Smash Bros Arcade Cabinet

Alright. I'm going to make this one of my life goals. I am going to make a Super Smash Brothers arcade cabinet, complete with four joysticks, and four sets of six buttons. That is, A, B, X/Y, R/L, Z, and D-Pad up/Start. I'll be using analog joysticks and one analog button per player. I know where I can get the sticks (http://www.happcontrols.com/joysticks/50287600.htm), but I can't seem to find a place that sells analog buttons. I know this is a bit far-fetched, especially with the price tag of $130 per stick, but I would sincerely like to realize it someday. In fact, I think I'm gonna set up a site for donations.

Arcade cabnits are cool, I recommend googleing arcade in a box to get some ideas.

Wow, that would be so awesome if you create one successfully. Are you planning on using 64, Melee, or Brawl (when released)?

I'll probably use Melee, as switching to Brawl from Melee won't be that much work, considering that they both use the GC controller setup. The only thing I'd have to watch for is if they actually make the C-Stick function change, and if they make L/R or X/Y do separate things. In fact, if they DON'T change those, then all I need to do is switch the inner GC with a Wii. I've built several sticks myself already, so the electronics and wiring shouldn't be a problem. It's the woodwork and $$ that I'm gonna need help with.

I was unaware SSBM runs button inputs in analog mode. I thought Short Hopping was achieved by how long your thumb is on the jump rather than how hard you press the button. I'm sorry if I'm wrong.

My friend once did a smash set up with his sega astro city cabinet. He used a modified Melty Blood layout with top three buttons as A, B, and jump, and bottom left button as shield.

BTW you can also buy an analog arcade stick from ultimarc
http://www.ultimarc.com/ultrastik_info.html

Good luck wiring it up man. I'm an arcade fan myself and I find it odd and refreshing to see a Smash fan wanting to do this. It makes sense for something like Street Fighter which was meant to be in the arcade and not on console, but Smash is a console only game.

Good luck to you.

Unsafe said:

I was unaware SSBM runs button inputs in analog mode. I thought Short Hopping was achieved by how long your thumb is on the jump rather than how hard you press the button. I'm sorry if I'm wrong.

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you're right actually, the only analog buttons on the GC controller are L and R

and why not just attach normal controllers like they do with demo kiosks?

pdk said:

you're right actually, the only analog buttons on the GC controller are L and R

and why not just attach normal controllers like they do with demo kiosks?

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Correct. But that is exactly why I need the analog buttons. To emulate R or L accurately.

To address your other question, using normal controllers would defeat the purpose of this modification. The point is to set up an arcade-style Smash Bros cabinet, not a demo kiosk. The best way to do this is to use arcade parts, right?

I've played Smash with a stick before, and while difficult at first, it isn't impossible. The only thing missing at the time was analog controls. I strongly feel that if I were to just get my hands on four of those analog sticks, I could really REALLY make something incredible.

Unsafe said:

BTW you can also buy an analog arcade stick from ultimarc
http://www.ultimarc.com/ultrastik_info.html
Good luck to you.

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Thank you very much for the link

Actually, I found playing Smash on an arcade stick easier for myself, but I've been playing on arcade stick since I was little so that kind of explains it. It's easier than playing Tekken and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 but if you have never played arcade stick then it will be difficult.

Here's the problem Megaman X, analog buttons are rarely ever used in Arcade cabinets. If they are they are specialized like the original Street Fighter 1 cabinet. On a console pad, analog mode is achieved physically through the use of either a semi conductive plastic overlay that is pressed in between the button and the Printed Circuit board or throught he use of a levered potentiometer such as in triggers and analog thumbsticks.

I mean I guess if you REALLY wanted to, you could contract one of the electronic hobby companies out there (there in fact a lot of them available for arcade) to see if they can either hunt a pair down for you or manufacture the buttons themselves since it's not that bigg of a task to make/design them. However that can cost you an arm and a leg.

I would ask yourself a question:
"Is the game UNPLAYABLE with no analog function?"

This might be the case if shields usage in Smash is extremely dependent on the analog function. Or maybe perhaps the game will reset the values of the analog inputs to digital mode (like how holding A and Shield down will give you the Larger shield version).

Also keep in mind that after you figure this out you will need go through the trouble of finding or building a cabinet, which might mean learning a little electronics on the way up there.

Heres the best way to do it:

1. Put a wii inside.
2. Play brawl and melee on it using the control setup.
3. Wait till Smash 64 comes out on virtual console.
4. Now you have all 3 smash games running on 1 easy to use arcade cabinit.
5. ???
6. Profit.

Eternal phoenix Fire said:

Hmm...I wonder what it would be like.....

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WHAT HAS SCIENCE DONE?!?

ToXn said:

Heres the best way to do it:

1. Put a wii inside.
2. Play brawl and melee on it using the control setup.
3. Wait till Smash 64 comes out on virtual console.
4. Now you have all 3 smash games running on 1 easy to use arcade cabinit.
5. ???
6. Profit.

Click to expand...

Yeah... how'd that work, a disc changer thing like CD players (with 2 different sized discs)
He could always delete different wii channels so it's only disc and SSB, maybe mod the wii for 2 discs? Then he'd need to find a way for an arcade to kinda "emulate" a wiimote? Would that even work?

WaterTails said:

Yeah... how'd that work, a disc changer thing like CD players (with 2 different sized discs)
He could always delete different wii channels so it's only disc and SSB, maybe mod the wii for 2 discs? Then he'd need to find a way for an arcade to kinda "emulate" a wiimote? Would that even work?

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Granted, you wouldn't be able to change from SSBM to SSBB without opening the cabinet, but that's a pretty minor issue. For the Wiimote, eeeehhh.... I can just use a normal wiimote, maybe attached to the cabinet by a cord or something. No biggie. This is more for Melee/Brawl than anything else, and neither will be using the wiimote for actual combat, so ...

Just put the sensor bar infront if the screen as always? Im guessing your using a TV not a monitor, because TV screens are the best way to go. You could basically put the sensor bar anywhere on the cabnit, you don't even have to attach it to the wii, since the wii mote itself is what transmits its location to the wii, the sensor bar just helps it track itself and its not even needed.

people would be standing with their heads about 3 feet away from the display, makes sense to use a monitor if you can adjust the picture to look like the real deal (e.g. no ****ty monitor that can't extend the view to cover the whole area, i once had to use a monitor that could only handle horizontal widths of around 90% total space and it's a *****)

i dunno how you would do the shoulder buttons, but isn't there a way you could almost mod the controller? for like the c-stick and control stick. if you could take it apart and maybe bring the controller right to the bottom of the surface of the arcade cabinet, and maybe have the two sticks modded to where it isn't a stick, it's 2 joysticks?


sorry if i'm confusing, it's hard to say what i'm trying to get at.

I was seriously considering that, but I'm pretty certain that durability will be a major problem if I do that. Since many SSB players haven't seriously used a stick for anything before, I'm expecting a lot of control-hammering, and that doesn't bode well for that method.

ToXn said:

Just put the sensor bar infront if the screen as always? Im guessing your using a TV not a monitor, because TV screens are the best way to go. You could basically put the sensor bar anywhere on the cabnit, you don't even have to attach it to the wii, since the wii mote itself is what transmits its location to the wii, the sensor bar just helps it track itself and its not even needed.

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pdk said:

people would be standing with their heads about 3 feet away from the display, makes sense to use a monitor if you can adjust the picture to look like the real deal (e.g. no ****ty monitor that can't extend the view to cover the whole area, i once had to use a monitor that could only handle horizontal widths of around 90% total space and it's a *****)

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Yeah Wiimote won't be used too much.

And I don't know what the hell toxn's talking about... Monitors > TVs at almost every corner...

This sounds like an interesting project.

Have you thought about how you were gonna lay out the buttons?

The shoulder button would have to be place pretty carefully because it's used pretty much in every action of the game.

C-stick would need to be out of the way as well.

I wanna see how this works out

Sounds cool, but I wouldn't play it. I'm too fond of my GC controller.

I'd play Smash 64 on it, though.

What I would do is put a cube/wii inside and use GC extension cords to go from the Wii/Cube to the outside of the cabinet where you can only see the ports. Then people can bring their own controller and plug it into the cabinet.

NG7 said:

This sounds like an interesting project.

Have you thought about how you were gonna lay out the buttons?

The shoulder button would have to be place pretty carefully because it's used pretty much in every action of the game.

C-stick would need to be out of the way as well.

I wanna see how this works out

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While playing smash on a stick for a few weeks last year, I think I figured out a pretty good layout. Kinda forget what it was though lol. I tried a few different configurations and the best one was I think starting from the thumb, it was shield, B, A, jump, Z.

That's a mad-nasty-crazy-good dream! Tell me if you ever make one because I will definitely want to purchase it from you.

hey, I'd donate if you let me play it some.

If you don't want to use the sensor bar, you can always just use the Classic Controller to select the channel in the Wii menu.

i did'nt read all the posts (but i did see the YTMND lol!!!) but uh, i completely support this idea. i think it'll be really cool once completed. good luck

This sounds like a good idea, and it looks like you know what you're doing. Good luck, let us know how everything is going. :bigthumbu

If you need a stick,then use this.



By the way,that isn't fake.