Midnight Resistance with better music?

[zambot3]

I like the game, but the music of the Megadrive version is better. Would it be possible to improve the music? I hope someone will do it.

[viddi]

Replacing the flute might help a lot.

[saimon69]

And tackle the bug where, once destroyed the mid-level boss, drum track get muted

[jotd]

Maybe adapt it to CD32 with arcade/megadrive/whatever audio tracks (using CD-audio, like it was done for Marble Madness for instance) ?

[zero]

I love that game, would like to do a re-make... For the music the main limitation is that you have at best 3 tracks, assuming you only have one for sound effects. Even so, that should allow you to get fairly close to the Megadrive music as far as I can tell.

The Megadrive has a Yamaha YM2612 for sound. 6 FM synth channels. Some will be dedicated to sound. Might have to make some extra PCM samples for the chords that use two channels on the Megadrive. Let's say there are probably two channels for sound effects, so it's only 4 FM to 3 PCM.

I'd say that the Amiga version could be even better with the right instruments. I think the sound effect channel could be multiplexed too.

[britelite]

Originally Posted by zero

The Megadrive has a Yamaha YM2612 for sound. 6 FM synth channels. Some will be dedicated to sound.

Remember that the Megadrive also has an SN76489 PSG, so that's 3 additional channels. Wouldn't be surprised if it's used for some of the sound effects.

[Nishicorn]

I hope this is related enough, I happened to capture the Arcade version musics on a real Yamaha OPL3 chip (although it's an OPL2 song - the OPL3 should be fully compatible), in case anyone is interested.

I thought if someone wants more inspiration for making an Amiga version of the song, the original song should always be considered among other things.

And it's very authentic, as it's played and captured on the chip it was composed for, no emulation or anything like that.

Here's the Level 01 song, in case anyone is interested:

https://www.sendspace.com/file/1oyxu9

It's a bit over 3 MB mp3-file.

Amiga should have no problems in creating a superior version of this tune, at least if the right hands are guiding it.

After all, Amiga's three channels (if one has to remain free for sound effects) can easily become nine or more, with the right samples and maybe even multiplexing of some kind.

Here's the full capture, with all the Arcade version songs, captured from the same real OPL3 chip:

https://www.sendspace.com/file/6l05q7

This is a bit bigger mp3, around 22 MB. It also includes the level 01 song, but I figured if someone only wants to just quickly hear the quality/authenticity/arcade version without having to download more than a few MB, I'd offer that option.

I also have captured other songs, these real music synth chips are really fun, and combining tinkering with them with tinkering with a real Amiga is just the best..

This is a bit beyond the scope of this topic and maybe even this forum, but if anyone has requests for a certain OPL2 or OPL3 tune, arcade or DOS, or whatnot, I'd be glad to attempt to capture and send it, provided that I can get a playable version of it (or already have).

I hope this is not too off-topic, I just thought it might be interesting at least as a sidenote, if nothing else, to listen to authentic OPL3 chip playing the actual Arcade versions of the Midnight Resistance songs.

By the way, this game is one of my very favorites - I loved it on the Amiga, I love playing it on my arcade setup, and I love listening these japanese-style songs on my music equipment. The Angry Video Game Nerd often mentions 'Contra', but he never remembers that Midnight Resistance also has the ability to shoot to multiple directions (and of course Turrican games do, too).

So it's nice to see that at least some people appreciate this great classic game and it's energetic and melodic musics.

[zero]

Thanks Nishicorn, I'm going to download when I get home. Really looking forward to this.

I also grabbed a rip of the Megadrive tunes. I'm no musician but I am a coder, so I was thinking about trying to do some kind of automated conversion. Maybe even the arcade tunes could be ripped that way, as they were probably written in some kind of known format.

I love this game too. I actually bought a couple of rotary joysticks an a real PCB that I need to get working. Having played the real arcade machine it's a great experience. I always thought that a port could actually exceed the arcade version in some ways, particularly less slowdown. In fact I'd say the Amiga version has less slowdown than the arcade.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by zero

I actually bought a couple of rotary joysticks an a real PCB that I need to get working.

Cool, would love to get some of these and have an arcade set-up:



Spent loads of time playing Midnight Resistance which me and my twin could finish in 1 credit.

I also love Heavy Barrel

[Nishicorn]

Thanks Nishicorn

You welcome!

It's fun to capture things from authentic sound chips, you get a bit more 'warmer' or 'alive' sound that way.

I am new here, so I wasn't sure if this was on-topic enough, but I am glad it's appreciated. I can upload other OPL3 audio captures as well, and I do take requests, too.

I also grabbed a rip of the Megadrive tunes.

Oh, does this mean you have captures from a real Megadrive? That's one of the systems I don't (yet) own, so I am always interested. I found a site that offers many Sega Genesis songs captured from a real console, but alas, it did not have Midnight Resistance.

Holy crap, that Sega Megadrive version is arguably even better than the arcade original. Such energy and deeper expression of the melody.

I actually bought a couple of rotary joysticks an a real PCB that I need to get working.

Oh wow - I have an arcade controller, a very heavy and 'authentic' thing to use to play those games, but I don't have any quirky and specialized controlers, like those. Are those possible to install easily to a modern PC? I think I saw some video of someone playing the real cabinet version (Something like 'Joe's Arcade Collectio'n), so they showed the interesting controllers the game originally has (though someone had modified them slightly, I think).

Anyway, thanks for appreciating my music capturing and uploading efforts and bringing information about this great classic game. I always love playing it, it has just that nice, tight gameplay, and yet it's not too difficult for me (I suck at games, so most games are just too difficult for me, and thus not fun to play).

If anyone is considering making a sequel or remake or something, and if I can help in any way, I'd be glad to offer my assistance, even if it just means capturing audio from real OPL3 chip (such chords could be sampled for Amiga, for example, and so on).

[Nishicorn]

I also love Heavy Barrel

Heavy Barrel, you say? Let's see.. checking..

Game Found! Playing on my CRT television and Arcade controllers.. wow, really cool game!

Checking musics... Musics found! (Amazing songs) Capturing..

Seems to be the same composer, and some really nice, energetic songs, I love this so much!

Thanks for this recommendation, here are the game tunes captured from my Yamaha YMF 262-chip (oven fresh, you could say)!

https://www.sendspace.com/file/jov0ct

It's all the arcade songs, around 15 MB mp3-file.

I am loving these songs and the game is really great - a bit difficult, and takes getting used to with turning of the guy, but really great fun and nice graphics, too. The playability is something those Data East people are very good at tweaking until it's tight and polished.

I hope you can enjoy the songs as much as I am enjoying them!

Thanks again for this wonderful recommendation - if you have more recommendations (of anything), I'd really like to know about them.

My captures might be missing something, as the game seems to have used at least two sound chips, but the musics still sound nice IMHO.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Nishicorn

Heavy Barrel, you say? Let's see.. checking..

Game Found! Playing on my CRT television and Arcade controllers.. wow, really cool game!

You've never heard of / played Heavy Barrel before?

There are other rotary joystick games you can have a bash on:

... Cal .50 - Caliber Fifty
... Down Town
... Guerrilla War
... Forgotten Worlds
... Ikari Warriors
... Ikari III: The Rescue
... SAR - Search And Rescue
... Time Soldiers
... Tron
... Victory Road
... Zwackery

Edit: here's a list of cool arcade games that I made many moons ago: MAMEv0.99-Recommended.txt

[zero]

Originally Posted by Nishicorn

Oh, does this mean you have captures from a real Megadrive?

Unfortunately I don't... I'm not that familiar with the platform, although I'm aware that some models had really bad sound. I found some .vgm files that are apparently rips. Not sure if there is a standard Megadrive module format or if it's more like SID rips that include the executable code too.

Holy crap, that Sega Megadrive version is arguably even better than the arcade original. Such energy and deeper expression of the melody.

The work of Hitoshi Sakimoto, some of his best. I think it's the best version, captures the essence of the originals but as you say so much deeper and more powerful.

Oh wow - I have an arcade controller, a very heavy and 'authentic' thing to use to play those games, but I don't have any quirky and specialized controlers, like those. Are those possible to install easily to a modern PC?

I'm not aware of any way to connect to a modern PC... I've been developing a USB joystick controller that will support them though. I need to experiment to see how MAME will handle them. I think the best option will be left/right rotate button emulation which I have working.

[Nishicorn]

You've never heard of / played Heavy Barrel before?

I think I have tested it a bit in the past, but that was a long, long time ago, when I was testing a lot of other games as well.

I didn't really grow up in an area that had coin-up cabinets, they were hard to find and rare to encounter. I did play Truxton a lot, and sometimes some ships had an arcade department that had games like Road Blasters, Out Run, Shinobi, etc.

Why do you ask, is it that strange to not have played a certain game, when there are thousands upon thousands of arcade games in existence?

Heavy Barrel is a fun and intense game, but seems a bit more shallow than Midnight Resistance, and mostly about just army vs. army. Midnight Resistance has all kinds of energy weapons, electronics, lightning guys and other more sci-fi elements that I really like. I guess I am saying that 'Heavy Barrel', as much fun as it can be, seems a little bit more 'mundane' in some ways.

Great music anyway!

Unfortunately I don't... I'm not that familiar with the platform..I found some .vgm files that are apparently rips.

Yeah, kinda same here. My friend had one Megadrive, and another friend also had one, and that's about it. I have emulated it later a lot, but emulation is not quite the same.

I found that list of nice quality captures from a real Sega Genesis, I just wonder why Midnight Resistance hasn't been captured. Maybe they will do that game some day as well - I am very curious to hear the authentic music captured from a real Sega console.

The thing about VGM or VGZ format, is that it seems to require the 'real hardware' to be present. So I can play arcade songs that utilize YM3812 (or YMF 262), because I have the hardware, but to play Megadrive VGZ tunes, I would have to have some kind of player that emulates the hardwware, I guess.

Not sure if there is a standard Megadrive module format or if it's more like SID rips that include the executable code too.

I wouldn't know about that - not sure if they are 'modules' (At least in the Protracker-sense).

SID files have been quite nicely captured by the SOASC project, but of course I am glad to also have a real C64 so I can make my own captures (Skate or Die, for example, is too fast, I am used to the slower version).

There are other rotary joystick games you can have a bash on:

Are these your recommendations, or just a list of 'weird controller games'?

I don't particularly enjoy those 'rotary joystick' games necessarily, since I don't have such joysticks, and even if I had, it seems they would be quite difficult to use. I even find Midnight Resistance a bit of a hassle sometimes with the freedom to shoot in any direction - I tend to just use a couple of very basic directions a lot, and only turn if it's absolutely necessary.

But thank you for the list!

Edit: here's a list of cool arcade games that I made many moons ago: MAMEv0.99-Recommended.txt

Ah, thank you for this recommendation list, I plan to check it out and see if there are some interesting experiences there to be had. (I am sure there are)

The work of Hitoshi Sakimoto, some of his best. I think it's the best version, captures the essence of the originals but as you say so much deeper and more powerful.

Some of these japanese composers are absolutely amazing geniuses. Chrono Trigger musics still make me weep when I think of them.

I do love the originals, though - I always love that FM sound - but I have to begrudgingly admit that the Sega Megadrive/Genesis versions of those songs are just that much more powerful and better, drat. And I am such a purist for originals, usually..

Yeah, those 'rotary games' are a bit of a problem - fun games, but my brain can't really handle it very well in the heat of the moment. I'd rather have the Turrican-method or just shooting where you are pointing or something.

Some older games have amazingly convoluted control methods, where a simple, more normal joystick method would be just fine. 'Defender', for example, geez.. a hassle to control, although the game itself is great. Amazing sound for the time, too, I'd love to hear the authentic captures of those sounds.

In any case, I hope you enjoy my Heavy Barrel music upload.

[Nishicorn]

I've been developing a USB joystick controller that will support them though

I guess I shouldn't expect mass-production of these for a long time, but that could be an interesting and fun thing to be able to use for these quirky games. But I think the good old 'one button for rotating left, another button for rotating right'-method works well enough on these normal arcade controllers that have 8 buttons for each player to use, so it's like I just stretch one finger to operate those rotation buttons, while other fingers mash the fire button and another hand altogether does the guidance of the character.

[turrican3]

Originally Posted by jotd

Maybe adapt it to CD32 with arcade/megadrive/whatever audio tracks (using CD-audio, like it was done for Marble Madness for instance) ?

yep,
good idea jotd !

[Dougal]

Sorry to resurrect this 1.5 year old thread but it would be awesome if the Amiga version would be improved a little. The music is great and all, really I love it but it doesn't come anywhere near the Megadrive version and the fact you can only choose between music or sfx and not both at the same time kind of sucks.

I guess there are plenty of Amiga games that would benefit from "fixing" so that both SFX and music work at the same time. Chase HQ is another as are I'd say 50-60% of Amiga games have only a choice between sfx or music but not both together.

Anyone ever played the Amiga Format playable demo of Jaguar XJ220 ? You get music and sfx together and not one or the other but then the full game you can only choose sfx alone or music alone. Go figure!

[jotd]

I could create a CD32 audio version, if someone gets the mp3 of the arcade/sega version for me.

[zambot3]

https://downloads.khinsider.com/game...1-sega-genesis

[saimon69]

An improvements would be have music and sounds at the same time, however i think that one would need a discrete amount of messing around with the code.

Plus the original amiga version - despite being a partial ST port - was meant to run in 512K so RAM usable is tiny, but could be done i guess