A Famicom/NES/Dendy demo based on the notorious 9999-in-1 pirate multicart with Unchained Melody in its menu.

In 2023, I was preparing an anniversary update: 10 years since the first version of the demo, 30 years since the first multicarts with Unchained Melody and the Dendy itself, and 40 years of the original Famicom. But I got distracted by something at the end of the year, so it remained unreleased. I'm releasing it now retroactively in the state the project was in November 2023.

• Shooting stars effect on the night slides.
• When automatic demonstration mode is enabled by pressing Start, the most suitable slide is immediately displayed.
• Automatic demonstration mode is activated automatically after a long idle time (5 minutes) on a suitable slide.
• More precise synchronization of automatic slide switching with the music beat, resolving a 6-frame deviation error.
• Input handling is more responsive to rapid slide switching.
• Standard NROM vertical mirroring is used (instead of non-standard 4-screen) for better compatibility.
• Lightweight version of the sound engine in the NSF.
• NSF file size: 1632 bytes.

Download: unchained_nostalgia.zip (20KB). Project page →

An updated version of the NES demo based on the pirate multicart with a romantic storyline and the Unchained Melody in the menu.

• Sound engine is rewritten. It consumes less RAM bytes and CPU cycles.
• Gapless repeat of the melody (there was a frame of silence before).
• A bit more compact representation of music data (NSF file size: 1720 bytes).
• NSFe track count is fixed (some NSFe players were erroneously trying to play more than one track).
• More robust handling of the Konami Code input.
• Missile reloading takes some time.
• Up to 6 missiles on screen simultaneously!
• Respawn other birds and return to the normal mode when you have died.
• No visible changes in graphics.

Download: unchained_nostalgia.zip (20KB). Project page →

NES demo based on the pirate multicart with a romantic storyline and the Unchained Melody in the menu.

What's new?

• Better handling of quick switching of slides.
• Darker palette for birds at night.
• Other insignificant improvements in graphics.
• Fixed minor bugs in the engine.
• Music represented in more compact format (takes 40% less space lossless).
• NSFe file embedded into demo, so it can be easily ripped from the ROM file.
• The secret mode of the Universe control (but don't tell about it to your psychiatrist).
• The super secret mode of proud birdie with special effects from the legendary Michael Bay.

Download: unchained_nostalgia.zip (20KB). Project page →