DisplacedGamers

The Garbage Sprites in Strider (NES) – Behind the Code

Strider for NES is quite possibly the most requested game for the Behind the Code series. It feels like it will fall apart at any moment.

Random sprites appear in random places on the screen as the frames roll by. What the heck is happening? A minor bug somewhere? Oh… it is MUCH worse than that!

What happens when you fail to account for the NES not having the next frame ready before it is time to draw that frame to the TV? The answer is Strider. Strider happens.

Sprites, sprite priority, OAM, scanlines, frames, and the consequences of clock speed all converge in this video. Join me in the pursuit to answer a question that has been asked for the last 30+ years.

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