Cabinet-friendliness

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Cabinet-friendliness is an aspect of computer software in which every function is 100% controllable using a MAME-like arcade control panel. In the case of emulators or games, if the software is controlled by MAME's default control scheme, or the controls can be redefined to match MAME's, and the software requires no keyboard intervention, then it may be considered cabinet-friendly.

Requirements

Diagram of a typical two-player control panel for MAME. No, the right click and middle click buttons are not mislabeled!

MAME Keys

In MAME, the default keys for player 1 are: UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, CTRL, ALT, SPACE, L-SHIFT, Z, X, C, V, 1, and 5 (coin); the default keys for player 2 are: R, F, D, G, A, S, Q, W, I, K, J, L, 2, and 6 (coin); ESC is used to quit. Keyboard encoders, such as Ultimarc's I-PAC 2 PC interface, are designed work directly with MAME, and therefore send only these keycodes to the PC.

Mouse / Trackball

Games which are primarily controlled by a mouse may be considered cabinet-friendly, given the fact that cabinet builders often install a trackball assembly in their control panel.

Examples of Cabinet-Friendly Software

Emulator frontends, such as Wah!Cade, are designed to be operated using the same keys as in MAME.

Many non-MAME emulators, such as ZSNES and Gens/GS, have redefinable inputs that can match MAME's.

Jukebox programs, such as MultiJuke, are specifically designed media players that are controlled by MAME's keys.

Examples of Cabinet-Unfriendly Software

Text-based graphical adventure games, such as those that brought much fame to Sierra On-Line in the 80's, get input from the player via a command parser, and therefore require a great deal of typing. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), such as World of Warcraft or Guild Wars, are inherently social experiences requiring full use of a keyboard. Many modern flight simulators and first-person shooters tend to have commands mapped to nearly every key, and also require full use of a keyboard.

Emulators for modern systems, such as the Nintendo 64 or Sony PlayStation, have controllers that have upwards of 10 buttons and one or two analog joysticks in addition to the directional pad.

Varying Degrees of Keyboard Intervention

Some users may feel that a certain amount of keyboard intervention is forgivable as long as it does not disrupt the natural flow of gameplay. For example, if a game requires keyboard input for the sole purpose of high-score name entry, this may be perceived as tolerable.

On the other hand, if the cabinet builder does not plan to include a keyboard in his/her finished product, or if the keyboard is inconvenient to access (e.g.: behind a locked cabinet door), then anything less than 100% cabinet-friendliness would be unacceptable.

See Also

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