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Big Bang Bar (Capcom 1996)

Full VPW Premium build of a Capcom table requiring 64-bit VPX. Notable for its RGB VR room with dynamic script-controlled lighting, PinMAME PWM integration for Capcom hardware, and extensive v2.0 rebuild cycle. Primary developers: apophis79, Rawd (VR room), Gedankekojote97 (Blender), sixtoe, and niwak.

Build Story

Development spanned from March 2023 through January 2025 with a major v2.0 rebuild. The table requires VPX 64-bit and VPinMAME 64-bit -- a common user stumbling block. Niwak contributed PinMAME 3.6 PWM support specifically for Capcom hardware, enabling true hardware-driven lamp fading. The v2.0 cycle involved three Blender re-batches as the toolkit improved, and Gedankekojote97 provided comprehensive material and mesh updates including new Capcom drop targets and improved tube translucency.

Table-Specific Details

Mechanisms & Hardware

  • 64-bit requirement: Will not run on 32-bit VPX. VPinMAME 64-bit must be installed separately via Setup64.exe. Common user error: installing PinMAME but not VPinMAME.
  • VPinMAME 3.6 beta required to fix a crash bug (EXCEPTION_INT_DIVIDE_BY_ZERO).
  • PinMAME PWM for Capcom: Lamps and flashers use PWM for true-to-life behavior -- slow fades, quick flashes, simultaneous fade-and-blink effects. Requires UseLamps = 1, UseVPMModSol = 2, vpmMapLights with faders. Not backward compatible with older VPX/VPinMAME.
  • NVRAM configuration available for competition play (disable extra ball buy-in).
  • Pop bumper radius was oversized -- sixtoe noted the physical bumper radius in VPX should match the metal ring/bumper zone, not the hat diameter, and identified the BBB bumpers as too big.

Art & Visuals

  • RGB VR room by Rawd with script-controlled lighting responding to table state. Auto-detects VR mode. Reflections left off by default (even enabling the feature with all objects non-reflective may cause slowdown).
  • SetRoomBrightness syncs room with table events; UpdateBallBrightness syncs ball appearance.
  • Tube appearance: real tubes should be translucent (not transparent) -- the end-cut reflection should not be visible.
  • Lightmap brightness is delicate: v2.0.1 made all lightmaps 30% brighter but community said it was too much (tube "emitting" rather than "transmitting"), reverted in v2.0.2.
  • Drop target z-fighting fixed by unchecking "Unshaded Additive Blend" on primitives in the CabLit Layer.

Known Issues

  • F12 options menu causes backglass to disappear in VR.
  • VR siderails/lockdown bar incorrectly visible -- required multiple fix attempts across versions.
  • Ball brightness not fading with room brightness changes, most apparent during boot sequence.
  • Windows Defender may flag release as Wacatac trojan -- confirmed false positive. Use VirusTotal to verify.

Techniques Developed Here

See Also