The odd case of James Pond 2 - Robocod CD32 bin/cue Intro amin playback

[giantclambake]

If you'd like to try, title is available here --> James Pond 2 - Robocod (Europe).zip

I'll example GUI route, but direct-loading the .cue is equivalent...

Unpack the .zip archive into it's own directory
Launch amiberry, GUI->QuickStart->select CD32 Amiga model: & Select image: to load the .cue in the unpacked dir -> Start

The CD32 splash comes and goes, intro credit, and next you see the Intro animation (one of the reasons you choose this version) being all garbled and replaying way, way too fast.

I did manage to get it to replay at the correct speed, once ~ it's proving difficult to recreate, but I do know it involved changing CPU frequency to 2 x A500 (7.09MHz) ...load times were increased, but the intro anim played as it should, as did the game itself like this...

...I did notice if you select the earlier v1.0 CD32 Ext ROM, you don't get the CD32 splash, and it bypasses the intro animation altogether, and begins at the game start menu (much like the whdload versions do).

Somehow...I got the '020 to half-clock, and everything worked correctly ... but I'm just mentioning it here in case anyone wants to have a go. It also makes me wonder if the CD32 had some secret squirrel code Amiga software could toggle, to clock the CPU at 7MHz if titles wanted that??...

Puzzling one, but I don't consider it an issue as such (yet ;)

[giantclambake]

...finally managed to recreate the 'fix' ...

James Pond 2 .uae.gz

*cause ~ CPU cycle exact is broken for some titles, this is upstream in winuae