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The following is my own personal list of "favorite" demos, and why I like them. If you haven't seen all of these, then don't call yourself an oldschooler. If you have, or think I'm missing a few good ones, then send me some email.

Classic Demos

(If you find you don't have the utility needed to unpack an archive (ZIP is common, but ARJ and LZH aren't) then feel free to get them from Hornet's utility directory.)

Title	Group	Year	Sound cards:	Requires:	Reason:
Unreal	Future Crew	1992	SB,GUS,LPT	386	A classic. Also, some parts of the demo adjust their effects to match the power of your CPU.
Panic	Future Crew	1992	SB	386	A classic. A good example of a trackmo.
Second Reality	Future Crew	1993	SB/GUS	386	A classic. Probably the best demo of all time; flows wonderfully. Newbies: Keep in mind this was written in 1993 and widely imitated.
Crystal Dreams	Triton	1992	SB,LPT,PCSPKR	286	A classic. Runs on a 286, even with 4-channel MOD mixing; has a great VBLINT starfield routine.
Crystal Dreams ][	Triton	1993	SB,GUS,LPT,PCSPKR	386	A classic. Has a full-framerate "VR" scene. Easily the best Fractal Zoomer ever.
Amnesia	Renaissance	1992	SB/SBPro	386	Excellent effects on even a 386-16. And 13-channel digital+fm "CDFM" music on a normal Sound Blaster! If you can get this demo to work, the music is a technological treat.
Vectdemo	Ultraforce	1991	SB/LPT/PCSPKR	286	For 1991, an excellent fake of environment mapping, before we all knew what environment mapping was (we called it "metal shading"). This demo was really great to look at.
Inconexia	Iguana	1993	SB	386	The birth of the classic "fire" algorithm, plus a neat mirrored ball, and some physical stuff.
Chronologia	Cascada	1991	SB,LPT,PCSPKR	286	A classic. Has Yoghurt Man! Also had some innovative stuff for the time, like Mode X, a moving lightsource--and it all runs on a 286, including MOD mixing. Incredible for 1991.
Megademo	The Space Pigs	1990	LPT,PCSPKR	286	A classic. Was first official "demo" to have 4-channel mixed music (Future Crew's "Slideshow" was the first, but it wasn't a demo).

Featured Demos

This section holds demos that I feel deserve special appreciation for one reason or another; they are unique in one or several ways, and should be viewed at least once. You may retrieve any item on the following list simply by clicking or selecting its highlight.

Title	Group	Sound cards:	Requires:	Reason:
Dope	Complex	GUS	486	This demo, while slightly mis-stating its effects (it states 7800 polys at one time when there's only about 1000; also, environment maps are used instead of light sources), is a jaw-dropper when it you first see it. The music is quite good.
Verses	EMF	SB,GUS	386	Overall, has nice design, as well as the warping face of Bill Gates. ASM'94 winner.
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly	S!P	GUS	386	This demo not only uses the VGA hardware to run at the full framerate in most effects, but has excellent design as well. This demo is nearly the ultimate in copper effects
Legend	Impact Studios	GUS	286	This demo, while not having original effects, is so well optimized that it runs in the full framerate on a 286! The art and music are very good.
Show	Majic 12	GUS	386	A surprising newcomer (at the time), Show performs most of its effects in the full framerate on a 386-40, borrowing many tricks the coder learned on the Amiga. The graphics are good, and the music is reminiscent of Amiga demos with good design.
The Real Thing	Capacala	GUS	386	The beginning of this demo is very fast and hard--you either love it or hate it. It's included in this roundup because it has a good middle part where they display a rotating cube that is rendered with all the common effects, from light-sourced shading, to transparant Gouraud shading.
Dimension	Realtech	SB,GUS	386	Great sound setup and demo options: You can run the demo in either high or low res, with or without aliasing. Texture-mapping is shaded and very fast.
No!	Nooon	SB,GUS	386	Very good coding; has great shaded texturemapped objects.
Opticron	Craw Productions	SB,GUS	386	Opticron has a very nice theme: Optical illusions. Several are brought to life in this NAID'95 first place winning demo.
Project XYZ	Orange	GUS	386	The first demo to incorporate truly fluid motion-blur.
X14	Orange	GUS	386	The first demo to use a "true" 262,144 color mode, on standard VGA; this is still widely imitated. This demo, like X-Y-Z, has a very ambient style to it--and the frame rate is very smooth
Stars	Nooon	SB,GUS	486	The winner of ASM'95, a fantastic demo with several CPU-crunching effects and clever speed optimizations. Europeans love the graphically ambient style, Americans love the hard core effects; but all agree it's on everyone's top ten list.
Mighty	Xtacy	GUS	486	This is one of the best demos to come out in a long time, as this group hasn't forgotten what design is! Not one section is missing a transition; this is a must for any demo library.
DX Project	Realtech	SB,GUS	486	A trend-setter for the demo scene, this demo was the first to run in SuperVGA 640x480x256 throughout the entire demo.
Countdown	Realtech	SB,GUS	486	Once again, Realtech presents us with a demo that can run in higher resolutions; this one can go as high as 1280x1024, and has extra support for both S3 chipsets and VESA 2.0 extensions. This really shows off that new Pentium.
Project Angel	Impact Studios	GUS	486	Very fast vectors, an actual story/plot, and a virtual fighter "remix" more than a year before the VF game was actually developed for the PC. Slight problem with Diamond Stealth video cards; make sure you use the alternate configuration.
Reanimator	Rage	SB,GUS	486 (use "/o" switch)	Code, code, and more code. Achieves things that requires a pentium, but worth it. Ignore the end vector scene; it's a comedy of (rounding) errors.
XTAL	Complex	SB,GUS	486	Runs very fast, in a 50Hz video mode. Shows what you can do with about 3 well-optimized routines (it's mainly animations, but they're combined very well).
Karma	Halcyon	GUS	486	Now THIS is an example of demos = art.
State of Hate	Dubius	SB,GUS	486	Not too well programmed (this was an earlier demo of theirs), but supposedly lets you run it from 160x100 to 1024x768. Makes good use of shadows.
Cocoon	S!P	GUS	486	A mixture of code and animation; worth watching for the incredible pieces of art midway through and at the end, and also for some nice ideas (although not fully executed well).
Caero	Plant	SB,GUS	486	Did it deserve to win 1st place at The party 5? Debateable... But whether or not they intended it, it's got the best design of any demo of 1995--a theme of nature and evolution.
Reve	Pulse	GUS	486	Realtime anti-aliasing, funky textures, and a Cool Little Surfer Dude. Whack. Cool. 'Nuff said.
Confusion	Noice	GUS	486	Got 25th out of 30 at TP5, and deserved it, except for the really cool water part at the end. I expected a bit more from a great C64 group.
Money	Hyperopia	GUS	486	This yugoslavian team shows promise. This demo shows the beginnings of some very nice ideas and code.
Dream	Jamm	SB,GUS	486	Jamm's first demo after a series of intros, which showcases fast code and a non-common style.
Mind, Body, Soul	Omicron	GUS	386	An object show, but has some well-optimized routines. If you've got a 386-33 and want to see bump mapping, this is probably your chance.
Circuit	Analogue	GUS	486	The first 15-bit color (32768 colors) demos. While not very original, it's got fantastic hand-drawn art at the end--the people look so incredible that at first you think they're scanned images, but they're not.
6th Sense	Realtech	SB,GUS	486	The first 16-bit color (65536 colors) demo. Rather ordinary except for the excellent multi-color toruses in the middle that really show off the video mode. You can easily see thousands of colors in that section.
Paimen	Coma	GUS	486	Another demo that stresses the effect that demos can have on you. This is a perfect example of how some creative coding and video images can deliver a message.
Disgust	Camorra	SB,GUS	386	Great design and good code; some of the transitions are smoother than butter. A very promising group--definitely watch out for these guys.
Lasse Reinbong Final Version	Cubic Team	SB,GUS	486	Except for the extra samples, this was a 64K intro that won TP5. (The 64K version is in below, in the 64K intro section). Coders will love this one; this demo has parts that are well optimized. There's also a demo lover's joke at the end.
Stuff	Xtacy	GUS	486	While many of the effects are not new here, this demo is a coder's dream. And, as always, Xtacy proves again that the art of the transition is not dead. There are some neat surprises in this one.
Innuendo	Halcyon	GUS	486	Once again, Halcyon shows us why they're different. Maybe not your particular preference, but definitely a step towards an art form.
Planet Groove	Fudge	GUS	486	This demo is nicely coded; the greets section is especially well done. These guys really know how to have fun! The entire demo just feels squeaky clean--even the gratuitous nude shots in the middle are clean.
Inside	CNCD	SB,GUS	Pentium	Want to know what happens when Amiga sceners cross over to the PC? Watch this. Style city.
Ninja 2	Scoopex and Melon Dezign	SB,GUS	486	Want to know what happens when Amiga sceners cross over to the PC? Watch this. Hilarious.
Fashion	Logic Design	GUS	486	The art by Danny is simply the best in any demo I've ever seen.
Contrast	Oxygene	SB,GUS	486	Nice virtual worlds, and a return to vectorballs (z-buffered, even). This demo is better than you think it is.
Indigo	Purple	GUS	486	Continuing the tradition of clean, consistent effects and feel. This demo is particularly tasty.
Magic View	Dubius	SB,GUS	486	Best metal shading (environment + bump mapping) and shadows I've ever seen--and this is a BBS advertisement! Some advertisement. :-)
Bomb	Impact Studios	SB,GUS	486	Fast and delicious Gouraud texture mapping with moving light sources. This is really good.
Super Television	Orange	SB,GUS	486	Although all it seems that Orange can do is imitate themselves again, only Orange does it so cleanly. There are some routines in this demo that I'm still figuring out.
Machines of Madness	Dubius	SB,GUS	486	These guys have really grown in the last two years. And it was only a matter of time before somebody did reflection, even though it's trivial to do. The glass bowl is truly impressive. Assembly '96 winner.
Megablast	Orange	SB,GUS	486	These guys have gotten so good that coding is almost not an issue with them anymore; they can concentrate on their style. But make no mistake--the code is incredible.
Compost	Orange	SB,GUS	486	Everybody can do what Orange does. Everybody. Then why do they always end up doing it first? Because they're too creative for us mortal democoders, that's why.
Solex	Oxygene	GUS	486	Oxygene's last demo ends with a nice use of wireframes.
Hypnotic	Exobit	GUS	Pentium	If you like 3D women and excellent fireworks, this demo is for you.
Den Onde Corporation	Purple	GUS	486	Their style is clean. Their code is good. The music is always nice. I'm a sucker for Purple demos.
Nutz	Hyperopia	GUS	Pentium	Filters and warping galore, and some very nice alpha blending for 256 colors. Requires a P166 or higher to truly enjoy it, however (due to the nature of the effects).
Despair	Iguana	SB,GUS	486	A nice return for some oldskool boys. The truecolor dithering at the end is particularly nice.
Flirt	Igloo	GUS	486	Cute graphics and fast code are always a winner. Watch for the bunny relfected in the stone.
Hard Rox	Skal	SB,GUS	Pentium	This demo is a groundbreaker: Not only are the effects very well coded (realtime dithering, simple particle systems, texture warping, and color bump mapping, to name a few), but it also runs under Linux! Relies on the FPU heavily, so use a Pentium.
Ich Kann Euch Sehen	Purge	GUS	Pentium	Haunting images with nice transitions, all at 640x480.
Explora	Oxygene	SB,GUS	486	Fast, pretty perspective-corrected 3D and a neat transition. Not much else, but really shows off a Pentium.
Dawn	TEI	GUS	386	An old demo by the guys who became DCB. A great old-school feel.

64K intros

This section holds intros that I feel deserve special appreciation, either due to the staggering number of effects involved, or the overall design. Remember, these have a total size of 64K. You may retrieve any item on the following list simply by clicking or selecting its highlight.

Title	Group	Sound cards:	Requires:	Reason:
Symbology	Admire	SB,GUS	386	This 64K intro has excellent design, as well as good coding. A bouncing plasma-cube on a 3d landscape; and one of the best tunnels in the scene.
Airframe	Prime	GUS	386	A neat voxel scene at the beginning, good music in the middle, and a nice vector city at the end.
Poison		GUS	486	This is the type of thing you'd see at a rave. Heck, this intro is a rave.
Sea Robot of Love	Orange	GUS	486	A fine example of the art form. There's some really good code here, and Orange delivers a mellow message that both salutes and mocks the art form.
No Comment		GUS	486	This is the only other production that I know of (other than Ambience and Luminati by Tran) that uses Tran's "21-bit color" mode. Requires a montior capable of 100Hz refresh rates.
Magic 64	Keen Like Frogs	SB,GUS	486	A darn good simulation of the Bullfrog game Magic Carpet -- in 64K!
Intro	Cascada	GUS	486	Excellent camera movement and shadows--shadows are really underrated! Who cares if it's flat shaded?
Transgression 2	MFX	GUS	Pentium	REAL-TIME RAY-TRACING. Enough said! If you have a Pentium, you have to see this to believe it.
Obez	Kloon	GUS	486	The text at the end made me laugh, and the music is pretty good for an intro, if quick. The vectors are really slow, however, so don't expect more than 12 fps.
Jade	Eclipse	GUS	386	Very good design for a 64K intro, and runs in the full framerate on a 386/40 (and a decent framerate on a 386-25 :)
Teddybear's Revenge	Eclipse	SB,GUS	386,MathCo	This is funny to those familiar with the demoscene, and has cool hard-hitting music for such a small space.
Xcursion	Vista Software	SB	486	I have no idea how they packed all that code into 50K. The voxels are some of the nicest I've ever seen. And here's a cool trick that's underused: Need more colors than 256? Dither!
Interrupt Internet	Fyoozhen	GUS	386	Speech synthesis in an intro.
Essence	Funk	GUS	486	Descent in 64K.
GU-Star	Camorra	GUS	486	Excellent transparency in part I and multple colored lightsources in part ][. Good music.
Cartoon	Mist	GUS	386	The 1890's! What a cool theme.
Genia	Remal	GUS	486	Good design and good code! This is a mini demo, and a very good one. I don't know why they say they're from Advanced Gravis, though...
BBS Mindflux	Reality	SB	386	Good code, and great Adlib music.
Aboriginal Remix	Paragon	GUS	486	Another halcyon knockoff, but done better than average. Maybe it's because they "remixed" it (I can't stand the practice of "remixing" demos--it's lazy). Full framerate on a pentium.
Water	Spirit New Style	SB,GUS	486	Hi Hugo! But seriously, the 2D bump mapping at the end of this intro is pretty fast.
We Go	Complex	GUS	Pentium	Finally, a new effect (360+360 degrees) and true artistic vision.
Palikka	Moottori	GUS	486	uses standard 80x25 and 80x50 text mode with no palette changes and only the five shaded characters. Cool. :)
Blind	Eufrosyne	SB,GUS	486	Has a 3D object moving in and out of water that is just incredible. We all know how it's done, but it's never been done before this intro.
X-Mess	Sin	GUS	386	This is easily the funniest intro I've ever seen in my life. The demoscene needs more unique ideas like this!
X	Nocturnal	GUS	486	A delicious black texture.
The Astonishing Trive	Yodel	GUS	486	A demo with a unique outlook on life. Great snake. The realtime color embossing effect is quite nice.
Paper	Psychic Link	GUS	486	Quite possible the perfect intro. Not only does it have one of the most unique ideas I've ever seen, but it also has some of the fastest code I've ever seen. Simply friggin' incredible. True talent.
White Essence	Funk	GUS	486	The keyframing is nothing to write home about; however, they did manage to pack some really nice music and textures into this 64K intro.
What?	Cubic Team	GUS	486	Some of the best texture warping I've seen in a while.
Orbital	Kloon	GUS	486	I don't know why I like this, but I just do. Maybe it's the music, or the cute old-school joke at the beginning.
Deesbab	Orange	GUS	Pentium	Tons of 3D rotations and color clipping. And yet why do I feel these guys are holding back?
Adrift	Wild Light	GUS	486	It's nice to know that people haven't forgotten about style. Just like their ASM winner Drift, this one's a winner as well.
Back To The Roots	Vacuum	SB	486	A neat tribute to the C64, with a real SIDplayer!
Daze	Urinate	GUS	486	Is it me, or is the code in this intro faster than all hell? The music is quite nice, too.

4K intros

This section holds intros that I feel deserve special appreciation, due to the staggering quality of number effects. Remember, these have a total size of 4K--yes, 4096 bytes. Most email messages are larger than that!. You may retrieve any item on the following list simply by clicking or selecting its highlight.

Title	Group	Sound cards:	Requires:	Reason:
Fractal Dreams	Mental Design		386	FANTASTIC Fractals. Get this.
Animate	Schwartz		386	A ton of design as well as good code is in the 4k intro, the winner of ASM'95's 4k intro compo.
Soft	Valhalla	GUS	386	Good effects and GUS music in 3.5 K. Cool. :-)
Maximum Reality	Unique PC		486	Nice-looking 3D, background, and a bit of humor in 4K.
World 4K	Furball	SB,ADLIB	386	Adlib music and some fine 3D in 4K. Music is becoming a cool trend in 4K intros.
Mobilization	Jani Honkanen		386	Some effects we've seen before, but they're done quite well here.
Life	Urinate		386	1024 bytes, and four different effects.
Methodology	Byteam		386	Short and funny.
MC Palca	Abaddon		386	Also short, and also funny, and only 1024 bytes.
Little Big Demo 2	Sanction		486	Over 6 well-coded effects; definitely worth seeing. Read the info file as well--it's funny to coders. ;)
Desert	Enlightenment	GUS	486	A story and (simple) GUS music and sound effects in a 4K intro. Not bad.
Chrome 2	Abaddon		Pentium	Realtime raytracing, this time in full 24-bit color--and yes, this is a 4K intro!
1000 Byte Intro	Frenzy		386	3 effects in 1000 bytes. 1000-byte .nfo file as well. :-)

Miscellaneous Demoscene stuff.

This section holds miscellaneous demoscene stuff that you should see for some reason. :-)

Title	Group	Sound cards:	Requires:	Reason:
Assembly'96 Intro	Sonic Clique	SB,GUS	486	Possibly the very best party invite ever created. The style is 110% professional.
Sun	Pulse	SB,GUS	386	Excellent artdisk; coded well (except for the MOUSE DRIVER! ;-) ;-) and the art is just incredible.
Wild	Pulse	SB,GUS	386	Another excellent artdisk; check this out after you check out Sun.
Sqrt(2) Reality	Future Screw	SB,GUS	486	A fairly funny parody of Second Reality.

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