Commodore 64/128 emulation - 2nd button?

[Swami]

I've tried all three main C64 emulators: hoxc64, WinVICE and MAME with trying to play "Robocop.d64", which requires left, right, down, fire and jump. It appears the "jump" is default programmed as the fire on controller 2. The space bar works as jump properly, but any time I try to map a controller button or another keyboard key, he always faces left when he jumps (so cannot jump right or jump and fire right, etc.). Mapping jump to a typical "up" button/key does the same thing. Anyone know why this happens or how to fix it? Obviously, left is getting triggered with the mapped jump button, but I can see no reason for this. It happens in both hoxc64 and WinVICE. I'm at work now, but can post the disk image tonight.

 

Also, If I disable second joystick in VICE, then all action buttons cause him to fire and jump simultaneously.

 

Also, MAME did not even play the game. Just pink and white vertical stripes after loading. I've heard it is not so reliable with many games and one cannot even seem to access the GUI key-mapping page (i.e., TAB key does not serve normal menu fuction).

 

I think there are very few two button games for the C64/1228, which explains why there is so little support for it in modern software/hardware.

robocop-2_c64_084b.zip

[Trebor]

For VICE, it seems there is still an open feature request for it.

 

Under MAME, try changing the controller from "joy" to "joybstr" under "Slot Devices" (Accessibly via 'Tab' key menu after first toggling to partial emulated keyboard support by pressing 'Scroll Lock' key). Remember to select "Reset" after changing controllers.

 

 

The above updates the controller from a 1 button joystick...

 

 

 

 

...to emulating the Booster Grip controller opening up not just 2, but 3 available fire buttons:

 

 

 

 

[Swami]

For VICE, it seems there is still an open feature request for it.

 

Under MAME, try changing the controller from "joy" to "joybstr" under "Slot Devices" (Accessibly via 'Tab' key menu after first toggling to partial emulated keyboard support by pressing 'Scroll Lock' key). Remember to select "Reset" after changing controllers.

Capture.PNG

 

 

The above updates the controller from a 1 button joystick...

 

 

Capture2.PNG

 

 

...to emulating the Booster Grip controller opening up not just 2, but 3 available fire buttons:

 

 

Capture3.PNG

 

 

 

Thanks. I'll have to try another game to see if it works, as I still get the pink vertical lines after the second startup screen of the game. I forgot about the scroll lock. The file is posted above now if you want to see what I mean.

 

Also, I can load a disk through the file manager into the floppy drive and designate it as "read only" but cannot figure out how to open it by that route. RUN and LOAD "ROBOCOP2", 8,1 do not work by this method. I have to enter the "mame c64 -flop1 /path/to/file.d64" string into the DOS console.

[mr_me]

I'm not so familiar with the commodore 64 but what you could be experiencing is a combination of keyboard ghosting and the fact that, on the c64, joystick signals conflict with keyboard signals.

 

The robocop 2 instructions refer to a console joystick and a standard joystick. On a standard Joystick up jumps but does nothing on a console joystick which has a jump button in addition to a fire button. You can toggle between console/standard joystick in the robocop 2 menu.

 

If you're mapping or using more c64 keyboard buttons you could be making keyboard ghosting worse.

Edited March 22, 2019 by mr_me

[Swami]

I'm not so familiar with the commodore 64 but what you could be experiencing is a combination of keyboard ghosting and the fact that, on the c64, joystick signals conflict with keyboard signals.

 

The robocop 2 instructions refer to a console joystick and a standard joystick. On a standard Joystick up jumps but does nothing on a console joystick which has a jump button in addition to a fire button. You can toggle between console/standard joystick in the robocop 2 menu.

 

If you're mapping or using more c64 keyboard buttons you could be making keyboard ghosting worse.

 

That is part of my problem, also. That I am not very familiar with the C64 console. I had to resort to Joy2Key, but got it working right.

[AW127]

On 3/23/2019 at 6:00 AM, Swami said:

 

That is part of my problem, also. That I am not very familiar with the C64 console. I had to resort to Joy2Key, but got it working right.

 

Everything you wanted to to and asked for in this thread is now possible in the latest HOXS64 emulator version 1.0.23.0, that came out last week.

 

There is a great new feature in the Joystick-Assignment menue of the emulator now, with which you can map up to 5 keyboard-keys on your controller (to buttons or to directions) and there is also a field in this emu-menue, where you can set a key as "Firebutton 2" on the C64. This "Firebutton 2" then, is the same like the second button on a C64GS-joystick, like this here for example:

https://www.c64-wiki.de/wiki/Cheetah_Annihilator

 

There on this side are also the C64-games written, that supports such a second firebutton. Also "Robocop 2", the game you mentioned, can be found there. So, simply start HOXS, set a firebutton on your controller which should be "Firebutton 2" and start "Robocop 2". Next choose "C64GS controller" in the menue of this game and then you can jump in the game with this button, which you had set for "Firebutton 2" in the HOXS joystick menue before.

 

Works without a problem and also this new "map key to controller" function is fantastic. You can, for example, map SPACE-key to a firebutton on your controller, then you can "call the drone" with this button in alot of shooting games on the C64 and you can also do alot more. Also games which are only steerable on the keyboard until now, can then be steered by a controller when all the keyboard-keys are mapped to joystick/gamepad. And if you want to play with a gamepad and you want to have "steer up" (which is jump in the most C64 jump and run games) on a button of this gamepad, it's also possible, by simply remapping this key. Works all in Joystick-assignment-menue of new HOXS64 version. You really should try out. I tested around with this new function last week and it really works great. This function is a big PLUS for gaming, no matter which type of controller you have.