Re: Mac mini as "MAME Console"

USB overdrive unfortunately does not allow use of the analog sticks 
natively in MacMAME as it insists upon it emulating a mouse, and it 
doesn't allow use at all of the right analog stick, so USB Overdrive 
definitely isn't an option. AdvanceMAME is not overkill because of the 
criteria here that the system be entirely controllable via USB game 
controller (and without having to disable functionality such as use of 
the analog sticks as analog sticks!) MacMAME - it requires mouse and/or 
keyboard to select games, set MacMAME options, and even quit out of 
games. You *can* completely control AdvanceMENU/MAME/MESS with a USB 
controller. Also I really like AdvanceMENU. I greatly prefer it to 
MacMAME in that regard. Last night I was playing with it again and 
actually found that the performance of AdvanceMAME wasn't as bad as I 
remembered. Probably some tweaks could be done to make it work even 
better.

One downside is that, due to the way that these programs works, you 
have to re-calibrate the analog sticks, not only for every game, but 
even for each time you go back to AdvanceMENU. Each switch seems to 
involve quitting the current and launching a new copy of the other, and 
each launch of any of them requires re-calibration. Further, at least 
with my Belkin Nostromo n45, the SDL libraries don't support its d-pad 
which is a shortcoming in itself, but also it makes the analog 
calibration issue even more of a pain. I'd like to know if there are 
any other USB game controllers that have d-pad's that do work with the 
SDL libraries.

Steve

On Feb 1, 2005, at 11:31 PM, Antonio Silveira wrote:

> hi stephen,
>
> i actually am looking into a mini mac to be used as a console only 
> emulator, i have an arcade machine for arcade.
>
> seems the easiest way would be for you to just run standard mac mame, 
> get something like usb over drive and assign keyboard or mouse clicks 
> to buttons not used on a control pad.  on my iBook is i have the XBOX 
> HID driver and i can emulate mouse movements and clicks.  it could be 
> cleaner and i still have some work to do but it should work for you.
>
> since you are using a tv, advMame seems a bit over kill.
>
> just my two cents,
>
> t
>
>
> On Feb 1, 2005, at 11:18 AM, Stephen Jonke wrote:
>
>> I have this idea of taking a stock 1.25 GHz Mac mini ($499 model), 
>> adding a DVI-to-Video adapter, and using it as a MAME console, 
>> plugged into a TV. There would be no keyboard nor mouse, just USB 
>> game controller(s). The Mac mini design would seem perfect for this.
>>
>> While MacMAME runs games great, it is not USB-controller-only 
>> friendly, because it requires mouse or keyboard commands to select 
>> games, quit, etc, plus I like AdvanceMENU's interface and it seems 
>> more appropriate for a USB-game-controller-only system. AdvanceMAME 
>> would be perfect for this application, except for one issue: it (on a 
>> Mac) is substantially slower than MacMAME. A lot slower.
>>
>> I'm hoping I'm not alone in seeing the Mac mini as a MAME game 
>> console, and as such a spinoff project might get created that would 
>> work on optimizing the AdvanceMENU/AdvanceMAME engine for the Mac 
>> mini and providing it in binary form with installer to make it as 
>> easy to install as any other Mac application. Preferably it would be 
>> possible to have it install a bootable system onto the hard drive so 
>> it would boot right into AdvanceMENU and really be a console. But 
>> that's extra credit. :)
>>
>> Note: I'm a user, so far anyway. I have no real experience with 
>> coding on the Mac nor of MAME-related coding. I'd be willing to 
>> learn, though.
>>
>> Anyone else interested in this?
>>
>> Steve
>>
>>
>>
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