(http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff221/Optimus6128/batmah_zpsa677f922.png)
I noticed at the end that sprite there, appearing just one frame before the action freezes and goes to the end screen. At first I thought it could be an enemy sprite randomly appearing just in time, but check the other longplay and it's exactly the same, and it looks like Batman. So Batman was up there in the tower and managed to get down so fast. Or it's another batman, the evil batman, haha. That could be a good source for a gaming creepypasta.
Just mentioning, it's that little detail that I found curious.
Also, was the GX4000 version slower than the CPC version? Or is it just my idea?
For example in level 4 (at 7m47s)
[AMSTRAD CPC] Batman the movie longplay part 1/2 - YouTube (http://youtu.be/-pRveWW22Xk?t=7m47s)
vs (at 19s)
[AMSTRAD GX4000] Batman (The Movie) - Speed Run (2 of 2) - YouTube (http://youtu.be/nIjtTgq-1ZM?t=19s)
Indeed, I just played both sequences, the plain CPC finishes around 2:15 minutes, the CPC+ at 3:00 minutes, and it's linear, just spaceship going to the right, player will finish at specific time independent of gameplay. Maybe one runs at 2 VBL and another at 3?
I think Batman rushed down there to watch the Joker splat just to make sure he dies cos comic book villains (and heroes actually) have a nasty habit of cheating death even when you were damn sure they died.
Yes, the GX4000 version will be slower if played on a real GX4000.
The whole of the GX4000 runs 0.25% slower than a CPC.
Quote from: arnoldemu on 13:36, 12 August 14
Yes, the GX4000 version will be slower if played on a real GX4000.
The whole of the GX4000 runs 0.25% slower than a CPC.
Really? Can you explain why?
Does it have to do with PAL/NTSC difference? Or lower clock?
p.s. Ok, forget about this, I am just reading it at the Wiki :)
p.p.s. 0.25%, not 25%. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me, to produce so slower movement. Unless if the code was tightly timed to be very close under 2VBL, so this difference makes it just over 2VBL and thus going to 3VBL with vsync, but I know, unlikely theory.
Probably from feedback from the CPC version that that level was a bit fast, so they slowed it down for the GX4000, whilst making the shadow nearly invisible to add a bit of difficulty back.
Haha! That's a good laugh! Just sad that they didn't use hardware scrolling for the GX4000 version. It's really way to jerky.
Didn't the cpc plus version of batman the movie have more colors than the classic cpc version?
I'm pretty sure cause back in the day i had the two versions and the cpc plus have more colors on screen, perhaps this is the problem being more slower...
Well, at least there are differences in the colors. But it doesn't matter if you have more or less different colors, because you always have to move the same amount of data.
What matters is the size of the scroll area and the size of the software-sprites.
It was mentioned before that the 0.25% slower GX4000 may be just unlucky to fall under the frame barrier, so it takes more often 3 instead of 2 frames. I second that. Also the CPC oG version shows slow down's more often.
Oh, I was playing the game yesterday and also noticed a lot of music slow down at some places, on my real GX 4000.
They should have done a real rewrite using the GX4000 features instead of a quick hack with couple different colors. :(
QuoteHaha! That's a good laugh! Just sad that they didn't use hardware scrolling for the GX4000 version. It's really way to jerky.
mostly sad it was a straight "disk to cart port"...
Not the best way to promote a new console like the GX4000. Guess only few games show how much the GX could perform. Better games would have made it a real success. And it's not that hard.
Games didn't come into it. It was slaughtered by the NES having the Turtles pack that Xmas + it also being the Megadrives first big Christmas. All the flash games in the world would counted for nothing against Turtles that Christmas.
When I went to buy my GX4000 the salesman tried to upsell me to a Megadrive, then tried to push the NES on me
Quote from: TFM on 19:27, 12 August 14
They should have done a real rewrite using the GX4000 features instead of a quick hack with couple different colors. :(
Better amstrad can be released the gx4000 with a capped asic, that can't support old cpc mode. So programmers cannot port a cpc game directly.
Makes the gx4000 can play old cpc game as no sense.
nothing about the GX4000 made any sense.
Yeah, for me it's a pitty that some of the games that show GX4000 capabilities lack in gameplay (even Robocop 2, very hard), expect 1 or 2 (Pang and what else?)
Meanwhile, some of the plain CPC ports are the ones I enjoy the most (Batman actually has quite good clever gameplay for even a CPC game, Switchblade is also interesting)
I can't think of a single AAA title, that is both truly great technically and still good to play.
Quote from: Optimus on 13:56, 12 August 14
p.p.s. 0.25%, not 25%. Doesn't seem like much of a difference to me, to produce so slower movement. Unless if the code was tightly timed to be very close under 2VBL, so this difference makes it just over 2VBL and thus going to 3VBL with vsync, but I know, unlikely theory.
The whole machine is 0.25% slower, but it still has the same number of clock cycles per frame, so that's not the problem. It could have been slowed on purpose, or perhaps the patches to use Plus features have added some time to the main game loop and it misses a VBL every now and then, but you'd think that would make it appear jerky.
Well, that points out that the people who made the GX version are not the same who made the original version. Therefore the patches are consuming too much time.
Welcome in the graveyard of the lost VBL :o
I wonder which emulator was used for the normal version. The music sounds too fast (except when a lot is on screen, then it sounds right again) and I don't recall the real version ever doing that. Could be an emulator timing issue?
Me too, I've playing it three weeks ago and I'm 100% sure it was'nt speed up like that..
Seems to be borne out by Xyphoes review, starting at 14:35 and taking about three minutes without any weird slowdown or fast music.
[AMSTRAD CPC] Batman The Movie - Review & Longplay - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQBH-SmnLPM)
Haha, in the same sequence on Spectrum, a floating mouse appears.ZX Spectrum Longplay [023] Batman The Movie - YouTube (http://youtu.be/MwKfbSzR5dA?t=18m9s)
Quote from: andycadley on 20:41, 14 August 14
Seems to be borne out by Xyphoes review, starting at 14:35 and taking about three minutes without any weird slowdown or fast music.
[AMSTRAD CPC] Batman The Movie - Review & Longplay - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQBH-SmnLPM)
Yea I swear to god that on the first level (GX4000 version) when you first reach the very top of playing area where about 3 or 4 bad guys appear at once the music slows down significantly, and I don't remember that happening on the CPC version.
Also on the GX4000 it doesn't have the noise when you start a level as the screen dissolves into the game.
Another difference.
I wonder if the GX4000 was like an earlier version of the CPC game they accidentally used as the base?
The GX has less RAM than the 6128, so maybe they did cut down features?
Quote from: TFM on 21:56, 19 August 14
The GX has less RAM than the 6128, so maybe they did cut down features?
Nope, the 464 can handle batman de movie with one level in memory(really, the 464 can load any level directly if you rewind the tape :) So you can play the game in last level directly).If is a ram recorted versión 464=gx4000.
Batman the movie, need to be compare with the batman the movie of the csd version. Then you know if a changes was made in middle of development.
How are you guys playing this? I use the SCART Lead with an LCD TV, always thought the GX4000 was faster?
Quote from: dragon on 22:16, 19 August 14
Nope, the 464 can handle batman de movie with one level in memory(really, the 464 can load any level directly if you rewind the tape :) So you can play the game in last level directly).If is a ram recorted versión 464=gx4000.
Batman the movie, need to be compare with the batman the movie of the csd version. Then you know if a changes was made in middle of development.
You mention it. :)
One loads from tape and one from Cartridge. And I assume that the tape version was there first as the 464 was before the GX. :)
Quote from: TFM on 16:04, 20 August 14
You mention it. :) One loads from tape and one from Cartridge. And I assume that the tape version was there first as the 464 was before the GX. :)
But the 464 have the sound at begining and the gx4000 not this is because is not the same version. :)
Interesting is in the load in 464. a message appears. load 1.1 1.2. 2.1 etc.. Maybe take a look at the cartridge with a hex , can reveal if this old code is present and can demostrate if the 464 is the source code.
who is the original system where ocean made the game?. 16 bit and later port to 8?. take a look to the first version can be good to compare the lack of sound.
Take a look the atari version lacks sound the same as gx4000.
Let's Compare: Batman - The Movie: C64 vs. CPC vs Spectrum vs. ST vs. Amiga (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_7ut7Ml8Y4)
Probably was ported directly from source code not from amstrad code.
Batman the movie was drawn on an atari ST with the tool called EDSPRITE and EDMAP.
It was also coded on atari ST as well :)
Well, I think if one has one amstrad version it's easy to do a GX version (99% identical), Nobody will port to the same system twice.
Ok, maybe somebody lost the sources from the first port. Maybe such wired things did happen. :)
I search info,the programmers, and graphics artist are mike lamb and dawn drake in amstrad
And atari.st(with more programmers and artists in this version).
I think the sound in the begining was a personal touch from mike lamb as he was the only programmer in amstrad/spectrum 8 bits. As the game is tarjet to be multiplataform. Maybe they made a general master code that can be share and can be easily ported to the different Programmers,amstrad commodore msx msdos etc..
Probably ocean not ask to the ported code, as he had the original master code and the engine in was based and with this they can port the game to any plataform. As they ported the game to the all 8 bits plataforms, and the natural next step is 16 bits they don't need conserve the amstrad code. And then amstrad release with anty nature another 8 bit plataform. They contract a different programmer and he share with it the general master code witouth personal touch.
Only a probably teory, as i unkown who programm the gx4000 version.