What programs fail to work on NTSC/PAL machines due to critical timing?

[Thorsten Günther]

Hello!

 

There are some programs on the XL/XE that - in contrast to the vast majority - fail to work on either PAL or NTSC machines due to the critical timing in their code (i.e. using longer/more interrupt subroutines than are available on the given TV system). As of now, I know only very few of them:

 

- Thunderfox

- Yoomp! (versions prior to 1.1 only)

- The Last Word (currently being fixed - or is it already?)

 

 

Does a comprehensive list of these programs and/or fixed versions exist anywhere?

 

 

Thorsten

[_The Doctor__]

the last word is fixed for ntsc

there is a thunderfox ntsc bin posted here

thunderfoxthread

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=137483

 

and the bin

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?a...t&id=120233

Edited January 14, 2009 by _The Doctor__

[bob_er]

I think that most demos are PAL only.

[bfollett]

I haven't kept a list, but lately I've been trying a lot of the available game downloads on the 800win emulator and I've actually come across quite a few that have messed up graphics or won't even start if you don't have the PAL/NTSC setting correct. There may be more than you realize (unless it's just the emulator having more problems than the real hardware).

 

Bob

[adam242]

Crownland jitters on Atari800win in NTSC mode... I haven't tried it on real hardware yet.

[xxl]

- Night Driver / pal only

http://atari.fandal.cz/detail.php?files_id=5916

[Thorsten Günther]

I think that most demos are PAL only.

 

Just tried Drunk Chessboard and some other demos on WinPLus 4.0 in NTSC mode - some screens (those with the 256 colour plasma background) flicker, but other than that, it just runs incredibly fast :-). Numen doesn't run though and there may be some other demos with problems, but any claim that "most demos" won't work is incorrect, as all those that do not go to the limits of DLI and VBI subroutines will run without problems, including most of the classic demos like FujiBoink! or the in-store Atari Swan Demo published at the CES '85.

 

 

So far we have:

 

Demos:

 

- Numen (doesn't run)

- Drunk Chessboard (some flickering)

- Das Omen (terrible flickering)

- Lajf (some flickering)

- several more

 

 

Games:

 

- Thunderfox (apparently early versions only)

- Yoomp! (prior to 1.1)

 

Apps:

 

- The Last Word (early versions)

 

 

Thorsten

[adam242]

Qb is another favorite game of mine that is unfortunately unplayable on NTSC hardware...

 

Atarimania page for Qb

[Urchlay]

I seem to remember the game "The Last V8" didn't quite work right on NTSC. Playable, but part of the display is off the screen (or was on the TV I had in the 80s). Probably there are quite a few of these, that work fine but want to display more scanlines than most NTSC TVs can handle.

[+bf2k+]

...

- Numen (doesn't run)

...

 

I am almost positive I tried this on a real NTSC A8 and it ran...

[oracle_jedi]

Hello!

 

There are some programs on the XL/XE that - in contrast to the vast majority - fail to work on either PAL or NTSC machines due to the critical timing in their code (i.e. using longer/more interrupt subroutines than are available on the given TV system). As of now, I know only very few of them:

 

- Thunderfox

- Yoomp! (versions prior to 1.1 only)

- The Last Word (currently being fixed - or is it already?)

 

 

Does a comprehensive list of these programs and/or fixed versions exist anywhere?

 

 

Thorsten

 

Other Games (non-runnable):

 

Zone X

Metagalactic Llamas - Battle at the Edge of Time

 

 

 

(non-playable:)

 

Elektraglide - on an NTSC system you dont have enough time to complete the sections - I have not found any version re-calibrated for NTSC.

 

Ballblazer - yeah I know - it plays just fine. But the music!! - on NTSC it comes off as a frantic jig - but on PAL - its a wonderfully moody and sleazy piece that sets a totally different tone and atmosphere to the game.

[Thorsten Günther]

Other Games (non-runnable):

 

Zone X

 

That's a little surprising, as this game doesn't seem too demanding. Yak's stuff though... no surprise.

 

I tried some German games now, starting with some of Christoph Schulte-Vennbur's stuff and it has several glitches in NTSC mode

 

- Slot Machine (text scroller after each round is much too s.l.o.w., bonus demo (shown after major wins) flickers, "Axis Komputerkunst" intro has some sound errors and ends with a disturbing continous beep)

- Nibelungen (same glitches in the intro, player invisible)

 

Peter Finzel's stuff (Cavelord and Schreckenstein) runs, though. OK, he wrote some books on programming the A8, so he should know.

 

 

Ballblazer - yeah I know - it plays just fine. But the music!! - on NTSC it comes off as a frantic jig - but on PAL - its a wonderfully moody and sleazy piece that sets a totally different tone and atmosphere to the game.

 

I fear this one doesn't count, as Lucasfilm Games is an American company. The tune (like that of M.U.L.E.) obviously is meant to play that fast. This doesn't mean it sounds bad if played slower, though.

 

 

Thorsten

[Urchlay]

Ballblazer - yeah I know - it plays just fine. But the music!! - on NTSC it comes off as a frantic jig - but on PAL - its a wonderfully moody and sleazy piece that sets a totally different tone and atmosphere to the game.

 

Weird: I was thinking of Ballblazer as an example of one that plays its music too slow on PAL...

 

All depends on what you're used to I guess.