NTSC vs PAL

[TwentySixHundred]

Started a thread to see others thoughts on the differences of NTSC and PAL when it comes to high scores from a technical stand point. As far as i know PAL versions take longer to draw a frame due to more scan lines then NTSC. The question, is this an advantage for high scores over NTSC versions? I noticed a few years back when making graphics hacks that Megamania seemed to run @ a slower pace on PAL versions rather then NTSC.

 

After jumping in a few rounds lately for HSC it has sprung to mind again, not overly worried or anything just curious. I use Stella and NTSC ROMs only for HSC but it made me think those running PAL on original systems or Stella could have an advantage over those running/using NTSC?

 

I also don't want anyone to "cheat" so to speak by using PAL versions if this is the case it's just curiosity and for myself i will then state within my highscore posts im using NTSC ROMs from now on. This could be a small overlooked advantage that HSC moderators may not be aware of if the case.

[+Random Terrain]

You could say that people who cheat using PAL are yellow (afraid of the faster NTSC speed). Is that considered irony?

[Keatah]

For those wanting to cheat, just use save-states and turn down the framefrate from auto to 20 or whatever.

[TwentySixHundred]

You could say that people who cheat using PAL are yellow (afraid of the faster NTSC speed). Is that considered irony?

Yeah i kinda worded that wrong, to clarify im using "cheat" very loosely , many wouldnt even be aware and others only have PAL systems. Was directing it more towards i dont want to give ideas on how to "cheat" within a grey area (loophole). those who may think they have a slight edge by using PAL ROMS rather then NTSC.

 

Im also aware it's just the way it is and every variable can't be eradicated, is more the curiosity side of things

[TwentySixHundred]

For those wanting to cheat, just use save-states and turn down the framefrate from auto to 20 or whatever.

No no no....Not in HSC

[Keatah]

I hope not..

 

Maybe Al should delete these messages so as not to give others any ideas?

Edited April 13, 2016 by Keatah

[Thomas Jentzsch]

It differs from game to game and company to company.

 

I found that Atari and Imagic are trying to adapt the game speed in their PAL conversions, while Activision only changes the colors and frame rate.

[davyK]

With a lot of games it's a case of adjusting your timing - the faster game isn't necessarily harder. Atari did speed optimisations on some of its games where it did matter (Berzerk for example). I feel Super Breakout in PAL to be at least as good and maybe better. But NTSC games usually have a bigger display and that usually looks better (though the really early games like Combat and Circus run full screen). Overall though, due to the faster frame rate and larger image , I feel the NTSC experience is better (hence my PAL60 thread).

 

Having said that the only game I would say where it really makes a difference re difficulty and high scores is Kaboom!. Playing it at 60Hz feels like a very different game and is much more difficult because the game relies on pure speed for its difficulty. I was quite annoyed when I discovered it hadn't been speed adjusted by Activision as that game is all about speed.

Edited April 16, 2016 by davyK

[TwentySixHundred]

With a lot of games it's a case of adjusting your timing - the faster game isn't necessarily harder. Atari did speed optimisations on some of its games where it did matter (Berzerk for example). I feel Super Breakout in PAL to be at least as good and maybe better. But NTSC games usually have a bigger display and that usually looks better (though the really early games like Combat and Circus run full screen). Overall though, due to the faster frame rate and larger image , I feel the NTSC experience is better (hence my PAL60 thread).

 

Having said that the only game I would say where it really makes a difference re difficulty and high scores is Kaboom!. Playing it at 60Hz feels like a very different game and is much more difficult because the game relies on pure speed for its difficulty. I was quite annoyed when I discovered it hadn't been speed adjusted by Activision as that game is all about speed.

It seems alot of Activision games run slower on PAL, Megamania was the game that got me thinking. It really is noticeable and the PAL version is alot easier to rack up the score without loosing any ships. Looking into this more indepth the past few days other systems like Nintendo and Sega had titles that ran considerably slower with PAL versions too.

 

I still feel running games like shooters or Kaboom for instance at a slightly slower speed is an advantage, even though the player ship or whatever moves slower along with everything else it gives that advantage when games get to that unbelievably fast pace. Having the split second longer to react makes a huge difference IMO anyway.

[AW127]

Many PAL-versions have the speed adjusted and runs in the same or a very similar speed like the NTSC-versions. So it`s not a rule that PAL-versions are easier, it depends on every single games.

 

One example, where it´s vice versa and where i find the PAL-version little bit more difficult is Phoenix. The PAL-version is speed adjusted, but not exactly like the NTSC-original. The player-ship and also the enemies shoots little bit faster in PAL than in the NTSC-original. Therefore the enemies fly a little bit slower than in NTSC-version. Also the ways which the enemies moves are not exactly the same. I realized this, when i first played the PAL60 version, which was made about one year ago out of the NTSC version, on my Atari console and my standard movement+shooting don`t worked like it always worked on my PAL-version. Since about one year, i play both versions now on my Atari and the bigger highscore in Phoenix i have in the PAL60-version, which is the same like the NTSC-version only with adapted colors.

 

PAL-games which are not speed-adjusted, runs about 16,667 percent slower (60FPS/50FPS) than NTSC-games and for that games, it can be said, that they play little bit easier. Slower movement on the screen is easier to handle for the player.

Edited April 27, 2016 by AW127

[+Random Terrain]

Made me wonder if PAL TV shows were also devoid of yellow. There might be millions of people who think all bananas are green.

[high voltage]

My PAL games run and look just fine on my PAL TVs.

[AW127]

Made me wonder if PAL TV shows were also devoid of yellow. There might be millions of people who think all bananas are green.

When i read this, i must think about a funny joke which came out in the days of the german reunification.

You see it here on the picture, where the east-german girl named "Gabi" says: "My first banana".

 

http://weiberplage.de/index.php?id=10613

 

But obviously it`s a green cucumber. This fun was a photomontage from the german satire-paper "Titanic" back in the days and it refers to the fact, that it was very hard in eastern Germany to get bananas in the supermarkets before the "iron curtain" falls down.

Edited June 4, 2016 by AW127