ChinnyVision: Review of IK+

[chinnyhill10]

Not generally regarded as one of the best fighters on the CPC, how does IK+ stack up on the C64, CPC. Speccy and Amiga? All from real hardware as usual. In fact this is the first time I've used my 464 for capture as my 6128 wouldn't load it (see the IK+ thread elsewhere).


www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YCb6RZCXOE

[chinnyhill10]

Anyone know why the AY tune on the Spectrum 128k is a slightly different pitch to the CPC version? Timing differences or a bad conversion from one to the other? I don't usually notice pitch differences between the machines.

[robcfg]

As far as I know, the AY chip creates sound based on a base frequency. On the CPC, that frequency is 1mhz, on the Spectrum is 1.77Mhz and 2mhz on th ST, so the same value on the AY register will create a higher pitched sound on a Spectrum and on a ST.

[chinnyhill10]

As far as I know, the AY chip creates sound based on a base frequency. On the CPC, that frequency is 1mhz, on the Spectrum is 1.77Mhz and 2mhz on th ST, so the same value on the AY register will create a higher pitched sound on a Spectrum and on a ST.

But the Spectrum has a lower pitch in IK+ so I assume something else is going on. Check the video, it's quite obviously lower.

[robcfg]

Maybe they just adjusted the registers by dividing by too which would work ok with a ST song, but would yield lower frequencies with a Spectrum song.


Or they just did a different version for the Spectrum. If we had YM files for both version we could compare them.

[Swainy]

The music volume for this game was very low on my toast rack 128 & grey +2 but was a lot louder on my friends black +2A.


A few games done this, not sure what the cause was. Rick Dangerous was another one that done it.


This is how it sounded on a +2A: IK+ Spectrum In-Game Music - YouTube

[chinnyhill10]

The music volume for this game was very low on my toast rack 128 & grey +2 but was a lot louder on my friends black +2A.


A few games done this, not sure what the cause was. Rick Dangerous was another one that done it.


This is how it sounded on a +2A: IK+ Spectrum In-Game Music - YouTube

The beeper on the 128 and grey +2 is always way louder than the AY. I asked on WoS and was told it's actually normal. Remember the grey +2 is effectively a toast rack in a different case (we all know the story of how quickly Amstrad had to produce it). The +2a is the Amstrad redesign and ironically while the AY is now as loud as the beeper, listen closely on a real machine and the audio is distorted (and I'm not referring to the +3 distortion here which is a separate and much worse issue).

I have to capture from my grey +2 or 48k so although I have a +2a and two +3's I can't show them.

Amusing to see everyone in the comments on that video heaping praise on what is essentially an out of tune poor conversion of the SID tune.

[Swainy]

I've got to admit that I preferred the Speccy & Amstrad rendition to the Atari ST AY version

IK+: Atari ST - YouTube

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

@ChinnyVision;
In regards to your comments on the "non-blue" blue player and sea colour in the CPC version; I'd already changed the colour in my new ROM version of IK+ (I found it looked strange, too). Type |IK2 to play.

NOTE: I think they used the "non-blue" colour instead of blue as it's already difficult to see the blue player's score when using a green screen monitor and almost impossible with the colour change! ^_^

[chinnyhill10]

@ChinnyVision;
In regards to your comments on the "non-blue" blue player and sea colour in the CPC version; I'd already changed the colour in my new ROM version of IK+ (I found it looked strange, too). Type |IK2 to play.

NOTE: I think they used the "non-blue" colour instead of blue as it's already difficult to see the blue player's score when using a green screen monitor and almost impossible with the colour change! ^_^

Cool. Any chance of getting that as a DSK as I can't run rom files on any of my CPC's and I'm not mad keen on emulation.


The green screen explanation makes sense. I'd always assumed developers didn't pay much attention to green screens as my cousin had one on her 464 and a few games were virtually unplayable!

[SuTeKH/Epyteor]

Cool. Any chance of getting that as a DSK as I can't run rom files on any of my CPC's and I'm not mad keen on emulation.

Sure, here's my original working .dsk. Just type RUN"IK+.GAM" to run the blue version.

[sigh]

Of all the versions, the amiga is definitely my favourite. Although the sound effects makes an impact noise whether you connect to an opponent or not, I absoulutely love it as it makes it feel like an old kung fu Shaw Brothers movie from the 70's.

I didn't notice how small the screen was on the CPC version.