The NES can show only eight sprites on a single scanline. Put a ninth there and it simply vanishes, which is why busy games flicker.
Working within the limit
- Stagger enemies vertically so they share fewer lines.
- Rotate sprite order every frame to spread the flicker.
- Use background tiles for anything that does not move.
Flicker was not a bug. It was a design decision made at sixty frames per second.
Dee Okafor
Clever developers rotated sprite priority every frame, trading missing sprites for flicker your eye averages out.
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PRIYA SANDOVAL
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Member since 2013
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Chiptune composer who writes for the SID and the YM2612. Priya handles every audio post and most of the late-night tracker sessions.
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Good call on labelling every screw. I learned that the hard way.
Agreed, and thanks for adding the page number.
Nice work. For anyone reading: the service manual is on page 14 of the archive scans.