Tempest 2000 for DOS...awesome!

[eightbit]

You know, I never even knew a DOS port existed. I found it on an archive of DOS games I have here and gave it a go over the weekend not expecting much...but...

 

This port is fantastic! I did find out rather quickly however if you do not have a decent sound card with an OPL3 that you don't get all of the sound. I swapped the Crystal card out of my 486 with an OPTi MAD16 Pro model with a real Yamaha OPL chip and tried again. Perfect! The music is excellent (although not as good as the Jag of course) and the effects, voices, graphics and gameplay are near exact to the Jag version as far as I can see. 

 

Amazing to be running this game on a 486 DX4-100 so perfectly. It's just as fast and furious as the Jag version and looks and sounds superb. I don't have the Tempest 2K soundtrack but apparently from the options using the CD audio is an option as well.

 

Anyone else try this port out?

[+OLD CS1]

I own the CD somewhere in storage.  Ripped it many years ago.  Enjoy.

Tempest_2000_Soundtrack.zip

[oracle_jedi]

I still have my original CD-ROM of this, that I used to play on a 486 running DOS.  Nowadays I play it under DosBox.  IIRC there was also a Windows version but I don't know if it is any different.

 

I think the CD-ROM can also be played in a regular audio CD player.  But my memory might be off on that.

 

 

 

[+OLD CS1]

1 hour ago, oracle_jedi said:

IIRC there was also a Windows version but I don't know if it is any different.

I am pretty certain my copy is the Windows version, since I never played DOS games (other than Snoopy and the Red Baron.)

 

1 hour ago, oracle_jedi said:

I think the CD-ROM can also be played in a regular audio CD player.  But my memory might be off on that.

It has actual audio tracks which are playable.  That is how I got my rips.  BTW, there were other releases, like Asteroids and Centipede that are pretty good games, as well as the soundtracks.

[Keatah]

4 hours ago, eightbit said:

Anyone else try this port out?

Absolutely. It was one of the games that helped cement the idea that PC gaming was the way forward. Have the original disc and it worked well on my DX2/50 ISA-only rig. That and Tubular Worlds - another small-time sideways shmup.

 

On par with Tempest 2000 is Typhoon 2001, a nice WinXP alternate remake of T2K. Stupid fast and a visual cacophony.

[eightbit]

I am definitely going to try Typhoon 2001 on the XP machine I have since now its sporting a nice AGP 6600GT! Thanks for the tip.

 

I do love this DOS version of Tempest2k however. It is nearly identical to the Jag version...even with the save key feature. Very very cool. It is very particular with sound cards however. The Crystal card I had in the machine that seemed to handle it all would not do the voices and the music sounded "weird". The Opti929 however works with it perfectly. I suspect a good old fashioned SB16 would be a good choice for it but the only one I have is a SB16 SCSI and I tend not to use it as it is noisy as all hell.

[MrMaddog]

I played around with the demo of it and was surprised of how close the PC version was able to simulate the Melt-O-Vision effects from the Jag original, very nice job.

 

The FM synth music was OK, but I'm sure it was meant to be played with the CD in the drive for Redbook audio...

 

And yes, it actually supported the mouse & trackball on the Panther XL controller, take that T4K!

 

 

[Austin]

I have finished all the ports but this one. It’s easily the hardest of the bunch late-game.

 

I was never able to get music and sfx playing together on either my Windows ‘95 or ‘98 machines. I had to run it through the MiSTer 486 core to get it to work.

[eightbit]

I got around to trying Typhoon 2k1 today on my P4 XP machine outfitted with a 6600GT. All I can say is GREAT! Not sure how I missed this one back in the day. If anyone is interested, it can be found here (since the home page is long gone):

 

https://digiex.net/threads/typhoon-2001-tempest-2000-remake.8785/

Edited July 15, 2022 by eightbit

[JFD62780]

On 7/11/2022 at 1:03 AM, OLD CS1 said:

I own the CD somewhere in storage.  Ripped it many years ago.  Enjoy.

Tempest_2000_Soundtrack.zip 99.37 MB · 5 downloads

whoa.

Honestly, the audio files alone beat the shiz out of what I kept in my personal library all those years ago!  Kudos, dude!

[eightbit]

25 minutes ago, JFD62780 said:

whoa.

Honestly, the audio files alone beat the shiz out of what I kept in my personal library all those years ago!  Kudos, dude!

 

Agreed. Much thanks to my ol' pal OLD CS1 for coming through once again with the goods

 

These rips are excellent and appear from the data to have been ripped from the disc almost exactly 10 years ago!

 

I plan on recreating an audio CD from these this weekend and using the CD Audio playback feature in Tempest 2000 for DOS...and then my ultimate T2K experience begins!

[eightbit]

5 hours ago, Austin said:

I have finished all the ports but this one. It’s easily the hardest of the bunch late-game.

 

I was never able to get music and sfx playing together on either my Windows ‘95 or ‘98 machines. I had to run it through the MiSTer 486 core to get it to work.

 

The DOS version (which I am assuming you are speaking of) is VERY particular with the sound. I tried a Crystal based ISA card and got music (and that sounded off) and no sfx. Then I tried a GUS Max and that played the sfx perfectly....but no music! Then I stuck BOTH cards in the system and a mixer to allow the music and sfx to play at the same time. But, I didn't like that solution of course.

 

Then, I tried an Opti929 based ISA sound card (Mad 16 Pro) and bingo. Perfect music and sfx. 

 

That said, the Opti929 is staying in my 486 because of its compatibility with this game. I cannot describe how much of a fan I am of the original T2K. It's like a game I always need in my life...lol.

 

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by eightbit

[+OLD CS1]

3 hours ago, eightbit said:

 

Agreed. Much thanks to my ol' pal OLD CS1 for coming through once again with the goods

 

These rips are excellent and appear from the data to have been ripped from the disc almost exactly 10 years ago!

 

I plan on recreating an audio CD from these this weekend and using the CD Audio playback feature in Tempest 2000 for DOS...and then my ultimate T2K experience begins!

Yer welcome.  I plan to find that CD and make FLAC rips soon.  I think I located the box with all my PC games in it.

[Tanooki]

The DOS version back in the mid 90s was my only exposure to the game and it was remarkably fun.  I tried an earlier Jag emulator some years later, and I think I saw a Jag at some kiosk in some electronics store in the day too and it seemed equally fine there (same one also ran AvsP which was peak fun for Jaguar to me at least.)

[eightbit]

For fun I have been testing different soundcards to see what the results are. This game is PICKY to say the least. So far (all ISA cards obviously):

 

Crystal CS4239 - Sound effects only, no music

GUS Max - Music only, no sound effects

Opti939 ISA - Tinny music and sound effects

ESS 1869 - Excellent music and sound effects

Soundblaster AWE64 Gold CT4540 - Tinny music and no sound effects

 

 

I was really surprised about the AWE64 Gold...the gold standard I really expected it to be as perfect if not better than the ESS card, but no. Don't get me wrong, the AWE64 Gold is awesome just about everywhere else...not here though.

 

So far only the ESS Audiodrive 1869 card has proven to play the music and sound effects. And the music sounds correct with this card. Pretty interesting. I wonder how many people back in the day played this game with only half sound and just dealt with it.

[Keatah]

Here's one other thing to check. Be sure that when you zoom down the tube to the next level that the whooshing/zooming sound increases in pitch. Not all sound cards handle that right - and the tone doesn't change.

[eightbit]

15 hours ago, Keatah said:

Here's one other thing to check. Be sure that when you zoom down the tube to the next level that the whooshing/zooming sound increases in pitch. Not all sound cards handle that right - and the tone doesn't change.

 

Yup, the ESS does it right. I don't have an 1868 to test (which it seems is the more common audiodrive) but this ES1869F does the job perfectly.