Beef Drop vs. Beef Drop VE

[Cousin Vinnie]

I have an old copy (7th made) of Beef Drop but it doesn’t say VE on it... what’s the difference between the old Beef Drop and the VE version? 
 

CV

 

[+Mitch]

The VE version doesn't have a Pokey chip on the cartridge.

It will use tia audio or XM Pokey if it is plugged into an XM module.

 

Mitch

[Cousin Vinnie]

I wonder if mine has a pokey chip in it? The sound is not that impressive 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Cousin Vinnie

[+sixersfan105]

1 hour ago, Mitch said:

The VE version doesn't have a Pokey chip on the cartridge.

It will use tia audio or XM Pokey if it is plugged into an XM module.

 

Mitch

It's my understanding that Beef Drop VE is currently sold in the AtariAge Store in three formats: no pokey (TIA audio), "you supply pokey" and PokeyONE included, so it's not necessarily accurate to say that the VE version doesn't have a Pokey chip on the cartridge.

 

That said, since Vinnie has one of the Beef Drops from the original run, it should have a Pokey chip.

[Cousin Vinnie]

Sweeeeeeeeet

[+Mitch]

I guess Albert would need to clarify.

 

Mitch

[+davidcalgary29]

Ken did an amazing job with Beef Drop VE, so the improvements in sfx and music with the POKEY version aren't as dramatic as you'd think. It's definitely better with POKEY, as the music isn't as choppy and has a fuller sound, but you do have to listen for it. I bought two copies from Ken sixteen fourteen (!) years ago (later giving one away), and then bought a VE version for comparison. The original, POKEYfied run was numbered on the back.

[Trebor]

Per Ken (R.I.P.) - as it was an idea he had a while ago before a TIA version existed:

 

"VE stands for Value Edition or something to that effect as it lacks the Pokey chip making it cheaper.

Beef Drop (VE) was coded to detect an XBoard pokey and the XM emulates how the XBoard Pokey works.

 

Technically the only code difference between VE and non-VE is the title screen. Hardware-wise the VE version lacks the onboard pokey chip. All versions of Beef Drop code will look for onboard Pokey (non VE version, ballblazer type cart board) first, and Xboard/XM Pokey second, and falls back to TIA sound third. If there is both an onboard pokey and an Xboard/XM pokey second both will actually be written to but XBoard/XM pokey will be turned off so it doesn't produce sound and only the onboard Pokey will produce sound (assuming the XM works like the XBoard in that respect)."

 

What Mitch stated was (is?) the case from the start and for many years.  The V.E. moniker was to make it clear that the hardware inside the cartridge lacks a POKEY.

 

I am pretty certain I've seen recent cartridge purchases pictures posted (Say that three times fast) of Beef Drop that has a POKEY chip (PokeyOne or original) present. When that was the case, the V.E. is missing from the label.  I may be mistaken and certainly @Albert could clear up the confusion on how the game is currently distributed and labelled accordingly. 

 

As Ken stated, the game programming code, including the way sound is managed, remains the same whether the title screen states VE or not; so for simplicity, it may very well be the "VE" on the title screen is the only one being distributed by AtariAge currently, which of course the cartridge label would follow that as well. 

 

There was mention that the POKEY version being sold many years ago were still being numbered even after the initial run sold out.  Maybe when the numbering of POKEY versions stopped is when/if the V.E. name became the permanently utilized version.  Again, Al would be able to answer for certain.

[Albert]

Yes, the VE moniker was just to make it clear that this wasn't a POKEY-based version of the game.  Every cartridge out there with that particular label (and the end label has the name in black instead of maroon) is a TIA version of the game.  The POKEY / PokeyONE versions of the game get the older label that doesn't have the VE and features the maroon label, which makes it easier for me to tell them apart when I'm making carts.  I do have a newer binary that forces the game to look for the POKEY at $4000, as I had some issues with POKEY audio not working in periodically even when a POKEY was present. 

 

 ..Al

[Trebor]

3 minutes ago, Albert said:

Yes, the VE moniker was just to make it clear that this wasn't a POKEY-based version of the game.  Every cartridge out there with that particular label (and the end label has the name in black instead of maroon) is a TIA version of the game.  The POKEY / PokeyONE versions of the game get the older label that doesn't have the VE and features the maroon label, which makes it easier for me to tell them apart when I'm making carts.  I do have a newer binary that forces the game to look for the POKEY at $4000, as I had some issues with POKEY audio not working in some cases even when a POKEY was present. 

 

 ..Al

?

Thanks for clarifying for us, Al.  It is appreciated.

[Albert]

1 minute ago, Trebor said:

?

Thanks for clarifying for us, Al.  It is appreciated.

You're welcome!

 

 ..Al

[Trebor]

For those curious of the sound difference, attached is a brief sample of both TIA and POKEY.  There is just one note that really sounds off for the TIA version during the background/main melody.  Otherwise, overall it is very good:

 

BEEF DROP TIA.mp3

BEEF DROP POKEY.mp3

[+sramirez2008]

46 minutes ago, Trebor said:

There was mention that the POKEY version being sold many years ago were still being numbered even after the initial run sold out.

Yep. Mine looks like this...

 

 

Wonder where the other 95 94 (Vinnie has #7) are?

[Jinks]

I have a VE one.. I hope Ken can hear us talking about his awesome game! 

 

[+davidcalgary29]

[+davidcalgary29]

2 hours ago, sramirez2008 said:

Yep. Mine looks like this...

 

 

Wonder where the other 95 94 (Vinnie has #7) are?

Remember this thread? Ah, good times.

 

It looks like @Almost Rice was the big winner here with cart #1. And it sure does feel a bit weird seeing all of those long-absent members in that thread...