PC-FX
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| PC-FX | |
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| Manufacturer | NEC |
| Type | Video game console |
| Generation | Fifth generation |
| First available |  December 23, 1994 |
| CPU | NEC V810 |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Predecessor | PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 |
The PC-FX is a video game console released in Japan on 23 December 1994 by NEC Corporation. It is the 32-bit successor to NEC's PC Engine (US:TurboGrafx-16).
The PC-FX uses CD-ROMs as its storage medium, following on from the expansion released for its predecessor, which originally used HuCards. The game controller resembles that of the Sega Mega Drive in shape, only with more buttons.
The PC-FX's computer-like design was unusual for consoles at the time. It stands upright like a tower computer while other contemporary consoles lay flat. Another interesting feature is its three expansion ports, as expansion ports are relatively underused in consoles and therefore their inclusion increased the price without offering a great deal to the end user.
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[edit] History
The PC-FX was designed based on a new 32-bit development kit by NEC called "Iron Man". Iron Man was designed in 1992, while the PC Engine was still quite popular in Japan. It was around the time of the first running demonstration units in mid 1992 that NEC started discussing an imminent release of an Iron Man based system with its many third party developers. Many PC Engine developers seemed upset and disinterested since the PC Engine market was still growing, and as a result NEC halted work on the Iron Man and continued making modifications to the PC Engine. By 1993 the 32-bit 3DO platform was released with lots of the developer interest and Sega and Sony let it be known that the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation would be ready for the Japanese marketplace in late 1994, and Bandai was also readying the release of their 32-bit Playdia system. Now in a rush to keep the large development base that made the PC Engine so successful, NEC had to make a decision. Rather than spending the time to develop a new, more powerful platform capable of standing up to their competitors, they marched out the now dated 32-bit Iron Man architecture to be used in the PC-FX. The result was that NEC wound up with a severely underpowered system that failed to impress either developers or consumers, and ultimately led to its demise.
As the PC-FX struggled, NEC became far more liberal than most companies with regard to the titles that it allowed to be released for the platform in an attempt to get whatever development support they could. As a result, the PC-FX has gained quite a reputation for its abundance of hentai and dating simulation titles.
[edit] Software
- See also: List of PC-FX games
There were 62 games released for the system. The launch titles were Graduation 2: Neo Generation FX, Battle Heat and Team Innocent on December 23, 1994 and the final game released was First Kiss Story on April 24, 1998. The system and all titles were only released in Japan.
[edit] Technical specifications
- CPU
- 32-Bit NEC V810 RISC running at 21.5MHz, 15.5MIPS, 5-Way Superscalar
- Memory
- 2MB main RAM
- 1MB shared RAM(for background generators, CD-ROM DMA, motion decoder, and ADPCM)
- 256KB dedicated VRAM(for HuC6270 chips)
- 1 MB OS ROM
- 256KB CD Buffer
- 32KB back-up RAM.
- Video
- Resolutions: 256x240p, 320x240p, 256x480i, 320x480i
- 6 background layers
- 2 sprite layers
- 1 motion decoder layer generated from RLE-encoded or JPEG-like data
- Sound
- 16-Bit Stereo CD-DA
2 ADPCM channels at up to ~31.5KHz with left/right panning
6 5-bit sample channels with left/right panning - Expansion
- Main RAM Expansion Slot x 1, Backup RAM Card Slot x 1, CPU Expansion Slot x 1
[edit] References
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Pcenginefx PC-FX World - informational resource for the PC-FX
