Which dual (fire)button to aim on?

[Thelen]

I'm wondering about using which hardware I can(/should) use to make a game which needs a second firebutton..

I've seen multiple ones, which is a bit of standarised on the 8bit? Which one does have the largest user base? And with what controller ? ?

[Thelen]

Nobody? ? Maybe i wasn't so clear in the topic; I mean which kind of interface to use to have more then one firebutton... for example, I see different kind of interfaces like SNACK, Joy2Bplus, another one only for ABBUC members etc-

Which one has the largest user base, and is easy to get?

Thanks!

[+CharlieChaplin]

1) Lots of software (30 or more patched games, did not count them) for Joy2B+, but not so widespread DIY hardware compared to millions of Sega controllers. Advantage: SNACK also supports this Joy2B+ mode.

 

2) Very widespread hardware are the Sega Genesis/Megadrive controllers (since Sega and several third-parties sold "a few" of them), but afaik not much software, afair only two games for the A8 (Gemdrop, Tetriczicze) that support two firebuttons if using such a controller.

Luckily, one can "convert" or mod that Sega controller into a Joy2B+ controller, so there you have it. (Maybe someone could then patch Gemdrop and Tetriczicze for use with Joy2B+, if not already done.)

 

3) Another one only for Abbuc members? Do you mean the CMI08 ? Not very widespread afaik. Uses a PS/2 mouse with A8 games that normally work with Paddles, Koalapad, Touch Tablet, etc.

 

4) The SNACK supports Joy2B+ mode and all the games patched for Joy2B+; for its enhanced mode however there currently exist just two games (Attack of the PETSCII robots, Final Assault) that make use of it.

 

So to me Joy2B+ (DIY version, modded Sega controller or SNACK) looks like a clear winner to me. YMMV.

 

@Thelen: What other hardware did you see or do you know, that makes use of two firebuttons ?

[ascrnet]

The Joy 2B+ is easy to make or use with a sega Genesis controller. It requires no special hardware, just a small modification to the joystick or gamepad itself. It also has support in Altirra for testing.

 

More than 70 games already modified, several users have contributed games to this project.?

 

In any language you can program the second or third button, an example in ATARI BASIC.

10 PRINT STICK(0),STRIG(0),PADDLE(0):GOTO 10

 

[manterola]

Maybe I am wrong (I'll check tomorrow) but I remember playing joy 2b+ games with my Sega Genesis controller buttons B and C.. We will see. 

You can also have a selectable option, à la Moon Patrol redux to cover the most popular configurations.

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by manterola

[ascrnet]

10 hours ago, manterola said:

Maybe I am wrong (I'll check tomorrow) but I remember playing joy 2b+ games with my Sega Genesis controller buttons B and C.. We will see.

You're not wrong it's like this for a second button. ?

[Thelen]

Thanks everybody! ?