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X-Arcade MAME Dual Controller Rated
VL writes "Keyboards and mice are great for gaming, but sometimes you need something old school... especially when playing those MAME classics - here's ViperLair's review of the X-Arcade dual controller." X-Arcade also makes a single-player version, and a sturdy-looking trackball.
I would love to have one of these that would work with my Linux computer that doubles as a Mame arcade, I currently am using these controllers for gaming on my Windows computer and they are great. There are several different styles of controllers for PC now that are great and that easily compare to anything available in the console arena.
using this -> http://www.ultimarc.com/ipac1.html
if they make the trackball one for xbox (i see the joystick one is...) i'd buy that in a heartbeat. it'd be great for tiger woods golf... the single and dual joystick... i dunno, they just seem like they're for kiddies... but perhaps i'm wrong... i could see how gamers would like them for fighting games...
the x-arcade trackball has been in "preorder" status for over a year now... maybe it'll see light of day before half-life 2... *Shrug*
there's been plenty of x-arcade reviews before, I'm not sure what's "new" about this one...
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
Kevin Steele did a review comparing x-arcade, hotrod, slick stick (custom mondo arcade control panel), and one other...
retroblast has the review (even has a video review with some cheeky production value) =)
e.
Build Your Own PVR/HTPC news, reviews, &
its been out for a year now, actually i think longer, how is this headline news, it seems more like a ad to me. now if the guy MADE them himself like i know a lot of people have and posted how, then i would be impressed
Not only has the damn thing been out for more than a year, there are already dozens of reviews posted, many from more reputable sources. As you can see, pretty easy to find them too.
I've just learned to expect that every day or so a story like this will slip through. It'd be one thing to announced that the trackball has actually shipped (something a lot of people have been waiting for for a long time!) - that'd be news, honestly. But a new review of their base controller that those who need already have? No, this is not news. I was disappointed when I clicked through; I thought this must be a new product.
all you need is some joysticks and buttons.. (happ controls)http://www.happcontrols.com/
a M$ usb gamepad a soldering gun and some wood
and time.
you just solder onto the sidewinder pcb.. so that your pc thinks it's a sidewinder but the buttons and joysticks are old skool arcade ones.
actually I am happy to see you, however that is in fact a banana in my pocket.
What I am really interested in for my mame emulator is more games. There used to be a couple fast mame sites which you can download ROMs for. All of them have been pulled offline.
Why get a controller if you can't even find games anymore??
Actually I am in the process of making my own and am using cherry microswitched buttons from Happs. But I think the old skool machines all used leafspring switches, which don't click when you press them.
arcade machines (and, presumably, the X-arcade) use microswitches designed to be hammered upon by excited and frustrated kids.
While this may be true today (I haven't played a game in an arcade in years) it wasn't true 20 years ago. I have a Ms Pac cocktail in my dining room, an original Midway (not some brand new copy like they're now selling.) The original joysticks used leaf switches as opposed to micro switches. The difference in game play is pretty big IMHO. There is nothing like flying around the Ms Pac maze with a leaf switch joystick that gives you just the right amount of "bounce back". Compare that to the unfortunate 21st century replacements I ended up buying for the game which are micro switch. It just ain't the same.
P.S. while we're on the topic, those old Midway games are some real old school shit. Mine has the original monitor, I believe. It has been re-cap'ed several times but still works.
The parent, by the way, has either a bizarre sense of humour or a bizarre sense of "simple"; this can be much more easily done with a PC, MAME and a keyboard encoder. Just wire the buttons up to the terminals on the keyboard encoder, use the programming software (for Windows, Mac and Linux, on the I-PAC, Windows only on the one I use) and you're set! Much more customizable, although it does cost more than $20.
You're sorely lacking in research. Old games used leaf spring switches, newer used microswitches (sometimes). Leaf springs need maintenance to use for full lifetime, micros will probably work fine until complete failure (like most electronic hardware). And the price for each button (either kind, last time I checked) were measured in dollars (one or two per). Either hooks up the same way. Piecework may have a bearing on the price (and bet that it is still pretty high), but the type/quality of switches has little bearing on the cost. As said before, Happ is a good reference to find out more. My prices might be off somewhat, but I won't be looking too much more until I can afford to build my own.
Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
The X-Arcade controller is pretty old now. I build a Mame Arcade cabinet with it build in. Check out http://www.mame-arcade.com
30% off web hosting. Coupon code "SLASHDOT".
As a person who is building their own Control Panel, I took a bit of advice from the 'masters' and went over to http://www.arcadecontrols.com . They have this book called "Project Arcade" (http://www.projectarcade.com/) and it's a great book on taking 3 sheets of MDF boards and building your own full blown 7' tall arcade machine and shoving all sorts of buttons, spinners, trackballs, and even a StarWars yoke into it! Me? I built one with 27 buttons (1P,2P, coins, 7 button per players, etc) trackball and spinner. It took me quite some time to do it but with the proper layout, the right tools, and some good equipment it's turned out beautiful. So for those of you that just want to THINK that you are getting the real thing are not getting anything farther from the truth. If you want the real thing, BUILD the real thing, everything else uses cheaper buttons and joysticks that won't give you the long lasting effect that one you can build and design from the ground up.
Wheel of Time: Book by Book and Sumview (summary review) Bigdady92 style: http://bigdady92.blogspot.com/