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Info for sgx


====== NEC SuperGrafx (1989) ======


===== Features =====

* CPU: HuC6280 (7.16 or 7.19 MHz, switchable by software)
* Video: One 16-bit HuC6260 Video Color Encoder (VCE), two 16-bit HuC6270A Video Display Controllers (VDCs), and one HuC6202 Video Priority Controller.
* Resolution: max 512 x 242 (usually games use 256 x 240)
* Sound: 8 bit PCM stereo / 6-channel stereo
* Ram: 32 Kbyte
* Video Ram: 128Kbyte
* Cart Size: 256Kbit - 20 Megabit Max. (S.F. 2) Normally 8 Mbits
* Colors Palette: 512 - (256 for sprites, 256 for the background.)
* Max # of sprites: 128
* Sprite Size: 16×16, 16×32, 16×64, 32×16, 32×32, 32×64



===== History and Trivia =====

The SuperGrafx videogame console is an upgraded version of NEC's popular PC-Engine system. At first it was known as the PC-Engine 2, announced as a true 16-Bit system with improved graphics and audio capabilities, not expected to see release until 1990. However the final machine was named SuperGrafx, was released earlier than expected, in late 1989, only provided modestly enhanced graphics over the original PC-Engine.

The enhancements SuperGrafx did have, compared to the PC-Engine, were the following:
* four times the amount of work RAM for the main CPU;
* a second video chip with its own video RAM;
* a priority controller chip that allowed the output of both video chips to be combined in various ways.

On the other hand, its single 8-bit CPU had a heavy workload managing the extra video hardware.

The SuperGrafx was largely a failure due to a lack of software written to support its enhanced abilities. Only 7 titles were ever released: five of these were exclusive titles, the other two were regular PC-Engine releases capable of enhanced graphics. There were no CD, SCD, or ACD games written that took advantage of the SuperGrafx platform. However, the SuperGrafx can play PCE HuCards, PCE CDs, PCE Super CDs, PCE Arcade CDs, and the native SuperGrafx HuCards. These titles combined totals to a very respectable library of near 700 titles.

One notable accessory was the Power Console, designed to add a full flight yoke, throttle and keypad to the SuperGrafx, sliding over the entire console. Besides a prototype, no Power Consoles were ever produced.

//(info from Wikipedia)//



===== Links =====

* NECstasy -- http://www.necstasy.net/
* Universo PCENGINE -- http://upce.netfirms.com/index.html
* Turbo Station 16 -- http://pcenginefx.com/TS/
* [[wp>SuperGrafx]]



===== Other Emulators =====

* MagicEngine (commercial) -- http://www.magicengine.com/
* Hu-Go! (for DOS, Windows, Linux, BeOS, Solaris) -- http://www.zeograd.com/
* Mednafen -- http://mednafen.sourceforge.net/




Generated on Sun Jul 19 10:17:28 2009