FairLight & Genesis Project - The Ghost (C64 Demo)

Released at fjälldata 2024 party and came 1st in the C64 Demo competition.
Credits:
Code: Trident
Music: Fegolhuzz
Graphics: Redcrab, Pal, The Sarge
Video capture: Pitcher
Download/Vote:
csdb.dk/release/?id=239394

[@hschieck]

The bass drum almost sounds like a sample and the synth bass could be taken right out of "Land Of Confusion" from Genesis. You really made great use of the SID. 👍

[@nertsch77]

33 years ago, I programmed some FLD and SinglePixel FLD effects on the C64 (far from being real demos, just more experiments) and to me the last byte of the VIC bank was just a disturbing factor and I set it to the right values to get rid of the patterns in the FLD area... It is absoutely INSANE that it is possible to manipulate the byte it in such a way and to combine it with other effects. This is really a impressive demostration of how it is possible to push the limits with great expertise & skill , deep understanding of the technology and creativity. For me 99% of this demo looks impossible, and it surely was, until you did it 👍

[@FairLight1337]

My own demo part in digesta used it to create a background effect, so it could be used also in 1989 :)

[@nertsch77]

​@@FairLight1337 I watched digesta to see how you used the gost byte in the first part to create the character rows for the vertical mesagge in the first part 👍 An interesting thought, that all those effects from "The Ghost" could have been used already in 1989....would be funnny if it would be possible to send a Disk with "The Ghost"-Demo "back in time" into the 80ies....people there would freak out when seeing such effects on the C64 😄

[@BillAnt]

​@@FairLight1337 - FLT are the true bit-bangers on the C64. Don't need AI just some LOVE. :)

[@FairLight1337]

Thanks :)

[@Triss482]

Awesome!

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks!

[@reid4625]

I see no one told you the C64 is supposed to have this thing called "hardware limitations" some of those effects were honestly closer to what you'd see in the early 16bit era, not anything on the C64, love to see weird hardware quirks being (ab)used like this

[@FairLight1337]

It's amazing what you can do with 1MHz and lots of smoke and mirrors :)

[@weehappypixie]

Fantastic as usual guy's. You never cease to amaze us with your talent and knowledge of the all powerful C64. It truly was a system ahead of it's time just waiting to share it's secrets with you all. Congratulations 🎉

[@agpxnet]

The text "panoramic" inside the border, looks like 9 sprites + 1 moving! Incredible!

[@FairLight1337]

That's the intention for sure. :)

[@miszkurka2000]

I don't know much about these technical tricks, but I really admire people who can juice the C64. I really liked the part with the rain and drops that can be heard and seen on the frame, as well as the last image of the ghost and the quiet sounds in the background.

[@FairLight1337]

Agree - I love those to. It's a bit of a challenge to do the things that push the boundaries at the same time as being appealing to people without the knowledge to tell that something is really difficult. The real party pleaser is the Panoramic part. It's an homage to an old part by Panoramic Design which is a part that pushed the envelope at the same time as being very beautiful.

[@ilkke]

Delicious, from the petscii at the start, to the image at the end

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks

[@Martin_Demsky]

3:47 These moving legs are so lifelike :-)

[@FairLight1337]

:)

[@johnnydreamwarior]

It was awesome❤❤❤ the best music I hear the last years from the commodore 64!!!! Excellence and bravo to the makers!!! We follow your dreams!!!!

[@FairLight1337]

Fegolhuzz is a master...

[@colinthomson7518]

I like the image at the end of the video.

[@FairLight1337]

The fact that it stays there as an end is also really great if you ask me.

[@CityXen]

Amazing, you guys make it look easy

[@PontusBerg]

Trident is just out of this world!

[@Rockkaraoke]

He is beyond of this universe, you are absolutely incredible my friend the things you do are insane and I really love them.

[@FairLight1337]

Creative enough to think of new ways and competent enough to implement it.

[@saganandroid4175]

I hope you use that color effect again~ 1:50 again. Maybe with less brown though. Go for the more vibrant colors a bit? Those ribbons are also so impressive. The rain puddle splashes being a lead-in for a song was brilliant. The honeycomb effect at 4:40 is wow! I had a guess as to what you were doing, but then at 7:40 that theory was run over. Was this checked for NTSC compatibility? I would love to see this on a real NTSC C64 with its more vibrant colors and blur.....err... "hardware antialiasing". The ending image is amazing. What's the effective resolution there?

[@FairLight1337]

There is no way to make NTSC work. It's so ultra optimized for PAL that any adaptation is impossible. But thanks for the feedback.

[@JuanMuglia-sy6zf]

the best group of all from the 80s, so far, nothing seen like it, congratulations! , Signed by : Megasoft Argentina ( Mr.JJ / Juanete )

[@FairLight1337]

Thanks and glad you like it :)

[@JuanMuglia-sy6zf]

@@FairLight1337 send me greetz to MEGASOFT ARGENTINA!! xD

[@JuanMuglia-sy6zf]

@@FairLight1337 send me greets in ur intros please !! xD

[@FairLight1337]

I'll pass the message

[@jesperjohnsen5336]

Omg! This is awesome stuff!!….pure❤❤❤❤….flt and 64 for life💪

[@Rockkaraoke]

That is one absolutely stunning piece you made Trident I’m so extremely proud of the greetings Cheers from Natas of S.S.S & Horizon

[@FairLight1337]

I'll pass the note /Bacchus

[@Rockkaraoke]

@@FairLight1337 Biggest thanks Bacchus for passing this on /Natas SSS & HZ

[@vrakula]

Very nice tracks by Fegolhuzz!

[@FairLight1337]

Agree :)

[@CarstenMeyer]

Amazing!

[@FairLight1337]

Thanks. If you lived this you might also love 13:37

[@cucho69]

Absolutamente fabuloso y la música espectacular acompaña a la emoción. ¡Felicitaciones!

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks 🙏🙏🙏

[@loxleymannen]

You never cease to amaze us, and I really like that its similar music to all these demos, its like you know there is some awesome stuff coming the next couple of minutes when Fegolhuzz music starts. And Trident... holy mother... and The Sarge... and the rest. Already waiting for the next.

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks. There is planning for things ahead so there are more to be expected. To the best of my understanding, there was also another ghost byte aspect that was they looked at.

[@Sic79_]

Fantastic demo FLT & GP, love it!

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks.

[@PSL1969]

Trident is clearly a machine! Great demo :)

[@FairLight1337]

Agree. Number one and two on this compo and also a row of releases the last year - all utterly high standards.

[@Psychonaut-im3zz]

That picture at the end. Ghostbyte incarnated. It's a rarity you get to see him in person. I'd like to see that one raytraced actually.

[@FairLight1337]

It's a very nice way to end a demo.

[@igork3522]

Awesome stuff! Just great! C64 forever!

[@verstrahlt1907]

the blue fairlight‧genesis vertical scrolling ‧ writing is amazing, & other stuff also… very well made / ! \

[@FairLight1337]

I'm totally amazed as well.

[@markuszeller_official]

Awesome production!!!

[@FairLight1337]

Quite proud of the work the guys did on this (with the GP guys)

[@OLIV3R_YT]

Very nice!

[@FairLight1337]

Agree :)

[@TwinOpinion]

Beautiful! 👏

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks (and I agree :)

[@FIDreams]

Was thinking someone was going to make Fairlight on the Genesis with this video XD

[@FairLight1337]

No no no :)

[@chainreaction8977]

Magic.

[@FairLight1337]

Thanks:)

[@8bitHamburger]

great demo

[@FairLight1337]

Agree :)

[@brinkofdeath]

The music just can't stop playing in my head for some reason, am I haunted by the ghost?

[@FairLight1337]

... But that is a GOOD thing :)

[@brinkofdeath]

@@FairLight1337 I have a feeling you are right :D

[@FairLight1337]

:)

[@Justbase]

be that ghost for someone in your life

[@fmichlick]

Spooky good

[@FairLight1337]

It's always amazing to see people bring new aspects to the art of demo making.

[@TheUlMaster]

... the eye of HAL.. 64 :)

[@FairLight1337]

:)

[@0kti]

Cool

[@FairLight1337]

Agree :)

[@AlphaDogma]

Holy Moly 😲

[@FairLight1337]

Good, isn't it? :)

[@AlphaDogma]

@@FairLight1337 love it.. Home of the real crackers 😛 Greetz, RCT/LSD/DSR

[@AlphaDogma]

@@FairLight1337 i always loved open side-borders back in the days and yes, this demo is a jawdropper to me.. all these hiresgfx in FS gives me a hard one 😙💨 ..btw thanks for greeting

[@MD_il_microcanale]

gorgeous, I would like to bring it to my channel too!

[@FairLight1337]

Generally speaking doing that means the same video appears in multiple places and then KZbin tends to complain...

[@MD_il_microcanale]

@@FairLight1337 don't worry, I certainly won't upload it now, it will certainly be 1 or 2 years before I end up doing something!

[@FairLight1337]

Mixes and compilations should be safe though.

[@jogibaerr50000]

Why did you put a sidechain on it?

[@FairLight1337]

Side chain?

[@random_precision_software]

And this is on a C64? and with 64k?

[@FairLight1337]

Indeed it is :)

[@LarsHHoog]

What a great production, but where's Pac-Man? ❤

[@skycladsabbat469]

OMG! I was so waiting for a larch Pac-Man to eat the row's of arcade ghosts! But by no means am I ever disappointed in a FairLight Demo - some of the greatest then and now.

[@LarsHHoog]

@@skycladsabbat469 I'm positively amused and amazed and only have good words

[@FairLight1337]

My assumption is that the Ghost is a source of good and there would be a logical clash of Pacman would do his normal work, killing ghosts.

[@virtuo-uk]

@@FairLight1337 Pac man was a good guy?

[@virtuo-uk]

Wonderful, congrats

[@FairLight1337]

Humble thanks