spinner)
Free Kick/freekick (freekckb.zip working) -football(soccer) themed breakout game(spinner)
Arkanoid/arkanoid (spinner+1button)
Arkanoid-Revenge of DOH/arkanoid2 Arkanoid sequel, with some extra items(spinner+1button)
Arkanoid Returns/arkretrn Arkanoid sequel -97, with extra items(spinner+1button)
Off the Wall(Atari'91)/offtwall -arkanoid style (spinner+2button)
Off the Wall(Sente'84)/otwalls -Tennis, nothing to do with arkanoid type games (spinner+ x-axis joystick)
Riddle of Pythagoras/ridleofp -arkanoid style (spinner+1button)
Gigas/gigasb -arkanoid style (spinner+1button)
Gigas Mark II/gigasm2b -sequel to previous (spinner+1button)
Pop'n Bounce/popnbounc -arkanoid style puzzle (spinner/joystick)
VS Block Breaker/vblockbrk -arkanoid style (spinner+4?button)
Peek-a-Boo/peekaboo -arkanoid style pixel pr0n (spinner+2button)
Goindol/goindol -arkanoid style, pinball/caveman theme (spinner+1button)
Warlords/warlords -pong style, somewhat different(spinner+1button)
Circus/circus-bouncing clowns breakout style (spinner)
Clowns/clowns "
Kick/kick-umm breakout style but far...Best played with spinner(x-axis trackball +1button)
Avalanche/avalnche -catch falling snow (spinner)
Puchi carat/puchicar -modern breakout puzzle, Japanese style (spinner+1button)

Zektor/zektor -asteroids, excellent for spinner(spinner+2buttons)
Omega Race/omegrace-asteroids, good with spinner(spinner+2 buttons)
Cosmic Chasm/cchasm-asteroids, ok use of spinner(spinner+2 buttons)
Dark Planet/darkplnt-3D asteroids-ground/sky, bad use of spinner(spinner+3 buttons)
Blasteroids/blstroid -Asteroids, not very good utilization of spinner(spinner+3buttons)

Tron/tron -very good use of spinner(spinner+trigger stick)
Discs of Tron/dotron As Tron, but with pushdown spinner and thumb-button
Zwackery/zwackery -platform, hard to control, (same controls as dotron)
Kozmik Kroozr/kroozr -shooter (spinner+triggerstick)
Ixion/ixion-shooter, tanklike(spinner+triggerstick?)
Forgotten Worlds/forgottn -sidescrolling shooter(pushdown spinner+8wayjoy)
Wiz Warz/wizwarz -Tempest meets Robotron http://www.marpirc.net/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif (spinner+triggerstick)

8-way rotary joystick: (could be played with triggerstick and spinner also, as Tron, most have 2 buttons though)
Ikari Warriors/ikari -as Commando but with Tron arm
Ikari III -the rescue/ikari3 " (with 3 buttons)
Victory Road/victroad "
Heavy Barrel/hbarrel "
Time Soldiers/timesold "
SAR- Search and Rescue/searchar "
Guerrilla War/gwar "
Midnight resistance/midres -sidescrolling fighter, platform
Bermuda Triangle/bermudat -up/down scrolling airplane shmup/shmdn
Gondomania/gondo -scrolling shooter
T.N.K.III/tank3 -scrolling shooter, tank
Downtown/downtown -scrolling fighter/beat'm up

720 degrees/720-skateboarding, spinner ok, original controls hard to emulate(directional spinning joystick+2buttons)
Two tigers/twotiger-airplane, ok with spinner(x-axis yoke with 3buttons)


Tournament Table/tourtabl -not working good at mame? (spinner)
Sheriff/sheriff -no analog options at mame, although game DID use...(joystick +pushdown-spinner )

Won't list obvious driving games here(Pole Position, APB,Hydra,Road Blasters etc..) Also only parent-rom is listed
Hope this list is for use for Marpers. I already discovered few fun new spinner games(new from 80's http://www.marpirc.net/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif )

[MNMax21]

Alright.  I did a redo to the control panel and the bezel.  What does everyone think?  Once I get around to getting this printed, I'll work my way toward LED buttons.  I am leaning the Groovy Game Gear Electric Ice 2 (Helio 9 LED) and then PacLED from Ultimarc.  Has anyone ever spray painted a joystick?  I have MagStik joysticks for P1 and P2.  I love them, but they are both light blue.  I want to have a darker blue and purple with this new theme.  I contacted Ultimarc and he only has red/blue shafts.  I think it would work, just wondering if anyone else has tried it?

[MNMax21]

I got this working!  I had to upgrade to Mame .229 and thus I am now fixing other stuff. Haha

[MNMax21]

Here is a .png  logo for those running the arcade version.  I just copied the Ms. Pac-Man theme video and renamed it for the other stuff.