How to understand if a Game/App is NTSC or PAL?

[Supamax]

Hi mates,

is there a certain way to find out - when loading a Game/Application in WinUAE - if it's NTSC (USA) or PAL (Europe) ?

[Toni Wilen]

Technically this is usually impossible except if game uses taller screen than NTSC overscan, also there are few rare region locked games.

I guess having two versions of same game with different name or publisher (if another publisher is US and other European) in for example titlescreen may mean something but this is not 100% guaranteed.

Black border at bottom or possible "wrong" music playback speed is not good idea for detection (IMHO "wrong" is not technical enough reason, too many different opinions)

[mai]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

also there are few rare region locked games.

Darius + (1989)(Edge, The)[cr ACC]
F2894730

Is this an example for PAL only version of a game?
The game refuses to run if i check the NTSC box in WinUAE.
I am about to add region flag to some disks, but need confirming.
A NTSC fix has been released for this game too, so i suppose, its a PAL only version.

Darius + (1989)(Edge, The)
33EFA1FA

seems to be different version, it runs in NTSC mode(but also in PAL mode)
seems to be special US-version.
This set is marked as US-version in scene archive "BoilerRoom".

Maybe someone can confirm this?

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by mai

Is this an example for PAL only version of a game?

Yes. Game only inserts its vblank interrupt handler if gfxbase PAL flag is set. No interrupt routine = hangs when waiting for flag that interrupt routine sets. (yeah, odd way of doing it but perhaps they thought it is more confusing this way..)

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by mai

Iseems to be different version, it runs in NTSC mode(but also in PAL mode)

This one does not have PAL test. Code is not just disabled, it is not there at all, it appears to be recompiled without "protection".

[mai]

Originally Posted by Toni Wilen

This one does not have PAL test. Code is not just disabled, it is not there at all, it appears to be recompiled without "protection".

Thanks for confirming.

[mai]

.....by the way
is the activating of the NTSC box in WinUAE a safe method to check, if a game is PALonly or NTSConly?

[Toni Wilen]

Originally Posted by mai

.....by the way
is the activating of the NTSC box in WinUAE a safe method to check, if a game is PALonly or NTSConly?

"Should be" (it is used so rarely). NTSC should be emulated as exactly as PAL since few versions ago, short/long line toggle was last missing NTSC-only feature.

EDIT: It is possible some "NTSC-only" game only works in NTSC because NTSC CLI screen takes less chip RAM than PAL screen (at least without 512k RAM expansion and/or extra drive(s) enabled)