Family Composer

Family Composer
Developer: Musical Plan Publisher: Tokyo Shoseki Platform: Famicom Disk System Released in JP: October 30, 1987 This game has unused graphics. This game has revisional differences.

Family Composer is music composition software for the Famicom Disk System.

Unused Graphics

Family Composer uses the beginning of Disk System RAM at CPU memory $6000 to $678F to store the music composition data. However, in Version 0, after the initial files have loaded and while the license screen is displayed, this area contains unused code and data for loading the following graphics:

• The code loads the first pattern table (which Family Composer uses for sprites) with uppercase letters, numbers, symbols, a Roman numeral "III", and two squiggly arrows in different colors.

  

• The code loads the second pattern table (which Family Composer uses for background tiles) with the same letters, numbers, symbols and Roman numerals with a different color background, plus some graphical tiles for a dotted background, solid color areas, and drop shadow edges.

  

• The code fills the first nametable, but only a portion of the intended nametable data still exists:

MML-Ⅲ VERSION:2.00 1987 SIZE DATA:0000H SNE:0000H PROG:0000H ALL:0000H PLAYER-1 PLAYER-2 SONG: MODE:

In Version 1, this unused data was removed and this region initially loads with default empty music data.

Zero-Length Loop Behavior

In Version 0, if you place a loop mark (LOP) on the first beat, then start playback from the first beat (or go to the GRAPHIC PLAYER and start playback), an annoying noise will sound until you stop the playback. Similarly, if you place a stop mark (STP) on the first beat, then go to the GRAPHIC PLAYER and press the loop button, an annoying noise will sound.

In Version 1, this issue was corrected: When playback is started, the code checks for a loop mark or stop mark at the playback position and, if found, changes to the stop mode.

Initial Save Slots

In Version 0, the six save slots start out with blank names that contain music data with no notes and the ROCK 1 pattern with its default chords.

In Version 1, the first five slots start out as the same empty pattern, but the sixth one is called ネコ (neko, "cat") and contains a short tune.

Oversized File with Partial Copy of BIOS

Family Composer uses the end of Disk System RAM at CPU memory $DF00 to $DFFF for DMC samples and vector addresses. This range is initially loaded from the Side A file SNDEDT.

In Version 0, this file is size $1000 and loads into CPU memory $DF00 to $EEFF, which inadvertently overlaps part of the Disk System BIOS ROM at CPU memory $E000 to $FFFF. In fact, the oversized part of the file happens to contain a copy of the beginning of the Disk System BIOS.

In Version 1, this size of this file was corrected to $0100 and contains data for CPU memory $DF00 to $DFFF only.