Togther Retro: Marble Madness

[Mak]

There's a local gaming center nearby that has an Ultracade machine that emulates many old games, including Marble Madness, and has a trackball, though only single player since there's only one trackball.

I used to play the NES version long ago, but the arcade version is much more fun because of the trackball. My friend and I have been going back and forth for a year now competing for the highest score and trying to actually beat the game. We can get to the last stage but end up running out of time. The trackball has become worn, so it takes a little more effort to use it. I can't pull off moving straight to the goal between it and the pit at the end of level 2. Right now my top score is 52,750.


Can't forget The Advantage's cover of Marble Madness

[Ivo]

I tried playing with a mouse but it doesn't really work. I can't justify spending 20 or 30 bucks on a trackball for this though...

Anyone knows of software that can flip the vertical or horizontal axis of the mouse? That way I could try non-optical mouse on it's back as a trackball.

Ivo.

I 'think' you can reverse the axis of controllers on MAME. I know you can defo flip the vert axis (I do it for playing original Star Wars arcade) - & you 'may' be able to flip horizontal as well - not 100% sure though.

Excellent.
Flipping one axis is enough.
The topology of the thing is such that putting the mouse upside down with either the front facing forward or the front facing backward either reverses one axis or the other (if you use it as a trackball).
For example, if you take the non-optical mouse and just reverse it leaving the front facing forward, the horizontal will work as you want it from a trackball but the vertical is reversed.

[HOW]

I tried playing with a mouse but it doesn't really work. I can't justify spending 20 or 30 bucks on a trackball for this though...

Anyone knows of software that can flip the vertical or horizontal axis of the mouse? That way I could try non-optical mouse on it's back as a trackball.

Ivo.

I 'think' you can reverse the axis of controllers on MAME. I know you can defo flip the vert axis (I do it for playing original Star Wars arcade) - & you 'may' be able to flip horizontal as well - not 100% sure though.

Excellent.
Flipping one axis is enough.
The topology of the thing is such that putting the mouse upside down with either the front facing forward or the front facing backward either reverses one axis or the other (if you use it as a trackball).
For example, if you take the non-optical mouse and just reverse it leaving the front facing forward, the horizontal will work as you want it from a trackball but the vertical is reversed.

Hi there. I gotta ask. How's does the mouse work as a trackball???

I'm hoping pretty good cos if all I need to do is get hold of an old scrapped non-op mouse that'd be soooo coooool

I can cope playing MM with a joypad as I never really played it too much in the arcade - and played using a joystick on my Amiga - but I do NEED a trackball-type input to reaquaint myself with 'Crystal Castles'

So please advise how it's working out - and if you have any tips on kinda mice to try?

Many thanks, HOW

[Ivo]

Hi there. I gotta ask. How's does the mouse work as a trackball???

O.k. here it goes for everyone interested (I haven't managed to get myself a non-optical one yet but this must work). It's a bit of improvised trackball, it won't be perfect but the main problem with using the mouse normally is needing to reposition it, and this should fix it.

0. Get a non-optical mouse with a ball bearing. This sort of works with an optical one, but not quite (still you can test the idea with an optical mouse before you go and find a non-optical).

1. With a mouse facing forward, rotate it 180 degrees using the cord (if it's wireless, imagine a cord) as the rotation axis. If you rotated as I say, the mouse will have the ball bearing facing up, and the mouse buttons facing front.

2. Convince yourself this will work, by using your finger on the ball bearing OR on an optical mouse (it's just to convince yourself) and "rolling" it to the right. If you got the mouse on the right position, the mouse pointer should go the right. Roll the ball bearing to the front. The mouse pointer should go down (unfortunately that is just the way it works).

3. Use something to make the curved surface of the mouse support itself so it is stable and doesn't move (the only thing I could think of is some cloth made in a sort of nest structure, with a "hole" in the middle and higher "borders" around the mouse). You may want to remove the piece that keeps the ball from falling when it is in the normal position to get better access to the ball bearing.

4. Use software (MAME has this, according to HOW) to reverse the vertical direction. Now when you use your finger to roll the ball bearing to the front, the game should react correctly.

5. That takes care of the directions. If you need buttons (I don't think we do for Marble Madness, but for Missile Command or something) I suggest using software to remap them to keys or something (I know Xpadder will let you map mouse buttons to gamepad buttons, for example). Otherwise just use your other hand in a rather awkward position to press the mouse buttons from below

Or get a real trackball...

Ivo.

[HOW]

Hi there. I gotta ask. How's does the mouse work as a trackball???

O.k. here it goes for everyone interested (I haven't managed to get myself a non-optical one yet but this must work):

1. Get a non-optical mouse with a ball

2. With it facing forward, rotate it 180 degrees using the cord (if it's wireless, imagine a cord) as the rotation axis. If you rotated as I say, the mouse will have the ball bearing facing up, and the mouse buttons facing front.

3. Convince yourself this will work, by using your finger on the ball bearing and rolling it to the right. In this position, the mouse pointer should go the right. Roll the ball bearing to the front. The mouse pointer should go down (unfortunately that is just the way it works).

4. Use something to make the curved surface of the mouse support itself so it is stable and doesn't move (you can probably put some cloth making a sort of nest structure).

5. Use software (MAME has this, according to HOW) to reverse the vertical direction. Now when you use your finger to roll the ball bearing to the front, the game should react correctly.

Ivo.

I shall have to give it a try.

Only issue I can forsee is that when the Mouse is turned upside-down - the ball will fall down into the mouse body so preventing it being easily turned......

[Ivo]

I already edited the instructions a bit.

In most non-optical mouses I remember, the ball should be accessible even upside down. However, you can always remove that little plastic thing that keeps the ball from falling down when the mouse is in the normal position - this will very likely give you better access.

[4ppleseed]

I tend to play MM via MAME on the arrow keys. I think it works pretty well as you can press two buttons at the same time say, down and right and then keeping down held down, flip over to down and left.

[bobbynewmarkiii]

Cool choice

I hated this game as a kid with an Atari ST, and to be honest it's still a bit cumbersome to be much fun on the PSP, (either that or I am just rubbish at this game) but I didn't remember the music being as good as it is on the PSP version. Must dust of the ST and compare soundtracks...

[HOW]

Cool choice

I hated this game as a kid with an Atari ST, and to be honest it's still a bit cumbersome to be much fun on the PSP, (either that or I am just rubbish at this game) but I didn't remember the music being as good as it is on the PSP version. Must dust of the ST and compare soundtracks...

I guess the PSP version you're playing is MAME? - Better than my Amiga too

[HOW]

Cool choice

I hated this game as a kid with an Atari ST, and to be honest it's still a bit cumbersome to be much fun on the PSP, (either that or I am just rubbish at this game) but I didn't remember the music being as good as it is on the PSP version. Must dust of the ST and compare soundtracks...

I guess the PSP version you're playing is MAME? - Better than my Amiga too