FX

The letters FX are almost pronounced as "effects". Especially in magazines such as ASM or Power Play game critics liked to use this term in the 80s as a synonym for the sound effects of a computer game. The FX were usually distinct from the music. So with FX or sound effects one means e.g. explosion sounds in shoot'em ups, motor sounds at racing games etc. However, music and sound effects aren't always distinct categories; on systems like the C64, the same synthesis techniques were used for both. A rapid ascending or descending musical scale could double as a sound effect, and many effects were essentially tiny musical phrases played through the SID.

By the mid‑80s, developers had learned to squeeze far more out of the SID chip, and game critics adjusted their standards accordingly. What passed for a impressive sound effect in 1983 often felt ordinary by 1986, simply because the bar had climbed so quickly. And once the Amiga arrived with its four‑channel PCM samples, the contrast became even sharper: the SID’s clever tricks were impressive, but the Amiga’s ability to play high quality recorded sounds instantly redefined what “good” game audio meant.