Hey, I've got a question that no one has been able to answer, I was hoping you guys could help me out. Is there a consistant way to tell if a game uses PAL timing or not? Maybe something in the rom that is the same in all PAL games? The reason I ask is because no one can seem to decide whether the recently released Sunman prototype should be run with PAL emulation or not. The actual cartridge was obtained from a European collector, but his collection contained both PAL and NTSC stuff. Some people say the game plays best using PAL emulation, and others say NTSC is best, so I'm trying to find a more objective way to figure this out. Thanks.

If it's a licensed proto (not a proto that uses the charge-pump lockout defeat or a proto that runs only on mod-chipped consoles), please contact the collector and ask him or her to run it in his or her NES. If it runs in an unmodded gray box sold in either of the two PAL NES regions without blinking, it's a PAL game. If it runs in an unmodded North American gray box without blinking, it's an NTSC game.

If the game uses DMC instrument samples, they will sound in tune with the rest of the music on the "right" TV-format and out of tune on the "wrong" TV-format.

Was Sunman ever published? If so, compare the key of the proto's music to the key of the release version's music. PAL music code will sound about a semitone sharp on an NTSC NES and vice versa.

In reply to:

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If it runs in an unmodded gray box sold in either of the two PAL NES regions without blinking, it's a PAL game. If it runs in an unmodded North American gray box without blinking, it's an NTSC game.

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Heh, I can't believe I didn't think of checking that. Thanks, that should solve things.

Just a minor point....

There were (at least) three different PAL NES regions. That is, three different lockout chips used for PAL NES carts.

The UK, Italy and Australia use the 3197A.
The rest of Europe uses the 3195A.
Hong Kong & Asia use the 3196A (from memory, it's been a while).

In practice, that's unlikely to be relevant here; if the proto does have a PAL-type lockout chip, it will almost certainly be 3197A or 3195A.


Regards,
-- Mark