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jotd · 09 September 2018, 21:26

Thanks to Toni who provided a nice hardware banging CD play routine for the CD32 hardware, I was able to add this feature to CD32Load and start adapting games.

First, let me explain that this isn't a trivial fix: you have to know the game mechanics very well to know when to start & stop the relevant music. For Wonderdog, I had to force SFX, and start / stop the music at proper locations (I think I could have done it simpler...), and had to implement a levelskipper in order to test it properly.
For Gods, I fortunately had Kroah excellent resource of the game (Atari ST) and it helps a lot to know when to stop & start the music, but levelskipper isn't possible because the game retains the player position ! so I'd have to add a "teleport" feature...

Not all games without music are good candidates. The argument "the game has no in-game music" isn't enough. I cannot add an irrelevant music to a game. One exception could be if some other version (mega CD, ...) has CD tracks during games. The tracks can be used (Gods is an example).
I don't want to play the title music of the game on and on during all the game (ex: Chuck Rock!)
Games with music OR sfx are good candidates too (Wonderdog was one of those): just convert the modules & play them on CD with SFX played by amiga hw.

So the good candidates are:

- games with sfx OR music
- games with sfx only but music in another platform (arcade, mega CD, whatever)
- no Tiertex games (or provide a generic slave with a continuous sound of toilet flushing)
- music has to be worth it.

Validated / first priority:

- Wonderdog (done: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3iv307y4g..._cd32.zip?dl=0). Running on real hardware
- Gods (done: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94258). Running on real hardware
- Lemmings CDTV (replacing music by CD music with extra tracks: done: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94428). Still untested on real hardware
- Marble Madness (replace music by the arcade version music: done http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94657). Running on real hardware
- Silkworm (adding the music from Raiden series): https://www.dropbox.com/s/vyd07m6pli..._CD32.zip?dl=0. . Running on real hardware (needs a CD32load update right now)
- Premiere (music AND sfx): https://www.dropbox.com/s/yf42ny0thl..._CD32.zip?dl=0. Running on real hardware
- Z-Out (because the sfx sometimes ruins the awesome music by shutting down one channel), in progress
- Supercars 2 (using tracks for Supercars I is a good backup plan)
- Lollypop (music OR sfx)
- Alien 3 (music OR sfx)
- Unreal (music OR sfx)
- megalomania
- gulp
- midnight resistance
- Jim Power (turbographx audio): done (commercial product)

I had other requests that I'll consider/analyse: Ninja Warriors, Hybris, Barbarian, Fire & Brimstone, Shadow of the Beast, Lotus 2, Prince of Persia, Premiere, Leander (music OR sfx)

Not doing them until I get proper matching music, even from another platform (remember that it takes time to create a proper CD version, with all the testing, etc...). If you need rips from arcade games check this site BTW: HUGE!!! http://vgmrips.net/packs/

One of the reasons I started / did Wonderdog is that Cobe provided me with all the tracks as .wav. Much easier job like this (even if I know how to rip / convert a module to .wav), so contributions welcome to provide the tracks & to program the additional "cd slaves" that allow to play/stop the music (I'm sure Earok will be interested

)

Another aspect is "do I really want to play a lot (even with cheats) to fully test the game". Sometimes the answer is yes (Gods), and sometimes no.

BTW use ImgBurn to burn images, and burn the .cue file, not the .iso, as you'd miss the audio tracks. I've put a link to ImgBurn installer from my dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8q9yzh2gj..._2580.exe?dl=0 (some links have a lot of malwares, I had to remove a lot of them from my wife computer after having selected the first DL mirror!!)

09 September 2018, 21:26	#1
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,196	CD audio games enhancement project Thanks to Toni who provided a nice hardware banging CD play routine for the CD32 hardware, I was able to add this feature to CD32Load and start adapting games. First, let me explain that this isn't a trivial fix: you have to know the game mechanics very well to know when to start & stop the relevant music. For Wonderdog, I had to force SFX, and start / stop the music at proper locations (I think I could have done it simpler...), and had to implement a levelskipper in order to test it properly. For Gods, I fortunately had Kroah excellent resource of the game (Atari ST) and it helps a lot to know when to stop & start the music, but levelskipper isn't possible because the game retains the player position ! so I'd have to add a "teleport" feature... Not all games without music are good candidates. The argument "the game has no in-game music" isn't enough. I cannot add an irrelevant music to a game. One exception could be if some other version (mega CD, ...) has CD tracks during games. The tracks can be used (Gods is an example). I don't want to play the title music of the game on and on during all the game (ex: Chuck Rock!) Games with music OR sfx are good candidates too (Wonderdog was one of those): just convert the modules & play them on CD with SFX played by amiga hw. So the good candidates are: - games with sfx OR music - games with sfx only but music in another platform (arcade, mega CD, whatever) - no Tiertex games (or provide a generic slave with a continuous sound of toilet flushing) - music has to be worth it. Validated / first priority: - Wonderdog (done: https://www.dropbox.com/s/u3iv307y4g..._cd32.zip?dl=0). Running on real hardware - Gods (done: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94258). Running on real hardware - Lemmings CDTV (replacing music by CD music with extra tracks: done: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94428). Still untested on real hardware - Marble Madness (replace music by the arcade version music: done http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=94657). Running on real hardware - Silkworm (adding the music from Raiden series): https://www.dropbox.com/s/vyd07m6pli..._CD32.zip?dl=0. . Running on real hardware (needs a CD32load update right now) - Premiere (music AND sfx): https://www.dropbox.com/s/yf42ny0thl..._CD32.zip?dl=0. Running on real hardware - Z-Out (because the sfx sometimes ruins the awesome music by shutting down one channel), in progress - Supercars 2 (using tracks for Supercars I is a good backup plan) - Lollypop (music OR sfx) - Alien 3 (music OR sfx) - Unreal (music OR sfx) - megalomania - gulp - midnight resistance - Jim Power (turbographx audio): done (commercial product) I had other requests that I'll consider/analyse: Ninja Warriors, Hybris, Barbarian, Fire & Brimstone, Shadow of the Beast, Lotus 2, Prince of Persia, Premiere, Leander (music OR sfx) Not doing them until I get proper matching music, even from another platform (remember that it takes time to create a proper CD version, with all the testing, etc...). If you need rips from arcade games check this site BTW: HUGE!!! http://vgmrips.net/packs/ One of the reasons I started / did Wonderdog is that Cobe provided me with all the tracks as .wav. Much easier job like this (even if I know how to rip / convert a module to .wav), so contributions welcome to provide the tracks & to program the additional "cd slaves" that allow to play/stop the music (I'm sure Earok will be interested ) Another aspect is "do I really want to play a lot (even with cheats) to fully test the game". Sometimes the answer is yes (Gods), and sometimes no. BTW use ImgBurn to burn images, and burn the .cue file, not the .iso, as you'd miss the audio tracks. I've put a link to ImgBurn installer from my dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/s/k8q9yzh2gj..._2580.exe?dl=0 (some links have a lot of malwares, I had to remove a lot of them from my wife computer after having selected the first DL mirror!!) Last edited by jotd; 10 March 2022 at 21:13.