Why do so many games have either MUSIC or FX but not both?

[Dr.Bongo]

That would be because there's only 4 'real' sound channels at a guess. Hence why Xenon 2 cuts out the drums for the gunfire.

If it wasn`t for lack of memory / cpu usage I'm sure programmers could have done an octaMED type thing and created artificial channels.

Feel free to correct me...............

[Dr.Bongo]

-D- wrote:
Then you have games like Marvin's Marvelous Adventure... no SFX at all...  :-?

Good music though, at least on the CD32.

[Dr.Bongo]

save2600 wrote:
I could never get into games that featured fruity background music only (not saying that about Marvin's). But always thought it was genius how programmers balanced and compromised effects w/ music in most games. Also, the ability to choose one or the other was always cool. Turn on the sound effects and crank up the 80's new wave!

If we are going to talk balance and compromise lets all praise the 64's 3 channel brilliance and the amount people made it do. Hang on I'm off topic, sorry.