Voltage Regulator

[Altera_Forum]

I am planning to building a game that run off 12v rechargeable batteries, the idea being using off the shelf auto related light bulbs and sirens to keep the cost to a minimun. What voltage regulators should I use to convert 12volts to the voltages I'd need to run a Cyclone II chip as the core of my game? I'm worried a regulator made to run on lower voltages would malfunction if given 12. Please excuse if this seems a naive question, I am just getting started with this. I am learning using the starter Cyclone II starter kit, and am planning something you could think of as "laser tag" with a twist.

[Altera_Forum]

I would takea multi regulator approach to solving the question. 

 Texas Instruments makes a few Switching Regulators that will take the 12 volt input and switch it down to something like 5 or 3.3 volts.  What you are concerned with is the input voltage width allowable (say 15 to 18 volts, on down to something like 8 - 5 volts.  Look here http://focus.ti.com/docs/prod/folders/print/ptn78060w.html for one such example. (Found by Google of "TI switching regulator 12 v in"  From there, I would look at some of the smaller regulators (posibally linears) to get to the 1.2 volt Vccint, etc.