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Armed Police Batrider has two separate difficulty controls on the arcade operator settings: Start Rank sets the challenge when a game begins, while Timer Rank controls how quickly that challenge increases. Both use two switches on DIP-SW2 and offer Normal, Easy or Low, Hard or High, and Very Hard or Highest choices. The exact menu or switch availability depends on the board, ROM revision, region, emulator, or home version, so identify your version before changing settings.

How Batrider’s difficulty system works

The operator manual divides difficulty into two independent variables. Start Rank determines the opening difficulty of a credit. Timer Rank determines the rate at which difficulty rises while the credit is being played. They are not interchangeable: choosing a lower Timer Rank does not make the first stage easier if Start Rank is still set to Hard or Very Hard.

This distinction matters when comparing cabinets or emulator setups. Two machines can begin with the same opening challenge but become very different later if their Timer Rank values differ. Record both settings, along with the number of fighter units and the extra-player score rule, when documenting a configuration.

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Start Rank: the opening difficulty

The manual labels this control “START RANK (Game start difficulty setting)”. It changes the level at which the game begins, before the timed increase described by Timer Rank takes effect.

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Start Rank DIP-SW2 switch 1 DIP-SW2 switch 2 Meaning
Normal OFF OFF Standard opening difficulty
Easy ON OFF Lower opening challenge
Hard OFF ON Higher opening challenge
Very Hard ON ON Highest opening challenge in this control

To set Batrider to Easy on hardware that follows the operator manual, set DIP-SW2 switches 1 and 2 to ON/OFF, respectively. The switch pair is binary: changing only one switch selects a different rank, so verify both positions rather than moving switch 1 alone.

Timer Rank: how quickly difficulty rises

The manual calls this setting “TIMER RANK (How the difficulty rate increases during the game)”. It governs the pace of escalation during play rather than the starting point.

Timer Rank DIP-SW2 switch 3 DIP-SW2 switch 4 Practical effect
Normal OFF OFF Standard rate of difficulty increase
Low ON OFF Difficulty increases more slowly
High OFF ON Difficulty increases more quickly
Highest ON ON Fastest increase listed by the manual

Operators can use Timer Rank to tune credit duration. The manual advises increasing the difficulty-increase rate when customers play for too long and lowering it when credits end too quickly. That is an operational adjustment, not a statement that one setting is universally correct.

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For example, Easy Start Rank combined with High Timer Rank gives a relatively gentle opening followed by rapid escalation. Hard Start Rank combined with Low Timer Rank gives a demanding opening whose later increase is slower. If you want a fair comparison between two setups, write down both pairs instead of describing one cabinet simply as “harder.”

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How to change the arcade DIP switches

These controls are intended for arcade operators and service personnel. Physical switch access, labeling, and power procedures vary by cabinet and board revision. Use the board’s service documentation and follow its electrical-safety instructions.

  1. Identify the hardware. Confirm that the board is Armed Police Batrider and note the region and revision printed on the board, in the operator paperwork, or reported by the emulator. MAME supports multiple regional and revision variants, and not every option is universal.
  2. Power the cabinet down as required by the service documentation. Do not change a physical DIP switch while relying on an unverified hot-switching procedure. Some arcade systems require a restart before new values are read.
  3. Locate DIP-SW2. The documented difficulty pairs are switches 1–2 for Start Rank and 3–4 for Timer Rank. Use the switch-bank numbering printed on the board; the physical ON direction can differ in appearance between switch packages.
  4. Set both switches in the selected pair. For Start Rank, use the 1–2 table. For Timer Rank, use the 3–4 table. Leave unrelated switches unchanged unless you are intentionally changing another operator option.
  5. Restart and verify. Restore power and use the board’s test or service display, when available, to confirm that the intended configuration was accepted. If the game does not reflect the change, recheck the switch orientation and the exact board revision.
  6. Record the complete profile. Note Start Rank, Timer Rank, fighter-unit count, extra-player rule, region, and revision. A partial note such as “Normal difficulty” does not identify the game’s actual escalation behavior.

On later hardware or emulation, equivalent values may appear in a Test/Service Menu instead of as physical switches. Menu names and available items can differ, so do not assume that a software option labeled “difficulty” maps to both rank controls.

The documented default configuration

The operator manual’s default is every listed switch set to OFF. For the difficulty pairs, that means Normal Start Rank and Normal Timer Rank. The same default profile specifies three fighter units and one extra player at each 1,500,000 points.

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Setting in the all-OFF profile Default value
Start Rank Normal
Timer Rank Normal
Fighter units 3
Extra-player threshold 1,500,000 points for each extra player

“All OFF” is therefore a useful baseline, but it is not proof that every release, emulator preset, or home port starts with identical behavior. Treat it as the documented arcade default for the operator configuration described in the manual.

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Other operator options that affect a credit

Fighter-unit count

The manual lists four choices for the number of fighter units available: 1, 2, 3, or 4. This setting changes how much reserve a player has, independently of Start Rank and Timer Rank. A cabinet with an aggressive rank but four units can provide a different practical experience from one with the same rank and only one unit.

Extra-player score thresholds

The documented alternatives are an extra player at each 1,000,000 points, 1,500,000 points, or 2,000,000 points, or no extra player. This is a score-award rule rather than a difficulty rank. It can lengthen or shorten the average credit without changing enemy or stage behavior.

Additional machine configuration in MAME-derived references

A MAME-derived settings reference lists service mode, credits to start, joystick mode, coin A and B pricing, hit score, sound effects, music, flip screen, demo sounds, stage edit, allow continue, invulnerability (cheat), guest players, player select, and Special Course. These entries describe machine configuration and, in some cases, testing or cheat behavior; they are not additional names for Start Rank or Timer Rank.

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Because that list comes from MAME-derived data, use the actual board or emulator service documentation when configuring a particular setup. An option can be present in one driver or revision and absent, renamed, or permanently enabled in another.

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Choosing settings for common cabinet goals

Longer introductory play

Use Easy Start Rank when the objective is to reduce the opening barrier. If credits still end too quickly later, select Low Timer Rank as well. Change one variable at a time when tuning a public cabinet so you can tell whether the opening or the escalation rate caused the change in play length.

Shorter credits and faster turnover

Operators seeking shorter sessions can raise Timer Rank to High or Highest. The manual specifically presents the difficulty-increase rate as the control to adjust when playing time is too long. Raising Start Rank also makes the opening more demanding, but it does not substitute for changing the escalation rate.

A controlled comparison between machines

Match Start Rank, Timer Rank, fighter-unit count, and extra-player threshold before comparing player performance or credit duration. Also match region and revision where possible. Otherwise, a difference attributed to “difficulty” may actually come from lives, score extends, controls, or revision-specific behavior.

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Region, revision, and version limitations

MAME documents Europe, USA, China, Japan, and Korea variants, along with earlier Japanese and Taiwan releases. The available switches and in-game behavior can therefore depend on the exact ROM set rather than the title alone.

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Japanese B Version and two-button cabinets

The source-code notes describe Batrider as a two-button marketed game while noting that the original version needs a third button to control hidden Battle Garegga ship options. The Japanese B Version added joystick-command support for cabinets without that third button. This is a control and unlock difference, not a change to the meaning of Start Rank or Timer Rank.

Revision dates and Korean behavior

The revision reference dates an early Japanese version to December 22, 1997, and the Japanese B Version to February 13, 1998. It also reports that the Korean B Version had three unlock-code features enabled and lacked some advanced in-game options. Those details are revision-specific; do not apply them automatically to Japanese, European, US, Chinese, Taiwan, or other releases.

Home versions

A community gameplay reference identifies the first home port as appearing on Sega Astro City Mini V in 2022. A home port is not automatically equivalent to the arcade board: it may expose settings through a console menu, omit operator switches, or implement a different revision. Confirm the home version’s own documentation or menus before promising that a DIP-switch setting is available.

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Ship selection is a separate layer

Batrider’s player-facing ship-selection behavior should not be confused with the operator difficulty controls. MAME’s driver notes that the selection button changes ship characteristics, including shot and option power, speed, and default autofire rate. Separate hidden features can be enabled by DIP switches in some versions.

That means a player can experience a different difficulty because of ship characteristics even when Start Rank and Timer Rank match another machine. When documenting a setup, list the operator ranks separately from ship choice, control layout, and any unlock state.

Troubleshooting a setting that appears not to work

The game still feels hard after selecting Easy

  • Confirm that both Start Rank switches are set to ON/OFF, not just switch 1.
  • Check Timer Rank separately. A High or Highest timer setting can make the game escalate quickly after an easier opening.
  • Verify that the emulator is using the intended region and revision rather than loading another ROM variant.
  • Check fighter-unit count and extra-player rules; fewer units or less frequent extends can make the same ranks feel harsher.

The cabinet ignores a switch change

  • Confirm that the board reads DIP-SW2 and that the switch numbers are oriented as printed on that board.
  • Restart according to the service procedure so the game can reread configuration.
  • Use the test/service display, if present, to see whether the board exposes the value through a menu.
  • Check for a revision-specific implementation. MAME and regional releases do not guarantee identical option sets.

An expected unlock or control is missing

Check the exact revision, especially if the setup is a Japanese B Version, Korean B Version, or a two-button cabinet. Hidden-ship controls and advanced in-game options vary by revision and are separate from the two rank pairs.

Practical configuration checklist

  • Record the board or ROM region and revision.
  • Set Start Rank with DIP-SW2 switches 1–2.
  • Set Timer Rank with DIP-SW2 switches 3–4.
  • Record fighter-unit count and extra-player threshold.
  • Document credits, controls, continues, and any enabled test or cheat options separately.
  • For an emulator or home port, use its own Test/Service menu labels rather than assuming physical-DIP terminology.
  • When comparing play sessions, keep ship selection and unlock status in the comparison notes.

With those values recorded, “Batrider difficulty” becomes a reproducible configuration instead of a vague label. Start Rank tells you where the game begins; Timer Rank tells you how fast it gets tougher; the remaining operator and revision settings determine how long a credit can last and which features are available.

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