Is it possible to add a music track to a 7800 game?

[+Pac-Lander]

Ok, so I posted this a while back about a certain game, but the question is really - is it possible to add music to ANY game?

 

The question being - how hard would this be? What I am suggesting, is to add digital music to an existing title, so a game like PLUTOS or SIRIUS for example would have a driving music beat behind it. And perhaps different music for each stage?

 

Obviously, music is added to homebrew games, so it seems like it's at the very least a possibility. But I'm not a programmer, so I don't know! Is this a ridiculously difficult proposition?

 

Thank you community in advance!

 

-Aaron

[+save2600]

Ok, so I posted this a while back about a certain game, but the question is really - is it possible to add music to ANY game?

 

 

Yes. Place your 7800 atop a CD player, insert any music CD and press play.

[+Pac-Lander]

 

 

Yes. Place your 7800 atop a CD player, insert any music CD and press play.

[+save2600]

So sorry that answer wasn't what you were looking for, but it is a realistic and immediate solution to your question. Go find some rockin' tunes to jam out to (instrumentals preferred by someone like Joe Satriani) while playing games like Sirius and Plutos, or die waiting for someone to incorporate any kind of music into said cartridges.

 

FM's Black Noise is another particularly great album I like to play along with games like these. 70's Prog Rock FTW!

[+Pac-Lander]

Ha - yeah thats fine, just seriously wondering if adding music/sound TO THE ACTUAL CARTRIDGE is something that is technically possible, and how difficult it might be.

 

Ive seen graphic upgrades (Double Dragon, Rampsge, etc.), so just wondering if this is something that can be done.

 

Anyone know?

[Jinks]

Ha - yeah thats fine, just seriously wondering if adding music/sound TO THE ACTUAL CARTRIDGE is something that is technically possible, and how difficult it might be.

 

Ive seen graphic upgrades (Double Dragon, Rampsge, etc.), so just wondering if this is something that can be done.

 

Anyone know?

Nope!

 

I listen to welcome to buckethead land.

[DracIsBack]

Ha - yeah thats fine, just seriously wondering if adding music/sound TO THE ACTUAL CARTRIDGE is something that is technically possible, and how difficult it might be.

 

Ive seen graphic upgrades (Double Dragon, Rampsge, etc.), so just wondering if this is something that can be done.

 

Anyone know?

 

I think the issue is usually whether or not there is source code available to work with to know where to add the music, if it will fit in the cartridge allotted for the game etc.

[+Pac-Lander]

 

I think the issue is usually whether or not there is source code available to work with to know where to add the music, if it will fit in the cartridge allotted for the game etc.

 

Ahhh, I see. I feel like this would be a gamechanger if someone could do this for a few key games. Dark Chambers most of all.

[Memblers]

Anything is possible. Depending on the game, the difficulty would range from extraordinarily difficult, to very easy (if you have the skills/experience and the target program is hospitable).

 

2 major factors to consider:

CPU time - does the game have enough idle time that you can take over? This varies during gameplay, and you have to fit inside the very worst case scenario (and your music program has it's own worst case timings to consider). Still fits in the "possible" category because, in theory, one could rewrite and optimize the game. This would be ridiculous though (unless one greatly enjoys RE'ing software). If there's not enough CPU time, better to just walk away. Or add your own CPU to the cartridge..

Memory - where in memory will the music data and variables sit? This actually may be kind of easy to overcome, as long there is a board with larger ROM/RAM you could migrate it to.

 

If the game's source code was available that would be helpful to refer to, but overall it's of limited use. Assembling 30+ year old source code, or more likely converting it to a modern assembler, may be a bit of a project in itself. But I've never tried to assemble any of the old Atari source code, so I could be wrong. It's amazing that any of the source codes are even available at all. I wouldn't assume that they are the final versions, until you can assemble and do a binary compare.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Memblers