Games that put a lot of strain on the A500 hardware

[Sasuke]

Hello guys,
What types of games can max out the A500's hardware performance?

I am referring to A500 with 512kb + 512kb slow ram.

[sokolovic]

Settlers, Simon the Sorcerer, Lionheart, Ambermoon, Mr Nutz, Kid Chaos, Shadow Fighter, Fightin' Spirit...

[mc68060]

Simon the Sorcerer? Really? What on earth should be heavy on the CPU in that game?

[derSammler]

You can ask the same about the other games.

What does "max out the A500's hardware performance" even mean? CPU? Graphics?

Given that he uses the word "strain" in the title, I would assume he does not look for the best game squeezing out every last bit of performance, but games that struggle. So maybe Wing Commander and Frontier..?

Otherwise, games like Mr. Nutz, Turrican 2+3, or Lionheart are pretty much the limit in all regards when it comes to CPU, sound/music and graphics at the same time.

[kremiso]

not as the already mentioned but Populous 2 could fit ?

[DisasterIncarna]

Originally Posted by kremiso

not as the already mentioned but Populous 2 could fit ?

surprised that did as well as it did tbh, esp when i used to play multiplayer via serial cable with my cousin, it managed quite well all things considered.

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by mc68060

Simon the Sorcerer? Really? What on earth should be heavy on the CPU in that game?

Lots of data in 64 colors EHB.

[StevenJGore]

Universe. 256 colours on an A500 must surely "strain" it?

[derSammler]

Originally Posted by StevenJGore

Universe. 256 colours on an A500 must surely "strain" it?

Why? It's just HAM.

Lots of data in 64 colors EHB.

Are we just forgetting that the Amiga has custom chips and the graphics are *not* drawn by the CPU?

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by derSammler

Why? It's just HAM.


Are we just forgetting that the Amiga has custom chips and the graphics are *not* drawn by the CPU?

Well not every others point n click have this level of rendering. And they do rely on the CPU since they are all heavily improved when played on fasters Amiga (Indy 4 for instance).

Btw Universe isn't HAM. "Just" copper used to switch colors by lines IIRC.

[Sasuke]

Originally Posted by derSammler

You can ask the same about the other games.

What does "max out the A500's hardware performance" even mean? CPU? Graphics?

Given that he uses the word "strain" in the title, I would assume he does not look for the best game squeezing out every last bit of performance, but games that struggle. So maybe Wing Commander and Frontier..?

Otherwise, games like Mr. Nutz, Turrican 2+3, or Lionheart are pretty much the limit in all regards when it comes to CPU, sound/music and graphics at the same time.

Sometimes the translator doesn't help.....
I mean those games that push the CPU and RAM to their performance limits

[d4rk3lf]

Originally Posted by Sasuke

I mean those games that push the CPU and RAM to their performance limits

Amiga is so much more then CPU and RAM, and this is the whole reason why vast majority of us, loves it.
What Amiga made so special, is chipset that allowed so much creative freedoom, to solve the same problem in many different ways...
If we to post titles that pushed only CPU and RAM to the limits, we could list many titles that was utter crap.
Or simply said: pushing the limits of (only) Amiga RAM and CPU, would rather mean mentioning bad coding on Amiga, then good.

[Cris1997XX]

Originally Posted by Sasuke

Sometimes the translator doesn't help.....
I mean those games that push the CPU and RAM to their performance limits

The Amiga is not a normal computer like MS-DOS, it has a lot of custom chips. The only games that rely on CPU and RAM are flight simulators, 3D racing sims, etc.

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by DisasterIncarna

surprised that did as well as it did tbh, esp when i used to play multiplayer via serial cable with my cousin, it managed quite well all things considered.

very true
also enabling the music via code it still was ok

[StevenJGore]

Originally Posted by sokolovic

Btw Universe isn't HAM. "Just" copper used to switch colors by lines IIRC.

Yes, not HAM, a custom mode called SPAC (Super Pre-Adjusted Colour) which does as you described. I guess in this way it "strains" the custom chips (in terms of capability) rather than the CPU? Well, it doesn't matter either way, it was an impressive achievement that nobody else managed.

[Sasuke]

in short, I was referring to games that use all the hardware power..........for example games that Sokolovic listed.

In fact, Fighting Spirit and Lionhearth, I find them very elaborate

[Megalomaniac]

As mentioned, games which pushed the CPU and RAM to their limits, other than pure 3D games, weren't pushing the Amiga to its limits. By and large, they were what we now deride as lame ST ports - the ST had a slightly faster processor than the A500, and most games released for both had the same RAM minimum (with a few exceptions like Dungeon Master, F1GP and Monkey Island, which all ran in 512k on the ST), but the Amiga was superior in most other game situations.

It's telling that of all the games mentioned so far as examples, only Turrican 2, Populous 2 (which, though its a good game, isn't one I'd've suggested) and Frontier even have an ST version. Neither do Apidya, Pinball Dreams, Brian the Lion, Agony, Soccer Kid, Black Crypt (wonderfully dark use of EHB), Bob;s Bad Day (a neat trick to imitate Mode 7), though visually quite sparse as a result), Desert Strike, Superfrog, Elfmania and Battle Squadron, which come to mind as other contenders for this. Not all of those are great to play, and not all great games are pushing the Amiga's potential, but still.

[saimon69]

If we talk about bad games too then Power Drift in its actual incarnation is one: hardly moving on a 500, need at least a 1200 to be playable

[sokolovic]

Originally Posted by Megalomaniac

As mentioned, games which pushed the CPU and RAM to their limits, other than pure 3D games, weren't pushing the Amiga to its limits.

Not only 3D games rely on extra ram and CPU. Point'N'clicks and strategy games also greatly benefits from extra power.
Other than games already mentioned, I've could have add Dune 2 or UFO. This last one almost unplayable on A500, and not because of its 3D parts. Also note that UFO was converted by Scott Johnston on the Amiga, who made Hired Gunstar and Colonization. He surely knew very well the Amiga hardware and how to use it.

[PatmanQC]

Anything by tiertex.