Sound test?

[VideoGameCritic]

It seems like so many older games, particularly from the 16-bit era, have "sound test" under their options menu. The fact that this option is so common strikes me as kind of odd. Do people actually use this? Maybe they just put it in there because it's easy to implement and if there's going to be an options menu, there really should be multiple options, right?

I also crack up when I see the option to toggle between stereo and mono. How many people are chomping at the bit to play games in mono?

If you have any other interesting observations about options let hear em.

[Stalvern]

I also crack up when I see the option to toggle between stereo and mono. How many people are chomping at the bit to play games in mono?

There were still plenty of old or low-end mono TVs in the early '90s.

[CharlieR]

funny thoughts. I laughed at the mono bit. I believe a lot of genesis games have it, but I thought I recall even a few modern handheld games having the option.

I remember me and my oldest sister looking at the options menu for Fatal Fury on Genesis I think it was, and we could not figure out what "BGM" was. later, we found out it was background music.

my favorite sound test item would have to be the one for axel's ->->B uppercut in streets of rage 2. I used to play it over and over. #22 in the sound test I think. I always thought he was saying "grab the puck." I guess it would make sense if he was saying "bare knuckle," but it doesn't sound like it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEb0_Xkpek

[Sut]

I miss the sound test ! Many time used to have my favourite video game track playing whilst cleaning my room.

Chaotix on 32x has a colour test ! Can't see any use apart from it's used as a cheat code if you line certain colours up.

[Stalvern]

my favorite sound test item would have to be the one for axel's ->->B uppercut in streets of rage 2. I used to play it over and over. #22 in the sound test I think. I always thought he was saying "grab the puck." I guess it would make sense if he was saying "bare knuckle," but it doesn't sound like it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhEb0_Xkpek

"Knuckle" is extremely foreign to the Japanese tongue; the closest approximation with their phonemes is "naka". As it so happens, that's exactly what he's saying. "Bare" is mangled by the terrible sample quality, but if you listen charitably, you can put it back together from what you hear.

Chaotix on 32x has a colour test ! Can't see any use apart from it's used as a cheat code if you line certain colours up.

Some CRTs (like the one my family had) had a knob to adjust the color. The color test is for calibration with that.

[ptdebate]

I also crack up when I see the option to toggle between stereo and mono. How many people are chomping at the bit to play games in mono?

There were still plenty of old or low-end mono TVs in the early '90s.

The first TV I ever owned (and used for gaming) was mono.

[delmetrra]

I like the idea of the ghost sound i.e. making it longer and spookier but that exact sound isn't that great, I agree.