Category Archives: Arcade

Arcade, Arcade Update

Arcade Update 2.59-2.61

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Seems that I always forget one or two things when I roll out an update.  Update 2.58-2.59 was no exception.  I had wanted to make the update script automatically choose whether to run the external hard drive or console update paths.  Now, it does.  Along with one or two other minor things.  While I was working on that, I discovered that about 17 of the Visual Pinball tables did not properly display on the console. This problem didn’t occur on the ext. hard drive installation.  Probably due to the fact that the CPU and gfx on the console are Intel 2nd generation, and Windows 10 wasn’t fully supported until 3rd generation. So, I created a second games list, Games-Console that is only the tables that display on the console, and the Games list is the full VP games list.  An example of the way the VP tables that don’t properly display is on the left.  Totally unplayable.  Since all the tables properly display on my Elitebook laptop with NVIDIA gfx, I felt that the proper solution would be to keep them, so that’s why I created the Console games list. That all being said, I must again remind everybody that updates HAVE to be applied in numerical order, or you shall probably break things.  If in doubt, check your version.

Update 2.59-2.61 is HERE.

Previous update blog posts are below:

Update 2.58-2.59 is HERE.

Update 2.56-2.58 is HERE.

FOUR updates (2.40-2.46, 2.46-2.48, 2.48-2.51, and 2.51-2.56) are HERE.

Bit of news here, in closing:  JRod has ordered a spinner for adding to the Tankstick for games like Tempest, Arkanoid, and many others.  I shall let you all know how it goes….

 

 

Arcade, Arcade Update

Visual Pinball Arcade Update 2.58 to 2.59

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Okay, this is the update that a few of you like Dan have been anxiously waiting for.  🙂

This will add Visual Pinball 9.x.x tables under Maximus Arcade as well as a few bug fixes.  As always, I seem to have forgotten something on my ‘to do’ list. (The ability to just do backups from the loader)  Oh well, I’ll get to it next time.  Free lifetime updates mean that sometimes things get forgotten, lol.  This update is a fairly sizable update.  The archive is about 830 MB, and you will want at least 3GB free on the usb flash key that you use to run the update.

The first thing that you all will notice (for those that auto load right into MAME, or those that have multiple emulators configured), that you will be faced with either MAME or Visual Pinball.  So, if you lost configured emulators, or don’t want the VP choice, you will need to go into MA preferences, by hitting Ctrl-P, and then choosing the Display Order tab to set it up as you wish.

After running the update, you will most probably want to set the display preferences of Visual Pinball as the readme guidelines, or else it won’t be fullscreen and will instead run in a window.  In my opinion, that is a less appealing experience.   As you see on the right, is an example of a VP pinball table running full screen. You may also wish to change some of the default keys to other keys o your choice.  For example, the left and right flippers are left and right shift keys.  That may not work for you, and can be changed.

As always, make sure to read the WhatNew text file through at least one time, as well as read it again when the update .bat file loads it.  Also, pay careful attention to the instructions that appear on the screen while the update is running.  At one point, you will have to change the install path to VP, or it will not properly work. 

Okay, click HERE for the 2.58-2.59 update archive.

If you have any issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to me, and I’ll do my best to assist you with your problems. 😉

Now, on to a little bit of news.  RecRoomMasters (maker of the best arcade cabinet kit I ever found) has gone out of business.  For those of you that bought one, I guess your lifetime warranty just ended.  For those of you that procrastinated, and never bought one, you still have hope.  There are other avenues.

A two joystick tankstick with trackball is still available HERE.

A ‘drop in’ spinner control is still available HERE.  (For games like Tempest.)

A full sized ‘naked’ FULLY ASSEMBLED cabinet is HERE. I think it’s a bit more than RecRoomMasters, but it’s assembled.  I think they used to sell these with 250 games, but it may just be the cabinet now.  Email them for details.

Another place that looks pretty cool is the Arcade Guys. Click HERE.

Well, everybody, that gives you a few links in the light of RecRoom Masters demise.  I recommend the tankstick whether you are building a full size arcade cabinet, or if you are just using a console attached to a huge flatscreen TV.  Good quality, and I believe it has a lifetime warranty.

Hard to believe that this arcade console/cabinet has been an ongoing project for 7 years now.  Started with MAME 149, now has MAME 225.  I continue to fix reported bugs (or attempt to, lol), as well as feature additions, so keep your eyes on this blog.  So much easier to do one or two updates at a time.  (Remember, the updates ALWAYS have to be performed in order.)

 

Arcade, Arcade Troubleshooting, Computer - Linux, Computer - Windows

Arcade Troubleshooting Joystick and Gamepad

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This post specifically addresses not being able to make your selection under Maximus Arcade utilizing the joystick or gamepad. I have had a few people mention this issue.  This post doesn’t really apply if you are using a Tankstick in a stand up cabinet or game console.  That is because a Tankstick actually ’emulates’ a keyboard.  However, if you use a game console or external hard drive version with a joystick or gamepad, then this post is for you.  If you are still playing the arcade games with a keyboard, you should check out these two options:  Click HERE for a link to buy a Thrustmaster USB wired joystick like the one pictured above.  Or, if you prefer, you can click HERE for a link to buy a pair of wireless gamepads like the pair pictured above  Both of these options are about $25 with prime shipping.  Once you start utilizing something other than a keyboard to play your games, you will rapidly notice how inconvenient it is to select the ROM using the keyboard.  Much easier to set up the joystick or gamepad to do so.

In order to do this, you will need to enter the Maximus preferences.  Easiest way is to load MA, then hit Ctrl-P.  The preferences utility will load.  I might add that changing the controller prefs, you will NOT need to move the Master ROM List to the top of the games list.  That ‘lock’ only prevents changes to the games lists, not any of the other settings. In the picture just above, you will need to select the Controller tab at the top, and the Joystick tab on the left.  The main thing that HAS to be set is #1 Capture Joystick/Gamepad.  The other settings, #2 through #6 should be fine as they are, but depending on your joystick, you may need to select the other setting in #6.  Something you should do is to select the View tab, like the picture on the right.  This will allow you to know what  buttons are what on your controller.  Necessary, if like me, you need to move a couple buttons around in the configuration.  In my case, using a Thrustmaster, the trigger button was button #1, and the button on top was button #2.  The prefs in the Setup1 and Setup2 tabs were set for button 1 to toggle the Favorites, and the Select was set to button 10, if I remember.  The way to change them around is to highlight the setting then press the little red X at the bottom to delete that button.  Then, you just need to press the button that you want. In the pictures just above, on the left and the right, you will see that I’ve already moved things around so the trigger will select, and the top button will cycle the Favorites.  One other thing to realize that if it’s still not working properly, make sure you don’t have a flight joystick like the Thrustmaster.  If you do, there is usually a side throttle control, mapped to a joystick.  I have taken the liberty to mark it with an arrow in the picture just above on the left.  If that control is moved forward or backward, it will override the joystick being able to select, so make sure it is in the neutral center position.

Hope this posting helps everybody…. 😉

Arcade, Arcade Update, Computer, Computer - Linux, Computer - Windows

Arcade Update 1/2022 B

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If you do NOT have v.2.56 of the Arcade installation, do NOT proceed.

Instead, go here, and apply the four previous updates, and possibly the optional snapshots file:  Arcade Update 1/2022.  (Updates MUST be applied in sequence)  As always, you should perform a backup using your normal PC backup, just in case. (NOT the arcade backup scripts in the installation.)

In the future, you can always just jump to the Arcade Updates  category to check whether you may have missed any updates.  The version that you currently have, whether console or ext hdd, may be checked at G:\version.txt.  I can’t remember, but I think if you have v.2.40, there possibly may be no version.txt.  In the console version, it should report the version number while loading, as long as it’s more recent than v.2.40.

Now that that is all over, here is the download link for the latest Arcade Update file:  Arcade Update 2.56-2.58.  

One note to mention, is that I added a 2 way joystick config for Clowns.  By default, if you check the game’s TAB menu, you will notice that Clowns may be set to Paddles.  You may have to set that to your system as well.  I prefer to take a pic of the settings before I change things on those menus.  These 2 and 4 way joystick configs are most useful if you use an 8 way joystick.

This update also adds a funtion to backup a couple critical 3DArcade directories.