Extra features

Since the release of Steem 4 has been delayed due to much needed bug-fixing, I couldn't help adding some little new features as well:

Video frequency in status bar
So you can see if a program runs at 50Hz or 60Hz. For example, Leavin' Teramis makes a fuss about having a monitor, but the game is 50Hz regardless! You can also see some demos using trace decoding at 71hz (Transbeauce 2 etc.). If a game offers the option, 60Hz should be smoother, and display better on our current PC screens.

Option MFM emulation
It internally converts normal disk images to and from STW, so that we can use a more precise emulation for those images too.

Fast forward on disk access
Now works for all disk images (Pasti, Kryoflux, Supercard too).

[STeven]

60hz games will run smoother but only with VSync enabled. DirectDraw VSync has been improved.

Also new is a quite revealing frame counter:

Good surprise, Goldrunner can even do 60hz!
And with correct animation and music speed. Steve Bak was a code devil!

Bad surprise, Lethal Xcess is quite slow.

I'll let you discover the rest.

[STeven]

This is Goldrunner at 60Hz, borders off, stretch display mode, ST aspect ratio.
The image is quite stretched, like there were some overscan, it is an effect of displaying at 60Hz on a 50Hz TV.

[STeven]

Here are some other frame rates:

Bubble Bobble - 25

Rick Dangerous - 25

Saint Dragon - variable, eg 12
Slows down on the Amiga too, but not as badly

Gauntlet- variable, eg 10 but also 30+

Gauntlet II- 13-17
Not so much better than Gauntlet, but more consistent, 17 max

Enduro Racer- variable, eg 9

Outrun- variable but never high, eg 7

[STeven]

Here are some more:

I'm always surprised when people say they prefer Tonic Tile over Arkanoid. Beside the frame rate, the bat control is different, on Arkanoid, it reacts like a mouse cursor.

Hey I thought Star Wars was smoother than that.

Turrican was, of course, more impressive on the Amiga, but this was some fine programming on the ST all the same.

Staar-Gliider! Quite decent frame rate on both.
[see post below]

A stinker, more than the FPS, controls were horrible.

Not too bad.

[STeven]

About Starglider, I checked by advancing frame by frame, they update the 3D zone once every 3 frames at most.
The frame counter is updated if even one bit of video ram is changed, for example on the dashboard so in this case it can be misleading.

[STeven]

Hmm, they agree with me about STF but it's not strictly 1VBL

The game proper

Wow! but it's just the mouse!

More realistic

The copy not better!

I think it's a bad game

Steady, at 60Hz

F15 II (patched the protection)

The legend

[STeven]

And also:

Quite decent frame rates above.

Rather sluggish

Violator, maybe it inspired Depeche Mode

Alphamax is not recommended

Bubble Dizzy

Rogue Trooper

Masters of the Universe

Hammer Boy - unplayable

Mega Twins

Deathbringer

Sleepwalker

[STeven]

And here are some more FPS screenshots...

Addictaball, a forgotten gem:

A cool little game but the rate is dreadful:

Jim Power, good work with big sprites:

Hey I fixed this one:

Kid Gloves:

Bad Cat:

Impossamole: