Can't remember whether it was this demo or another one, but if you copy the demo into a sub directory (folder) that had too many "levels", it wouldn't run or just freeze up.

Try running the demo from a folder that is just one "level" under your root (e.g. C:\Verses\verses.exe)
The demo should run fine on a fast 486 or low end Pentium 1.

I think I never had issues running this on real hardware, but the thing is, most likely the fastest PC I've ever run this has been a Pentium 166 MHz, or 486DX4 100 MHz.

(EMF was Finnish demo group btw)

For 1994, 'era-accurate' would be a 486DX2-66 VLB.
Pentiums were 'around' since 1993, but they were stupid-expensive and only available in servers. Not to mention you only had the 60 and 66 MHz models, the 233 MHz one was released years later.
The Pentium-era started around 1996 for 'regular' users (gamers, demosceners and such).
I would say that in the demoscene, it was roughly like this:
pre-1990: 8088/slow 286.
1990-1992: 286/386SX/386DX at 16 to 25 MHz
1992-1994: 486DX-33 to DX2-66.
1994-1996: 486DX2-66 VLB
1996-...: Pentium 90+

Might want to get the 1995 re-release:

Shortly after releasing the original version we discovered that the demo will hang if the machine is too fast, such as a […]
Show full quote

Shortly after releasing the original version we discovered that
the demo will hang if the machine is too fast, such as a P90. The
bug was trivial, but it never occurred during our beta testing, as
we had no access to a computer faster than a 486/66 back then. The
bug is now fixed.

AFAIK final version works fine on P200MMX+SB16 (didn't have gus though), just in case uncheck read-only file attribute on EXE file and get enough RAM.

Also hangups can be caused by videocard hardware\BIOS issues, but I don't remember that demo changes videomode too often (except for IFS fractal part which is running at 640x480 and some others which use mode-x)

I captured Verses from a Ti486DLC-40 / IIT4C87-40 / TSENG ET4000 / Gravis Ultrasound on a SiS Rabbit.

ElBrunzy wrote:

This demo is 1994 and I have era acurate computers : around p1-233, msdos, freedos, win98...

um no

wow ... must havent realised a fixed version exist. It's been a while since I watched that demo realtime on era acurate computers. Thanks alot!!!

wbc wrote:

but I don't remember that demo changes videomode too often (except for IFS fractal part which is running at 640x480 and some others which use mode-x)

since my 58" toshiba vga lcd screen make a primary objective to inform me of every video mode change, I can assure you this demo change video mode often!