Weird track information in Gate of Thunder

[Keranu]

I was browsing their Gate of Thunder's track files tonight to rip a song when I noticed a few strange things in it's contents. I'm sure some have noticed this before and I think it might have even been discussed here before once (or I might be confused with another game).

1. ) There are four data tracks on the entire CD when the usual TGCD game seems to have just one for track02. The data tracks are listed on track numbers 02, 04, 06, and 22. Nero lists these as "Date (mode 1)". I'd like to hear the programmer's here to shed any information they have regarding this .

2. ) Track number 03 contains a song that I have never heard in the game before. It's a neat song and sounds very different from the other tracks (I'm assuming Nick Wood had nothing to do with this secret song!) and sounds PCE-ish. I have uploaded the track for those who wish to hear it http://www.lazerdorks.org/~keranu/got_track03.mp3
.

3. ) Track number 05 has no music in it and takes you back to track number 01.

Weird, eh?

[Joe Redifer]

3) Not for me.  No track prompts my CD player to revert back to track 1 except when the final one finishes.  That's because I have a high-technology CD player invented by people from the future that can handle such things.

[ccovell]

The data tracks are:
[ul][li]the 3-in-1 menu[/li][li]Gate of Thunder[/li][li]Bonk's Adventure, CD version[/li][li]Bonk's Revenge, CD version[/li][/ul]
I don't know about the order of the data, but it makes sense now, right?

As for that song, it was used on some other CD game, I heard, though I forget which one.  Perhaps it was an example Redbook song (like those example pics on some CDs.)

[Turbo D]

what if its not the 3 in 1 cd, what if its the regular gate of thunder? then what will we do? 

[ccovell]

Well, we could...

1) Move this thread into the PC-Engine section of the forums.
2) Ask Keranu why he wrote "TGCD".
3) Examine the track contents in a hex editor, like any good gamer should.

[Keranu]

Sorry, I should've referred it to TGSCD or Duo since that would be the correct name.

Thanks for clearing up the data track issue, chris! I kinda feel like an idiot for not thinking about that!

[Joe Redifer]

Where's the Bomberman data track?  Is it invisible?  Those small 2-meg games sure take up a lot of space on the CD, especially since they only load once (if I recall correctly).

[SNKNostalgia]

There are a good amount of TGCD, PCE, Super CD etc..... games that use multiple data tracks like that. I am pretty sure it is to access data faster from music tracks straight to data tracks. This is a 1X speed/low cache CD-Rom drive after all. It really makes sense if you look at it. It is better to go forward into data tracks instead of going from track 15 to track 2. Which reminds me, track 1 is almost always a message "Warning, this track contains digital information which can damage your speakers!!! OR YOU CAN KISS YOUR TWEETERS GOODBYE, MWWUUUHAHAHAHAH!!!!" Thanks Working Designs, I love ya, always have!!!!

Every other system uses track 1 for data and the later tracks are music or dead tracks for space (Neo Geo CD for example).

[malducci]

Where's the Bomberman data track?  Is it invisible?  Those small 2-meg games sure take up a lot of space on the CD, especially since they only load once (if I recall correctly).

 It's loaded as part the menu select screen.

[_joshuaTurbo]

I think that extra music track is actually the theme music from Sim Earth?

Am I right?

[Necromancer]

I just booted 'er up and you are 100% correct turbo_sage.  Now what in the hell is a track from a Maxis game doing in GoT?

[Turbo D]

Its all a big conspiracy; japanese game developers getting together and making good games 

[Keranu]

I think that extra music track is actually the theme music from Sim Earth?

Am I right?

Wow, now that's some crazy stuff. Can someone confirm if this track is in the Japanese version? I'd like to think it had something to do with TTi in America.

[Joe Redifer]

Wow.  Sim Earth must have some really shitty music.

[Necromancer]

Wow.  Sim Earth must have some really shitty music.

Actually, the in-game music is higher quality redbook rather than this chip sounding stuff.  It's kinda jazzy (akin to Vasteel) and I like it, but it definitely has the 'Maxis' sound.