Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 3:42 pm
by PluMGMK
Depends how sensitive the sensor is. There's always some ambient photons around unless you've got a nice light-tight dark box!
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 7:23 pm
by Master
All very intriguing solutions. However, the key lays not in hardware. But in software.
I'll allow retries, I get the feeling this might be one you might not get unless you already know.
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 8:53 pm
by Reese Riverson
Well, the only other thing I can think of is something to do with the ROM/BIOS loading into the system, and doing checks or a form of a switch via software for some enhanced mode?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 9:02 pm
by Pirez
It checks the time between booting the console and booting the software maybe?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 7:36 pm
by Master
Alright, I think we'll call time on this question. You were both thinking right in that it's a check performed between power on and the game loading, but the detail is that it's due to a difference in how the GBC and GBA (in GBC mode) initialises a hardware register. The GBC initialises this register with a value of 0, whereas the GBA initialises the register with a non-zero value.
As you can imagine all the game needs to do is check that register, and turn on its GBA mode if it's a non-zero value.
ModernVintageGamer did a video on the GBA's GBC compatibility where he discussed this case. It's an interesting watch if you'd like to learn more:
Scoreboard
Reese - 5 points
Pirez - 3 points
RayGamer99 - 2 points
ithasmore - 2 points
Rsandee - 1 point
PluMGMK - 1 point
Gottagocool11 - 1 point
DaveRattlehead - 1 point
Fifo - 1 point
Bonus Points
Fifo - 1 point
Rsandee - 1 point
QUESTION 18 (Sons of Liberty) - What is the name of the battle system in the Fallout series?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 8:00 pm
by PluMGMK
So it's like the reserved flags in the FLAGS register that are always 1 on an 8086 and always 0 on the 286 (or is it vice versa? )
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2026 10:09 pm
by Master
Haha I had a feeling you'd find it interesting, I'm not quite sure as to the why as the GBA has the GBC's CPU for backwards compatibility, so I'd have thought the initialisation process would be the same. Some further reading for me to do at some point to find out why, I think I'll have to do.
Not heard about that quirk on the 86s, I'm gonna have to read that up too
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Fri Jan 23, 2026 12:25 am
by PluMGMK
It's not really a quirk, it's the standard way of checking which one you're running on!
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2026 1:04 am
by Master
Hmm, ok this one isn't doing too well either. Is it the lull in activity or are people not feeling this one as well?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2026 5:14 pm
by The Jonster
You know I have to admit, I had my moments with them but I kind of miss having Greengoop around. At least he would have made an answer (even if it is silly at times)
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Sun Jan 25, 2026 6:31 pm
by Pirez
As it turns out, I've never played Fallout. I visualize the stuff, but I don't know its name.
But if you want me to go full Greeny, I can take a shot : the shot-clock?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 6:53 pm
by Master
That's true, though it wouldn't have done much for moving the quiz forwards. That being said, I appreciate the attempt all the same. I think we'll move on and try another one. The answer I was looking for was VATS.
Scoreboard
Reese - 5 points
Pirez - 3 points
RayGamer99 - 2 points
ithasmore - 2 points
Rsandee - 1 point
PluMGMK - 1 point
Gottagocool11 - 1 point
DaveRattlehead - 1 point
Fifo - 1 point
Bonus Points
Fifo - 1 point
Rsandee - 1 point
(SUPER) QUESTION 18 - Why are rooms in the Metroid Prime series split by doors?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 7:53 pm
by Giant Chicken
They loaded each room seperately?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 7:56 pm
by Pirez
Tradition, I guess...
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 8:25 pm
by Reese Riverson
Isn't that their way to avoid the need for loading screens? Or treat them as such, to make the transition from room to room be more believable?
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2026 8:25 pm
by Master
Ithasmore wrote: Mon Jan 26, 2026 7:53 pm
They loaded each room seperately?
Eh, close enough. The doors hide loading, if you've ever played a Metroid game and the door takes longer than expected to open a door, it's because the game's still loading the next room. If you ever see a speedrun of a Metroid Prime game where they go out-of-bounds, you can sorta see this phenomenon in action. For instance:
This is still the case even with Prime 4, but much more noticeable if you're playing the Switch 1 version of the game as it has slower loading times.
Point to Ithasmore!
Scoreboard
Reese - 5 points
Pirez - 3 points
ithasmore - 3 points
RayGamer99 - 2 points
Rsandee - 1 point
PluMGMK - 1 point
Gottagocool11 - 1 point
DaveRattlehead - 1 point
Fifo - 1 point
Bonus Points
Fifo - 1 point
Rsandee - 1 point
QUESTION 19 - Finish this exchange:
"Master Chief? You mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?"
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2026 7:22 am
by Pirez
"Sir, finishing this fight!"
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2026 11:01 am
by Master
Scoreboard
Reese - 5 points
Pirez - 4 points
ithasmore - 3 points
RayGamer99 - 2 points
Rsandee - 1 point
PluMGMK - 1 point
Gottagocool11 - 1 point
DaveRattlehead - 1 point
Fifo - 1 point
Bonus Points
Fifo - 1 point
Rsandee - 1 point
QUESTION 20 - Which Dragon Ball game had to have its soundtrack redone from scratch when it was rereleased due to issues with plagiarism? I'll give a bonus point if you can elaborate on the specifics.
EDIT: I reread this, turns out there's a few. I'll accept any singular game.
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2026 11:14 am
by Pirez
Budokai 2.
No specifics because I don't remember them.
Re: Video Games Knowledge Quiz - Season 8 - Master
Posted: Tue Jan 27, 2026 3:07 pm
by Giant Chicken
Dragon Ball Legends? It's the only one I know lol.