Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?

[dsstrainer]

I personally use my own 20 button layout design in my arcade cabs. Many people found it to be mostly intuitive over the hotkey option

 ---------------------------------------------------------
 ||	  E  R	            1  2             S  L       ||
 ||							||
 ||							||
 ||	O	 L R X		 O	  L R X		||
 ||	|	Y B A		 |	 Y B A		||
 ||							||
 ||							||
 ----------------------------------------------------------
 ----------------------------------------------------------
 ||	       C			    C		||
 ----------------------------------------------------------
        E - Exit		S - Save State
        R - Reset Game		L - Load State
	C - Coin/Select (on front panel)

Dedicated Exit/Rest/Save/Load is the new style
It used to be Hotkey/Exit/Save/Load
But I can use either method with the same layout so that works.

6 buttons lets you play all arcade and all consoles up to some titles on PS1. But PS1 needs 10 buttons anyway (R2, R2, L2, L3) and you still wouldn't be able to do analog sticks. It's just not worth it IMO. Best to add usb ps1 controller for PS1 games or later.

The dedicated Exit button is clutch. I just wish Retroarch would allow both dedicated AND hotkey alternatives at the same time. Then I could keep the other hot key features like save slot and ra menu but I can use a keyboard for those and those features would only confuse customers anyway.

[lilbud]

A   B   X
Y   L   R

[Zigurana]

Y   X    L
B   A   R

[backstander]

Now I think the layout @Zigurana posted would be what I would expect when playing on a new Arcade cabinet I've never played on before and probably the most natural for me. The B and A buttons being used the most so they are the closest to you. Especially if most of yours games only used 2-4 buttons.

Then again I see several enthusiasts that use some like what @lilbud posted on their cabinet builds.

Another configuration that should be mentioned is the good old SNES "Super Advantage" joystick!

 Y   X
L  B  A  R

[dsstrainer]

@backstander said in Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?:

Now I think the layout @Zigurana posted would be what I would expect when playing on a new Arcade cabinet I've never played on before and probably the most natural for me. The B and A buttons being used the most so they are the closest to you. Especially if most of yours games only used 2-4 buttons.

Agreed about B and A being the most used and in that order because of NES. But I found the other buttons get in the way when you have B and A as the top-left most buttons. So to play SMB you have to basically crane your hand over the second row of buttons. With my layout, your palm can rest on the panel while playing long Contra sessions. But I'm not married to it. The L and R might be best in something like @obsidianspider first entry with L and R being on the end. Plus it still keeps a more standard MAME format. But also the SNES arcade stick could work with NEO GEO games for ABCD. So many options.

@lilbud layout is just not right with A being before B IMO.

[backstander]

@dsstrainer

@lilbud layout is just not right with A being before B IMO.

I bet if these retro controllers would've been invented in the USA, the A button would be before the B but we're all accustomed to B then A. Now days Microsoft is trying to fix this with they're Xbox controllers having A then B and X then Y. On my RetroPie I have my Xbox 360 controller setup so that the A button is set to B, B set to A, Y set to X and X set to Y so I can get that SNES feel.

[ZogZogAkita]

Here is what I've done on my bartop :

Complete layout :

Hotkey functions

[dsstrainer]

Aren't the lower buttons in the way of playing?

[ZogZogAkita]

No, lower buttons are actually in front of bartop:

[dsstrainer]

Ah ok.. nice.

Here's my latest panel I just sold. Tried a different offset for the buttons but don't like it. It turned out better on yours but mine feels a bit cramped. Customer didn't mind tho :)

I used
L R X
Y B A

[rolrod66]

@dsstrainer
I'm new to retropie .. I really like your button layout, can you share your button configuration file with me?

[dsstrainer]

@rolrod66 I found that one here
http://slagcoin.com/joystick/layout.html

I only used 6 buttons tho

[rolrod66]

@dsstrainer
Can you send me your retro arch config file for your buttons so I have something to work from. I would really appreciate it thanks!

[lazarlazarov]

Do you reconfigure the keys in mame after the setup? I tried to, but it maps directly to the joystick, instead of retroarch.

[rolrod66]

Would some one send me their all/retorarch.cfg file that is setup for 2 players. So, I have a idea how to setup up mine. THANK YOU!

[AndersHP]

I'm in the process of a bartop build, and I'm adding side buttons as well, primarily to have these as pinball buttons.

But what do you assign these for if not X,Y,A,B or L and R (my layout pr. player is 6 buttons)?

And is there a cool functionality to have for side buttons in Emulation station, e.g. letter browsing or something like that?

[backstander]

@AndersHP

I'm adding side buttons as well, primarily to have these as pinball buttons.

I like that idea!

But what do you assign these for if not X,Y,A,B or L and R (my layout pr. player is 6 buttons)?

You could use L2 and R2 (aka trigger buttons) or L3 and R3 (push in sticks buttons)

And is there a cool functionality to have for side buttons in Emulation station, e.g. letter browsing or something like that?

On my controller if you use either the L2 and R2 trigger buttons or the L and R shoulder buttons (can't remember which) you can move down or up a page. That might be a good use for those side buttons.

[pjft]

@backstander @AndersHP I love the idea of setting up side buttons for pinball games! Is it possible to get those to have the same function as existing buttons (I.e. having two buttons assigned to r2, for instance)?

I imagine that theoretically it would be, we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin? But as I haven't done any such setup yet, I'd love to get your thoughts for when I do set up my bartop.

Thanks!

[backstander]

@pjft

I imagine that theoretically it would be, we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin?

I've never tried it either but I think it would be possible. I thought I read once of someone doing something like that on their bartop.

[caver01]

@pjft said in Arcade Buttons - How Many? Layout?:

we'd just connect the two buttons to the same GPIO pin?

Yes. This is pretty common in the long history of BYOAC (build your own arcade cabinet). You can simply "double wire" the buttons so they operate in parallel with another button you already have. Ideally, you have enough inputs to map them separately (IPAC, etc. with a bunch of input screw terminals), but with GPIO you may be tapped out. I have seen plenty of examples of sharing input wires; the best example of this is the old "Franken-panel" where someone will wire up an additional joystick using the same inputs as existing Player 1 stick. In other words, Player 1 might normally use an 8-way joystick, but the builder installs an additional 4-way with a restrictor plate to improve the experience with classic games like PacMan, Donkey Kong, etc.