Q: Last arcade game containing POKEY chips for musics? (about Atari TETRIS etc.)
CYBERYOGI =CO= Windler
I love the musics of the Atari arcade game "Tetris";for me IMHO it is the most
beautiful of all Tetris versions(with the cute little dancers etc.).The boring
Sega System 16 version is really a shame compared to this.
1995 I even took my recording walkman into the arcade and stuck a headphone
abused as a microphone to the Tetris machine's loundspeaker to record its
great squarewave theme.After that I worked over 3 weeks to recreate its music
on my Amiga ProTracker and later I composed a classical variation on its
theme,called Trukartoj ("punch cards").) I supposed sadlily that the arcade
version of Tetris would never come out as a commercial home version,because
the home game was developed prior the arcade version.
Later I found a Tetris with this fantastic music built-in in a "SuperCom" Nin-
tendo NES clone.
Fortunately now the MAME team made it possible for me to play the loveliest of
all Tetrises at home now.
What I wonder about is that Atari's Tetris arcade game is from 1989,and still
used the famous ancient POKEY sound generator chips for musics(according to
the self test menu in the game and my ears),although technically way higher
developed(but not that uniquely sounding) synthesizer chips were already in-
cluded in much earlier Atari arcade games(e.g. "Marble Madness").
I am a great fan of the unique,buzzing POKEY sounds(shiftregister feedback
noises) & its special tonescale,though I would like to know,what was the last
arcade game machine containing POKEYs,the last one using them for musics,and/
or the last one using them for sounds,and when came these machines out?
I guess,that the last home game system with this sound system was Atari's
"Lynx" handheld,although it was integrated into a different IC here.(Or has
the "Jaguar" these unique sounds too?)
Please tell me if you know more about this.
MAY THE SOFTWARE BE WITH YOU!
*============================================================================*
I CYBERYOGI Christian Oliver(=CO=) Windler I
I (teachmaster of LOGOLOGIE - the first cyberage-religion!) I
I ! I
*=============================ABANDON=THE=BRUTALITY==========================*
Dan Mazurowski
CYBERYOGI =CO= Windler wrote:
>
> I guess,that the last home game system with this sound system was Atari's
> "Lynx" handheld,although it was integrated into a different IC here.(Or has
> the "Jaguar" these unique sounds too?)
>
Definitely NOT in a Jag - it uses a DSP. I don't think the Lynx used a
POKEY either, though it's sound chip may have a similair design. After
all, it was not designed by Atari.
Home consoles that did have a POKEY chip were the 5200 and the XEGS.
Also, some 7800 carts had POKEYs in them for improved sound. Some
examples: Ballblazer, Hat Trick, and Ace Of Aces. I'm sure there were
more, particularly among the titles ported from the XL/XE line.
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