New adventures in MAME

[xenonph]

I never could finish Streetfighter game on 1 quarter, but I played for quite a long time.
Just using the quick low kick continuously, defeats almost everyone. You have to keep kicking as fast as you can push the button.

One game we played for free was Donkey Kong Jr.
You could fit a flattened straw in the coin door hinge, (Top right hinge), and it would hit the credits lever.
I only found out about this trick when I came into my local comic book store and caught the owner doing this.
He said as long as we didn't tell on him, we could play it for free whenever we wanted.
Was pretty cool trick, as we rarely had spare quarters!!

EDIT:
@AnonTet
You mentioned other day eXo Apple version?
That would be great!
I have the other eXo collections, but never knew they did an Apple version!

 

[AnonTet]

@xenonph

eXo Apple is here: https://www.retro-exo.com/appleIIGS.html

I recall a trick on Pinball Action but we had open the control panel and press something inside. I never looked, but we probably shorted something related to the coin slot tricking the machine a coin was there :D

It only worked when we were like 5 or 6 though because one "inserted the coin" while the others blocked the owners view :D

Fond memories of those times.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I never tried it myself, but I seem to recall some kids in the late 70's using electromagnets placed around the coin door to toggle free credits. Later, I think manufacturers responded by redesigning the doors.

I guess I am older than you guys. All I remember playing is Pong and PacMan.

Did you know that the first video games were produced as early as 1947?

Although not made for public consumption, a number of talented people saw and played with these, inspiring them to become video game pioneers themselves. This led to later games like the first commercial game and first arcade game Computer Space.

Tennis For Two

What Came Before: Early Video Game Experiments History records that, technically speaking, the very first interactive electronic game displaying graphics ...

thedoteaters.com

@xenonph

eXo Apple is here: https://www.retro-exo.com/appleIIGS.html

Hey, thanks!

I never really got in to the GS line, which has significantly better graphics and a faster processor IIRC. The games are a cut above, again IIRC. I'll have to check this out.

 

[xenonph]

Back in 1947 you would have had to be very lucky to see any video game!
I bet they never imagined what would become of video games in the future.
I am happy to be raised in the home video game system era.

For systems sold for home use...
PONG started it all. Could find them at Radioshack.
Atari 2600 made huge leaps in programming and graphics.
Then Nintendo came along.
And Sega.
Super Nintendo.
Nintendo 64.
Then Playstation.
When the CD games came out, that is when music and sounds became much better!
And of course graphics got better with each new system.
And don't forget all of the home computers that were being sold like hotcakes all through this era.
Apple IIe
Texas Instruments TI99a
Commodore 64.
Atari ST.
And many more.
I love all of these systems and computer games.

Can you imagine what video games will be like in another 50 years?
All of these new games we see nowadays, will seem like atari 2600 games, compared to games in the future!!
Exciting times!!!

I love emulation!!!
It not only preserves history, but it is fun to be able to play all of these games, that you may not have been able to play while growing up.
Not everyone had the money to buy a Home Computer, or Video Game Console.
That is the great thing about emulation! It is free!

Enough of my yappin'
Carry on.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Believe it or not, the first home video game system (the Magnavox Odyssey) came out before Pong even hit the arcades! As a matter of fact, Atari directly copied one particular Odyssey game, Table Tennis, renaming it "Pong" and producing commercial units. Later, they and everyone else started producing the home Pong units you mentioned.

Ralph H. Baer developed the Odyssey starting in 1966, based on ideas he had in 1951, when he conceived that TV sets could potentially be used for more than just watching TV. Of course, I certainly wouldn't bet against him being influenced by the 1947 & 1958 video games made by university-types. Concepts that cool & unique probably made a huge impression in some circles.

So, you know how people tend to think of video games arriving in arcades first, and later being copied to home consoles? Right from the start it was actually the reverse, with arcade games mirroring this groundbreaking console.

Anyway, the Odyssey came equipped with a small collection of games, and you could buy game cards to add more, just like the A2600 et al. The system was B&W, but included color overlays to make things more visually interesting:

magnavox odyssey games -2 - Google Search

 

[AnonTet]

Regarding CDs everything image and sound became better... Certainly not for earlier games.

Sound yes.... Maybe but I'm biased towards 8bit

Back to graphics I'd say they became more cinematic and since codecs sucked back then I'd wish they used normal artwork and make longer (and certainly better) games back then. Well, eventually they became better and 7th Guest and 11th hour certainly were satisfying.

There was actually at least one arcade I forgot the name that projected a movie on a white screen. It was a racing (or was it like chase hq...) game and it had collision detection already.

I feel very lucky in growing seeing tech evolve and nce my zx spectrum days. It defined my life really since I ended up in IT :D

 

[xenonph]

MAME is what first got me into emulation.
My brother was trying to get Qix to work on his computer. He loved to play this game in arcades. This and Tempest were his faves.
Only the command line version was available back then, and you had to know how to use DOS commands to get it to work.
There was no GUI window.
Anyways he got that Qix game to run, and I was so amazed that I quickly said, I wonder what other systems and games they have emulated?
My passion for emulation started there, and has never stopped!!

So MAME holds a special place in my timeline of emulation.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

My brother was trying to get Qix to work on his computer. He loved to play this game in arcades. This and Tempest were his faves.

My goodness, and did he see the later version, with dancing, half-naked girls?

In any case, my GF did one time,
and I cannot tell you how small of a person I felt at the time, bonus pts for unwanted GF lecture lol.

 

[AnonTet]

I remember those days... and from then to my 1st control panel was a stretch and even longer to get the damn spinner to play tempest AND Discs of Tron. Of course that for DoT I also needed a joystick to and I used an USB no brand one until I finally put a proper one on my control panel.

I'm still missing a push/pull spinner to properly play Dot though... That's pretty much the last thing I need to - FINALLY - finish my CP.
I alread yhave the plunger, support and slider potentiometer to mount but... tomorrow... or after... let's call this WIP :D

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

So I wracked my brains (yeah yeah..) and finally remembered the naughty "Qix"-spinoff. It was Gals Panic I do believe.

gals panic - Google Search

 

[AnonTet]

There were a few of those spin offs at local arcade. Most profitable machines there i suppose considering the amount of coins going one after the other to not lose progress :D

 

[xenonph]

Yes there were many of those Qix knockoffs that added the naked lady pics.
Miss Universe or something like that was one of them.
No my brother was actually addicted to the original Qix arcade game. (But I am sure he didn't mind the upgraded versions!)

Best to keep all of those "Adult" games seperate from the rest, as you don't want kids seeing these games either.
Could you imagine having relatives over for Thanksgiving, and you let their kids play your collection of MAME games, and one of these adult games pops up on screen?
I can imagine your mortification @Isaac Sauvage when your girlfriend saw the game. lol
Could have been worse though!!
I usually keep them seperated from the other arcade games.

 

[StevOz]

Time to throw in another some may not have played...Naughty Boy. One I recall playing often...

 

[xenonph]

@AnonTet
Where would you like your post moved to?
Why don't you create the seperate topic that you want it to be named, and put it in the section you want, and then I can move your posts to your posted topic.
That way it is named and placed where you want it.
Otherwise I am not sure what to name other topic or where to place it.
I was thinking maybe "Default Marquees on games that have none"
But I am not for sure if that is what you want.
Make a topic for this and put it in section you want it to be, and I will move your posts to new topic.
Thanks.

 

[AnonTet]

Well, if you don't know imagine me!
I do know it can be tagged as tutorial
But I just found in full set of marquees for MAME .220 (just 4549 marquees :D ) and running the script to have the most complete set I know of or artwork (marquees only).

Everything took less than 15m

I'm customizing some general ones and call it a day. I'm not sharing this since it is really quick to do it yourselves following my instructions.

I'll update the post above to include the link to the marquees collection.

 

[xenonph]

Moved them to

"marquee_only" layouts for MAME​

in the Playfield section.

is this topic name ok?

 

[AnonTet]

Perfect. Thanks

 

[AnonTet]

So if finally got my GRS push/pull spinner to play Discs of Tron properly.
I was waiting for it since January as I've pre-ordered it!
I have even gave up the money. Mind you I pay more for shipping and customs than the actual price of the spinner!

W o yeah I'm glad it showed up and everything works. Its action is lighter than my ultimarc spinner especially because I also have the added weight in it.

So spinner wise if I give it a good spin it spins a lot less than any other spinner I've tested.. By far. But in all honesty who actually does that :D

My ultimarc went to the right side as you can see in the image attached so this is my new co layout. I can also play boot hill now with another person.
Late Christmas gift but a very welcome one.

I have to say though that USPS, xgaming arcade and Glenn himself have a null support. Well, Glenn actually answered me twice but then stopped caring.

If you can get this from a reliable source and you are a fan of DoT I really recommend it. Now I hope it lasts...

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

@AnonTet,
So I forget... is this a portable panel that you use as needed, or are you intending this to eventually go in to a cabinet? If so, how will the cabinet be themed?

My projector still isn't fixed (I need to vacuum it out I think so the bulb stops overheating), but DoT is such an environmentally-styled game that I'll have to try it with the projector sometime and all the correct artwork installed. Still not the same of course, but at least a step in the right direction.

Or maybe VR would be best, which I don't have at this time. Yeah, probably VR would be best.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Welp, here's another digression from MAME, but I just discovered this project, and I think it's pretty neat. The idea is to do a playthrough of the original Zork text game, but in this case using DALL-E to generate artwork based on the game's location descriptions.

As with all things "DALL-E," sometimes the AI-generated art will be on point, and other times, hilariously divergent.

*****​

​

West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a small mailbox here.

​

> Open Mailbox
Opening the small mailbox reveals a leaflet.
> Get leaflet
Taken.

​

> look at leaflet
"WELCOME TO ZORK!
ZORK is a game of adventure, danger, and low cunning. In it you will explore some of the most amazing territory ever seen by mortals. No computer should be without one!"

​

> go south
South of House
You are facing the south side of a white house. There is no door here, and all the windows are boarded.

​

> go east
Behind House
You are behind the white house. A path leads into the forest to the east. In one corner of the house there is a small window which is slightly ajar.

*****​

The rest of the adventure plays out on this acct:

https://twitter.com/ZORK_DALL_E

As a next step, I'm thinking it shouldn't be too hard for someone to create a script or extension or something to have an adventure engine or emulator pull text-based visuals from DALL-E. It would give a load of old classics, like Infocom's and Scott Adams', a whole new lease on life to a completely new generation of gamers.

What makes it extra interesting is that every playthrough, the art would change.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

I just noticed that "Champ Games" has been doing some really nice arcade ports for the humble Atari 2600.

Robotron 2084:

Galaga:

In fact, there's been a growing "de-make" scene which takes arcade or relatively complex games and remakes them for very simple platforms, like the 2600 or certain web platforms like the PICO-8, which is playable in browser.

Here's a de-make (with new features) of Omega Race:
https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=36863#p

And here's a de-make of Advance Wars, a classic series still in development
that originated on the Famicom (Japanese NES):
https://www.lexaloffle.com/bbs/?pid=77032#p

 

[AnonTet]

And now in pinball configuration (which is also vertical games config) with the new added plunger. My control panel is DONE... almost :D
I mean I know I'll never going to paint that. No way I'll unmount everything to do that hence the DONE :D

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

And now in pinball configuration (which is also vertical games config) with the new added plunger. My control panel is DONE... almost :D
I mean I know I'll never going to paint that. No way I'll unmount everything to do that hence the DONE :D

Redneck Engineering 101:

If it looks silly but it works, then dangit... well shucks, it WORKED AWESOME! :D

 

[AnonTet]

It works but I'm not proud of what you're not seeing (read harness and cable routing)
But yeah it works. It just took... A few years.

Regarding the new spinner, id buy it again BUT for DoT though because of the push pull. it's too light and small.

Spintrak from Ultimarc is a lot better in feel and size especially with the optional heavier weight. Seems a lot more precise too and spins for so long... and more importantly I can match real arcade settings nearly if not perfectly. I have to guess with this one but main problem I don't want to adjust every game again.

Like I said before, only buy it if you want to experience DoT closer to the real thing with the push pull.

Regarding MAME though I love my rig because it is so versatile but I'm also aware that I choose so and real arcade joysticks have a lot more feel, especially 4way games due to physical restrictor plates. Also you rarely find, if it even exists, arcades with leaf switch buttons which in my case, are way too sensitive (also a choice since I can easily change the debounce). But the alternative is having multiple dedicated panels or a very big one (like for 4 players?) And not for me.

 

[Isaac Sauvage]

Btw, getting back to MAME, there was another new game recently emulated-- Andromeda SS (Irem, 1980). Basically just a 'space foe' shooter, but it had a fairly unique 'enemy congregation' dynamic I'd never quite seen before:

Nothing amazing I guess, but worth a mention, especially if you like classic space shooters.

Occasionally, the 'hidden gems' I regularly trawl for and discover have super-simple dynamics, but are surprisingly fun to play, and hold up remarkably well. Not that this is really one of them, but with a little more effort, perhaps it might have been..?