EddieDX4
Veteran Member
Many games give the option of graphics and sound separately, so having an EGA or VGA graphics card installed is a non-issue if you still wish to enjoy the wonderful Tandy 3-voice sound.
However, it seems that some games will only properly work with Tandy sound when Tandy graphics is chosen as an option, because the main executable used for Tandy graphics is the one that happens to load up the sound to go with it, or the game is hard-coded to use Tandy sound only if Tandy graphics are chosen..
Some of these games have work-arounds to this problem, so I'm on a mission to figure out what games can be "rescued" so that they can still be enjoyed on upgraded Tandy systems without having to compromise. I decided to start this thread as a way to catalog these "fixes". Currently, I have figured out or found (mostly searching abandonware forums) fixes for 2 games. I'm hoping others can contribute to this thread over time...
- Altered Beast -
Despite its configuration allowing you to choose graphics and sound options separately, it will not play Tandy sounds if a non-Tandy graphics option is chosen, even when you select Tandy sound. It will simply play PC speaker sounds. In the menu, the 3 options are PC Speaker, Tandy, and Adlib...
The sound related files for this game are:
AD.DRV
AD_BEAFX.PFX
AD_BEAFX.PVC
AD_BEAMS.PVC
TD.DRV
TD_BEAFX.PFX
TD_BEAFX.PVC
TD_BEAMS.PVC
The solution is to copy the TD_ and the TD.DRV files over their AD counterparts. When I start the game I select EGA graphics and Adlib sound. The game now happily plays Tandy music and sounds on my TL/2.
- Castlevania -
The abandonware sites seem to all have the same copy of this game, which has the Tandy sound driver file stripped from it (as well as the separate Tandy graphics executable...it comes with the EGA one). The TD.DRV file needed for the sound can be found if you search around forums (try VOGONS). Once you locate it, copy it into the Castlevania directory and start the game by typing:
C:\CASTLEVA\>castle.exe TDY
I included a suggested path and the executable name (using lowercase) to give epmhasis to the 'TDY' parameter... This is case sensitive! I found this out in a forum thread, as well. This will start the game with Tandy sound.
- Bubble Bobble -
This one isn't as much a work-around as just an FYI... The archive distributed in most abandonware sites has the game already configured for a specific graphics mode (I think CGA) and PC Speaker sound... In order to reconfigure the game, you need to delete the BUBBOB.CFG file so that when you start the game it goes through the configuration screens, allowing you to select the appropriate graphics and sound. This game's configuration is pretty good at auto-detecting your video and sound, so in my case it had the EGA and Tandy music options blinking in their respective screens.
-------------------------------------------
Games I'm currently investigating:
- Skate or Die: This one is particularly frustrating because the Tandy graphics are crap... It uses low res mode, a'la King's Quest I...but it's the only way to get Tandy sound.
- Lemmings: Using EGA for Lemmings on a Tandy 1000 series machine is like having a temptress taunting you behind a 5" pexiglass window. First, the title screen loads up in gorgeous 640x350 graphics mode, so you get all super excited... However, your excitement quickly sizzles when you realize it only shows "FX" in the sound icon... No musical note icon! Then, once you actually enter the game you are slapped on the face by a not-so-seductive 320x200 low-detail "almost EGA" graphics mode... WTF? The problem is, these machines (1000 RSX aside, I'm sure) are too slow to run the game in "High Performance" mode... Also, the game itself, it seems, contains the Tandy sound data within the executable used for Tandy graphics mode... Double wahh! I'm not sure there will be a fix for this, but my current work-around remains to switch the monitor between graphics adapters. sigh
I'll continue to add comments/workarounds for these and other games as time progresses. I hope others do, too.
However, it seems that some games will only properly work with Tandy sound when Tandy graphics is chosen as an option, because the main executable used for Tandy graphics is the one that happens to load up the sound to go with it, or the game is hard-coded to use Tandy sound only if Tandy graphics are chosen..
Some of these games have work-arounds to this problem, so I'm on a mission to figure out what games can be "rescued" so that they can still be enjoyed on upgraded Tandy systems without having to compromise. I decided to start this thread as a way to catalog these "fixes". Currently, I have figured out or found (mostly searching abandonware forums) fixes for 2 games. I'm hoping others can contribute to this thread over time...
- Altered Beast -
Despite its configuration allowing you to choose graphics and sound options separately, it will not play Tandy sounds if a non-Tandy graphics option is chosen, even when you select Tandy sound. It will simply play PC speaker sounds. In the menu, the 3 options are PC Speaker, Tandy, and Adlib...
The sound related files for this game are:
AD.DRV
AD_BEAFX.PFX
AD_BEAFX.PVC
AD_BEAMS.PVC
TD.DRV
TD_BEAFX.PFX
TD_BEAFX.PVC
TD_BEAMS.PVC
The solution is to copy the TD_ and the TD.DRV files over their AD counterparts. When I start the game I select EGA graphics and Adlib sound. The game now happily plays Tandy music and sounds on my TL/2.
- Castlevania -
The abandonware sites seem to all have the same copy of this game, which has the Tandy sound driver file stripped from it (as well as the separate Tandy graphics executable...it comes with the EGA one). The TD.DRV file needed for the sound can be found if you search around forums (try VOGONS). Once you locate it, copy it into the Castlevania directory and start the game by typing:
C:\CASTLEVA\>castle.exe TDY
I included a suggested path and the executable name (using lowercase) to give epmhasis to the 'TDY' parameter... This is case sensitive! I found this out in a forum thread, as well. This will start the game with Tandy sound.
- Bubble Bobble -
This one isn't as much a work-around as just an FYI... The archive distributed in most abandonware sites has the game already configured for a specific graphics mode (I think CGA) and PC Speaker sound... In order to reconfigure the game, you need to delete the BUBBOB.CFG file so that when you start the game it goes through the configuration screens, allowing you to select the appropriate graphics and sound. This game's configuration is pretty good at auto-detecting your video and sound, so in my case it had the EGA and Tandy music options blinking in their respective screens.
-------------------------------------------
Games I'm currently investigating:
- Skate or Die: This one is particularly frustrating because the Tandy graphics are crap... It uses low res mode, a'la King's Quest I...but it's the only way to get Tandy sound.
- Lemmings: Using EGA for Lemmings on a Tandy 1000 series machine is like having a temptress taunting you behind a 5" pexiglass window. First, the title screen loads up in gorgeous 640x350 graphics mode, so you get all super excited... However, your excitement quickly sizzles when you realize it only shows "FX" in the sound icon... No musical note icon! Then, once you actually enter the game you are slapped on the face by a not-so-seductive 320x200 low-detail "almost EGA" graphics mode... WTF? The problem is, these machines (1000 RSX aside, I'm sure) are too slow to run the game in "High Performance" mode... Also, the game itself, it seems, contains the Tandy sound data within the executable used for Tandy graphics mode... Double wahh! I'm not sure there will be a fix for this, but my current work-around remains to switch the monitor between graphics adapters. sigh
I'll continue to add comments/workarounds for these and other games as time progresses. I hope others do, too.