Pls Help Clarify: Gun games with PC/MAME arcade

[nickmas80]

Hello All,

My name is Nick and I am a complete noob to DIY/MAME arcades and am at the beginning phase of building one. I didn't know this world existed until I saw one at my friend's place and then fell in love. So far I have an old Block Out arcade cabinet, an old computer, and just received my X-Arcade Tankstick. The next step forward is getting a monitor or TV and possibly upgrading my PC if it's not powerful enough.

The whole gun with PC/MAME situation seems quite cloudy. Here are my questions:

1) Is it possible to use the Big Buck Hunter orange arcade shotgun with the PC version of Big Buck Hunter by Midway?

2) What is the story with some guns working only with certain PC monitors, TVs, or arcade monitors?

I've come across various information via the internet saying that "light guns" don't work with flat-screen TVs and the "EMS LCD TopGun" is the only gun that works with flat-screen TVs. But, when I was browsing Betson.com I came across Big Buck Hunter Safari which clearly has a flat-screen TV and even appears to be in 16:9 aspect ratio. Betson.com also sells only the orange shotgun and in the description it is referred to as "Optical" which for all I know could be another term for "light gun".

3) Are only some guns compatible with MAME?


Thank you very much for any clarification provided, I greatly appreciate it.

 

[FatTrucker]

There are generally 2 types of gun for home use. The conventional type 'flash' the screen when you press fire and an optical sensor in the gun reads the flash to determine the guns position which doesn't work with LCD and Plasma screens because these displays don't scan the screen like a CRT does.
Guns like the Topgun use a seperate LED array to track the position of the gun independently of the type of display and in real time (just like the Wii controllers) meaning you can use them with anything.

The Buck Hunter gun you're looking at seems to be the former type. With any arcade gun though most of them use specific circuit and optical boards they are designed to work with so would need custom drivers developed to work with a windows PC if you can get them working at all.

Most people using guns with Mame either go for Act Labs guns (CRT only), you can also do a Playstation Guncon hack (CRT Only) or LCD Topgun style guns (use with anything).

 

[nickmas80]

Thanks a lot. I just ordered two EMS guns so no matter the TV I get I'll be fine. That sucks about the shotgun though. I think Big Buck Hunter won't quite be the same killing bucks with a pistol but at least I can play.

Thanks again!