Atari 8bit computers 800XL 130XE - Large demos compendium

This is a compendium of great sequences of best demos produced for Atari 8bit computers. Most of them not reacheable by his competitors in his time.

[@infinitysnapz]

this video is probably how i discovered the demoscene when i was 10 or 11; cool stuff

[@wieczor3000]

@ndiscovery: all music in this video is Atari XL/XE music. Yes, that digital part too :)

[@timofonic]

No. There are remixes and such. You're wrong.

[@wieczor3000]

You're right, after 36:40 - have no idea why they did this ;)

[@dykodesigns]

wow! I've never thought that the atari 8 bit had such an advanced soundchip. It can stand on it's own against the C64 and the NES.

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

yes.... a machine that was released a few years before the C64 can easily hold it's own and surpass it in some ways. The SID is a really good chip though...built in ASDR but as you can hear, The Atari can easily handle that as well though it is done in software which actually gives it more flexibility.

[@33ordie]

@@GORF_EMPIRE The SID is waaaay more advanced than the POKEY in almost every regards. Yet the POKEY has the capacity to do everything the SID can do, if you use the CPU and ways to manage sample playback. Example MOD playback and some crude DSP like functionalities through the 6502 and some tables. It's not going to be a SID but it can do a lot. As for the pure tones it has, I prefer it's square wave than the SID< yet the SID sounds more synthesizer like than the POKEY which is to me the more accurate definition of chip sounding :D

[@mmille10]

Nicely done. I loved the pop music, especially for International Karate, and MULE! Are those music titles available? It would've been nice to have seen a list of the demo titles, in order, if that was possible. I haven't seen most of them. A couple are ones I'd like to check out.

[@jtrevorscott]

Didn't watch. Played on background while working and grooved to the tunes. Thanks!

[@RichardCyberPunk]

Great, finaly a looong collection of demos. I love it. Did you also know that i myselve also used to make demos for the Atari 8bit. look for DCW! Atari 8bit on youtube. Greetings from Stormtrooper of Death

[@BlessoPL]

Excellent ! Dobra robota !

[@snorman1911]

I never knew much about the Atari 8 bit machines. I had a C64 and figured they were comparable, but I'm really impressed. So many colors too! I'll have to look up a programming reference for the graphics chip.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

The father of Amiga (Jay Miner) was the chief designer of its graphic chips.(GTIA and ANTIC). Unfortunately only a small number of programs took advantage of the machine's capabilities during its commercial life. Thanks to the homebrew community we are finally able to see what it was capable of. Fortunately the Amiga didn't suffer the same fate.

[@ecernosoft3096]

atari's GTIA was pretty powerful. And combined with the POKEY, it was comparable to the C64. Not only that, but the Atari 8 bit computers are 1.79 times as fast as a C64. While the 8 bit lacked in sprites, it made up in speed, and the A8bit could also get superior sprites via a line kernal. A line kernal would never be viable on a C64. And while the POKEY was also inferior to the SID, it had one more voice to the SID and was way easier to get cool and complex sounds out of the POKEY than the SID.

[@ThePierrezx]

It is only the 130xe which is stronger than the C64, not the 800xl

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

@@ecernosoft3096 Pokey was only inferior to what SID could natively do really good (different sound waves). What many people don't know is that the POKEY was Miner's Team first attempt to have 2 channels(High Pass Filter) capable to reproduce samples like Paula did on the Amiga. The samples were sourced either by the CPU or Digitizes samples. In both cases High Pass Filter is Pokey's feature meaning that it doesn't demand any additional CPU time. This is why demanding graphics and sound didn't suffer any slowdowns.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

@@ThePierrezx ITs only memory . Almost any XL XE machine with a PBI port can enjoy a RAMBO memory upgrade.

[@THOMASSU63]

Crazy cool!!

[@philsan69]

Awesome!

[@Blendedasian]

second song is zizibum, by X-ray

[@Null42x86]

you know the name of the third one?

[@blakespot]

How can there be no list of demos with this?! Ugh.

[@sasik520]

Hi, I'm looking for very old demo that I watched on my atari 20 years ago. I don't remeber it very well but I'm sure that it started with three rectangles on a (probably) blue screen (like in graphics 0). Then the music started and rectangles were blinking. I think that later on some monochrome graphics and/or animations were shown (graphics 9 probably). Would be extremely grateful for any hints.

[@zosxavius]

The music is great.

[@timofonic]

Are there a list of the showed demos here?

[@Borna909]

Is this a Follin-tune in the beginning?

[@Foebane72]

Certainly more colourful than the C64 could ever be! :D

[@jammerc64]

Certainlt! But in kinda shittier to use graphic modes ;)

[@01001000010101000100]

@@jammerc64 You mean at the times game programmers just didn't have skills to use its graphic chip properly. And it was not a rocket science. Well, before Carmack they couldn't make a full screen scroller on PC ;) Atari offered 256 colors in very low resolutions, 2 colors in high, but of course the modes could be combined for effect. Even the 2 colors could be of 256, so not bad. And you had sprites, that of course could be multiplexed. Of course same color pallette. When I'm looking back to that - it seems like graphics chip from the future ;)

[@jammerc64]

@@01001000010101000100 sure but 8bit platforms were very distinct in priorities. C64 was probably closest to NES in terms of display chip. Atari had early version of Amiga's copper, Speccy had very fast processor which allowed for fastest raw redraw. C64's display was probably the best and most universal compromise but it all suffered from really nerfed CPU (still, C64's display chip runs at 8MHz ) :)

[@01001000010101000100]

@@jammerc64 Exactly that. When I first learned how to program the Copper chip I felt a little deja-vu how similar some ideas are (like the graphics mode could be set during the scanning allowing to have different modes at different vertical positions). Another such similarity is between Atari executables and MZ PC format from DOS.

[@GORF_EMPIRE]

@@jammerc64 Hardly. higher color graphics and the ability to mix all 17 modes on the screen in hardware. Hardly shit.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

man you really need to post a list of all those songs and on which demo we can find them. We must pay tributes to the creators.

[@Dr.Quarex]

I am going to cry if I never learn the name of the fucking amazing track starting at 19:34.

[@div-atl6414]

It is unfortunate. Maybe someone will save us.

[@mcappp]

Generic Battle from Kulor

[@kristina80ification]

What is the music that starts at about 55m18s?

[@mcappp]

+Kristina It's a cover of World karate Championship song game. Composed by Rob Hubbard.

[@Tye-qd1zz]

song list please?

[@RichardCyberPunk]

1 hour 6 min . is that Kraftwerk ? cool. They remkember. I remember. my body ,. your body. 8bit hero,. meet talk, Stormtrooper of Death, Atari 8bit, I remember, High Tech Team , 80s and 90sl , hardcore Holland, Powerfull Poland... I remember.

[@explodamite2]

whats the first song?

[@btcking_pl]

Atari Rulezzzzz

[@pilat1977]

WOOW!! to ile to jest kb?:)

[@ndiscovery]

42:30 - it game boy music

[@atari8bitsforever435]

Much have talked about SID. Indeed is great. But sincerely I prefer the POKEY sound cos has clearer sound without so much distorsion as many C64 themes has. Athough the sid technology POKEY sounds better and has better SFX and FX sounds. It is just composed themes. For instance about rock music the theme Whisky in the jar versioned by Thin Lizzy and Metallica both are great versions but nobody deny me that Thin Lizzy version is better See??? the superior technology is no all depends of composed track results. Have a nice day.!!!!

[@urmo345]

how they got so many colors out from atari on same time?!!! AFAIK it was very limited.

[@boostermcblast2197]

Simple answer: No, it was not! :-)

[@bjbell52]

256 colors at the same time. The Apple II had eight (and that was by counting black and white twice - no kidding).

[@bytemaniak8328]

3:05 wait a second. you mean to tell us that the most awesome 8-bit song can be played on a 800XL even though it originally took 8 POKEY chips to play it? am i going crazy or wot?

[@Blendedasian]

do you know the source of #2? what song is that?

[@nexgenhippy]

it uses 2 POKEY chips with different memory addresses 1 chip for left one chip for right. tune name is Zizibum by X-Ray

[@nasty_niff]

lol, thats me @ 29.15 (aura)

[@user-iv1cp7uk8m]

What track on 11:40?

[@mcappp]

"Atari MySpace" , is a MIx, some sounds come from Atari pokey chip

[@ZXSpectrum128K]

these demos' show the potential of the machine but there was so little decent software for the atari how come?

[@tomsuzyinfluencerinfj2712]

+Roger Jowett 1000's of great software titles for A8, everything from Electronic Arts, Microprose, Origin, Infocom, Sirius, Datasoft, Activision, Atari, Broderbund, Mindscape, Synapse, Ariolasoft, Gremlin software, US Gold, Masterftronic, Bug Byte, Red Rat, English Software, Tynesoft, Adventure International, Thorn EMI and plenty plenty more, you cannot play them all.

[@ZXSpectrum128K]

but none of them made anything even remotely decent for the sam coupe or the zx spectrum get a life! oh sorry bugbyte and gremlin what about hewson consultants

[@Null42x86]

9:36 name of the song?

[@mcappp]

Hello, "Rasterized Circles" from Warlord

[@Null42x86]

@@mcappp thanks

[@Colidace]

Music title 45:00 pliiizzzz! Awesome!

[@Null42x86]

the music was made by MisfitChris but idk where it came from

[@Colidace]

@@Null42x86 thanx

[@livegameswithadam4462]

anybody know what the name of the song 44:33-47:10 or where to obtain it?

[@mcappp]

Hi, the song is Redwood Forest Master (Unknown Main Character) from great musician MisfitChris. Is a beautiful song

[@livegameswithadam4462]

@@mcappp thank you so much, I've been looking for that answer for years

[@arturbaranski9698]

PSZEPRASZAM POPRAWKA DOPISKI GŁUWNEJ

[@RichardCyberPunk]

I used to be The musician specialist of HTT and Corporation, i do not believe this is Atari 8bit standard. nope,. no way.... tell me the code,k please. my soul for your code. hehe.

[@MegatronSmurf]

yeah the song at 37 mins would have been so much better if you hadn't have put some crappy Voice over about some guy smoking weed. yeah it's very prodigy but i came for the 8 bit tunes not to listen to some guy talking about blazing it yo

[@arturbaranski9698]

DIPISKA TRENING LUTOWANIA NIE ODBYWA SIĘ NA PŁYCIE GŁYWNEJ OD ATARI 130XE ĆWICZE NA INNYH STARYH CZĘŚCIAH OD MAGNETOWIDÓW

[@irataatari9610]

...jak możesz tak traktować magnetowidy !!?? ;) ha,ha,ha

[@monetize_this8330]

sound-wise. A whole lot of cheatin' going on. hardware mods ought to be listed.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

no need of hardware mods, just some extra memory and stereo in some occasions. You don't need a dual pokey, the music is reproduced just fine with just one pokey. All Jay Miner's machines (Amiga 500/ Atari 8bit) demanded extra memory to show their true potential.

[@ndiscovery]

-1 for not Atari music!

[@atari800passion]

why the sound is not that of a real atari ? it doesn't match the demos for the most part. this video is a fake to fool people !!