pouët.net

4k-intro category on PC really took off in 1994. At first, hardly anyone tried adding music, but a few years later, some coders pulled it off.

I decided to make a list of MS-DOS 4k intros with sound.

If you know any DOS 4k-intros with music or sound effects that aren’t on the list yet, drop them here. Or just share your favorite ones! ;)

Void -> https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=865
Void 3 -> https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=289

Probably most 4k between 1997 and the end of the DOS era should have sound...

In reality, no, many coders still prioritized the visual component, preferring not to sacrifice bytes for the sake of including sound.

The competition rules of the 4k intro competition at Assembly 1994 stated:

- Maximum size in executable form is 4096 bytes
- Maximum running length is 3 minutes
- NO MUSIC or other sound is allowed
(this is because this a coders' competition,
not musicians')
- Only 100% VGA register level compatible
graphics modes are accepted (no SVGA/VESA)
- Only one intro by one coder

(See txt file in: https://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=1282)

So it seems the reason for not having sound has not been just because people didn't want to sacrifice bytes, but also because it didn't fit the concept of 4k intros at that time.

Indeed, at least until 1996, the rules at Assembly prohibited sound in 4kb intros. Very stupid, IMHO.

However, as I understand it, at least since 1997, this rule has not been followed.

Yeah, the no music rule seems pretty odd to me, too.
Thanks for creating this list, it's quite interesting.

and i checked all the intros from the list, they work in Dosbox-X. So, even if there is no YouTube capture, it will not be difficult to watch them.

Well, Shadertoy entries are typically not allowed any sound. C64 music competitions are typically not allowed any visuals (or they will not be shown). Of course, as the techniques progressed, it was discovered that there was indeed room for 4ks that were full-featured demos in their own right and musicians that were interested in making music under such constraints, and the category was broadened.

I guess Shadertoy and possibly executable graphics are about the only pure-coder compos left? (I've seen and won Small HTML, though :-) )

yes, helium <3

I believe the no music rule in early Assembly 4k compos was because they wanted it to be strictly a coding competition, coder vs. coder. That and many hadn't yet figured out how to fit music in 4k, so there could be an unfair advantage of the music vs. no-music entries. (that's just my guess)

But sound tech in a 4k-intro is also an art of coding



Yeah, not everyone knew how to use 3D right away, so they should've banned that too ;)

I wonder, were there similar restrictions in Amiga compo? ;)

I mean yes your arguments are valid, but that's how it was back then.

Sound tech != sound.

Signed, coder who has 64k synth which hardly any musicians ever cared to use :-)