Posted by Howard Casto on January 02, 2002 at 15:59:52:
In Reply to: Oh, but I disagree Howard... posted by rmfx on January 02, 2002 at 02:40:13:
See those were those exceptions I mentioned though.... Anything Super-nintendo era and before I can see, but after that the controls just get too specialized to have a good experience. Playstation and n64 games just weren't ment to be played on an arcade cab. Some exceptions are direct acade ports, like the SF series, since they were designed originally with arcade controls in mind.
And I never mentiod PC games... they work perfectly well on an arcade cab becasue most of them were desigend to be controlled on (ugh) the keyboard.
Now flight sims are another story... If you've got an analogue stick a throttle and 30 some odd buttons mounted on your cab then more power too ya, but I figure that most people don't.
"Just let me see the games and get me to them ASAP, using only my control panel. And FEs like that are few and far between."
That was my ultimate point.... if you add n64 and ect support this most likely won't be the case, and that's why I won't for the most part....
Actually your wrong on that point though, every FE mentioned on this thread does just that, inculding my own.
The problem is when a FE developer says that you can launch any game, what they usually mean is they can launch any executable and any game in MAME. You can, in theory launch anything in the Rd, but if you notice on the homepage it only list's mame, modeler, impact and u64 as "supported" that way it dissolves any confusion.
As for a front-end being a big list of games... alot of people share you opinion on that one, but quite frankly, the quantity of games is just too huge to do that anymore...
Mame is geting closer and closer to that 4000 games mark, you take that and combine it with all the other emulated games out there and you have one big-a$$ list, even if it is catagorized. Flyers, screenshots, ect help identify a game. The asthetic value is just an added bonus.
: I think that console games belong perfectly well in a cabinet. Where else should I play my old C-64 games, or my Windows based 3d Pacman/Centipede? How about Tomb Raider, Doom, and all my flight-sims? Why not on the only machine that I've optimized solely for the purpose of GAMING--the one with the fastest graphics, the best speakers, the sturdiest controls, and the largest monitor?
: Do I need to waste time and money building a second gaming machine that I keep in the living room, hooked up to the TV just so I can get that "great console experience?" What about the people here who have built actual consoles into their cabinets, complete with video switchers to allow Mame gaming as well. I don't think there's technically THAT much of a difference between the function of an old Atari stick, a Nintendo gamepad, and a Happ 4-way or 8-way. Not enough to drastically affect gameplay.
: And there has been plenty of cross-over from console to arcade as well. Remember the Nintendo Playchoice -- basically, NES guts in arcade clothing? How about the big Quake multi-player thing they used to have at Gameworks?
: As far as multi-emu FEs, someone was kind enough to point me to Game Launcher, but I know there are others out there. I remember another one that had icons of the original consoles/cabinets rotating in a 3d ring a-la Tomb Raider, though I don't recall the name.
: And, it's just MY personal opinion that a good frontend is just a list of games with a nice big screenshot in the BG or off to the side, plain and simple. I don't need no spinning 3d cabinets or flyers for which I have to provide content, no fancy-shmancy graphics to eat system resources. Just let me see the games and get me to them ASAP, using only my control panel. And FEs like that are few and far between.