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OVERVIEW The content of the Video Game Console Library is written by a group of gaming enthusiasts that, as a whole, collectively own every main console that has ever been released. Our goal is to provide an objective viewpoint and information on the hardware that powers the games we all love, for both the hardware collector and gamer alike. (Read more...)

1970s


72 - Magnavox Odyssey 75 - PC-50X Family 76 - Fairchild Channel F	76 - RCA Studio II 76 - 1292 APVS Family 77 - Atari Game Brain (Proto)	77 - Coleco Telstar Arcade 77 - Atari Video Computer System (2600) 77 - Bally Home Library Computer (Astrocade) 78 - Magnavox Odyssey 2 \ Philips Videopac	78 - Interton VC-4000 78 - APF Imagination Machine 79 - Bandai Super Vision 8000 79 - Mattel Intellivision
1970s - HISTORY & OVERVIEW The 1970s marked the beginning of home video gaming as we know it today. Ralph Baer, uniformly known as the father of the video game console, created and developed the infamous Brown Box, which would later become the revolutionary Magnavox Odyssey. Few could honestly admit that this humble beginning would result in the multi-billion dollar market of today. (Read more...)

1980s


81 - Epoch Cassette Vision 81 - VTech CreatiVision 82 - Coleco ColecoVision 82 - Emerson Arcadia 2001 82 - Entex Adventure Vision 82 - GCE Vectrex 82 - Atari 5200 SuperSystem	83 - Casio PV-1000 83 - Gakken Compact Vision 83 - Nichubitshi My Vision 83 - Nintendo Famicom \ NES 83 - Sega SG-1000 (Mark I \ Mark II) 83 - Tomy Pyuuta Jr. 83 - Ultravision VAS (Proto) 84 - Nintendo AVS (Proto)	84 - Epoch Super Cassette Vision 85 - Daewoo Zemmix 85 - RDI Halcyon 85 - Sega Mark III \ Master System 86 - Atari 7800 Pro System 86 - Bit Corp Dina 2 in one (2-in-1) 86 - Nintendo Famicom Disk System 86 - Sharp Twin Famicom	87 - Worlds of Wonder Action Max 87 - Atari XE Game System (XEGS) 87 - NEC PC Engine \ TurboGrafx-16 87 - Takara \ Bandai Video Challenger 88 - NEC PC Engine CD-ROM2 \ TG-CD 88 - Sega Mega Drive \ Genesis 89 - Konix Multisystem (Proto) 89 - NEC SuperGrafx
1980s - HISTORY & OVERVIEW The 1970s may have been the beginning of home video gaming as we know it. However, it was the 1980s that saw the premature death of the industry and its phoenix-like rise from the ashes. Atari became synonymous with home video gaming, but newcomers like Sega and Nintendo quickly proved to not only be a threat but to reinvent the industry as we know it. (Read more...)

1990s


90 - Atari Mirai (Proto) 90 - Commodore 64GS 90 - SNK Neo Geo AES \ MVS 90 - Amstrad GX4000 90 - Nintendo Super Famicom \ SNES 91 - Philips CD-i 91 - Commodore CDTV 91 - Atari Panther (Proto) 91 - Sega CD \ Mega-CD	91 - NEC PC Engine Duo \ TurboDuo 92 - Taito WoWoW (Proto) 92 - Tandy \ Memorex VIS 92 - Victor Wondermega \ JVC X'Eye 93 - Fujitsu FM Towns Marty 93 - Pioneer LaserActive 93 - Amiga CD32 93 - Panasonic 3DO 93 - Atari Jaguar	94 - SNK Neo Geo CD \ CDZ 94 - Bandai Playdia 94 - Capcom CPS Changer 94 - NEC PC-FX 94 - Sega 32X \ Super 32X 94 - Sega Multi-Mega \ CDX 94 - Sega Neptune (Proto) 94 - Sega Saturn 94 - Sony PlayStation 95 - Casio Loopy	95 - Nintendo Satellaview BS-X 95 - Atari Jaguar CD 95 - Nintendo Virtual Boy 95 - Funtech Super A'Can 95 - Bandai Pippin ATMARK \ @WORLD 96 - Atari Jaguar Duo (Proto) 96 - Nintendo 64 98 - Sega Dreamcast 98 - Panasonic 3DO M2 99 - Nintendo 64DD
1990s - HISTORY & OVERVIEW While Sega and Nintendo carved up the market neatly between them early on, companies like NEC looked to expand their influence while new entries by SNK, Philips and 3DO decided to ride the bleeding edge of new technology and multifunctional hardware in order to grab a slice of that pie for themselves. Other companies, like Atari and Commodore, simply tried to hold on. (Read more...)

2000s


00 - NUON Technology 00 - Sony PlayStation 2 01 - Nintendo GameCube 01 - Panasonic Q	01 - Microsoft Xbox 01 - Indrema L600 (Proto) 03 - Nintendo iQue 03 - Sony PSX DVR	03 - Infinium Labs Phantom (Proto) 04 - SSD Company XaviXPORT 04 - DISCover Technology 05 - Microsoft Xbox 360 05 - ZAPiT Game Wave	06 - Nintendo Wii 06 - Sony PlayStation 3 08 - Apple iPlay (Proto) 09 - Tectoy Zeebo 09 - Envizions EVO Smart Console
2000s - HISTORY & OVERVIEW In March of 2000, Sony kicked off the new millennium by releasing the PlayStation 2 which would be shortly followed thereafter by Nintendo's GameCube console and newcomer Microsoft's Xbox. With this new generation of hardware, developers would change gaming's importance in pop culture as well as telecommunications and entertainment. (Read more...)

2010s


10 - OnLive Game System (MicroConsole) 12 - Nintendo Wii U	13 - Boxer8 OUYA (Proto) 13 - PlayJam GameStick (Proto) 13 - EnGeniux OTON (Proto)
2010s - NOTES With the new decade starting off, cloud gaming has begun to take a foothold within the gamer's living room. OnLive released their MicroConsole in December of 2010 with rumors of similar streaming devices surfacing on a weekly basis. The door may be opening as well for independent developers with the release of consoles focused on providing an open gaming environment like the OUYA.

REFERENCE


History - What Makes it a Console? History - Video Game Crash of 1983 History - Evolution of Game Media History - Game Controllers History - Relative Console Prices	Tools - Console Master Database Tools - Download Console Manuals Tools - Video Game Terminology Tools - Salvation for Loose Games	Gallery - Console Holy Grails Gallery - Handheld Systems Gallery - Educational Systems	Misc - Buying Do's & Don'ts Misc - Demise of the Game Manual Misc - Vintage PC Gaming Misc - Roots of the Forum (BBS)
CONNECTING YOUR GAME SYSTEMS Regardless if you have an old school 19" CRT or a brand spanking new 3D HDTV, connecting your video game system can sometimes be a daunting task. The myriad of connection types, cords and switches can be overwhelming, even to the most savvy of aficionados. This article will guide you through this process to produce the best presentation on your NTSC display device. (Read more...)

ARTICLES


What's Cookin' at VGCL... Collector Insights...	Industry Reflections... Gaming Takes & Reviews...	List 'Em \ Roll Calls... Gaming Literature...	Other Hardware Snapshots... Other Editorials & Rants...
CONSOLE CREWCAST BLOG INDEX You have stumbled upon our little corner of the video gaming universe where you will find a variety of articles on all facets of the industry. From software reviews to gaming literature to the various rants that keep us sane, you get a taste of it all. Please select an article category from the above list or check out our most recent additions listed from our Blog Index. Please enjoy!! (Blog Index...)

NEC SuperGrafx

Type	Console	Developer	NEC
Release Date	08-Dec-89	Region(s)	Japan
Initial Price	$299 USD	Games Released	5 (exclusive)

History & Reviews
Models & Clones
Console Ratings
Games & Emulation
Specs & Manuals
Web Resources

DW FACTS
by Dark Watcher

In 1989, NEC decided to yet again redesign the highly successful PC Engine console,and upgrade it with more RAM. This new design, called SuperGrafx, was sold only in Japan and was created to compete against the threat of the Nintendo Super Famicom system. NEC stopped distributing SuperGrafx when they saw their PC Engine was still selling well. Only 5 games were made to take advantage of the upgraded SuperGrafx and it played all PC Engine games as well as use the CD-ROM2 add-on.

MODELS Officially licensed releases
NEC SuperGrafx (Model # PI-TG4)




Some of the above images courtesy of Charles Lee

CLONES Non-licensed hardware releases
No clones were released for this system.

CONSOLE RATINGS
by 98PaceCar

Consoles are rated based upon the available technology at the time of its release. A 10 point scale is utilized, with 10 being excellent.

CRITERIA	RATING	NOTES & COMMENTS
Console Design	08	The SuperGrafx is a very industrial looking console with a very unique design. Contrary to the Core Grafx mantra of being compact, this system is a much larger console than its ancestors. I find it one of the more distinctive and appealing consoles of all times.
Console Durability	08	Being from the NEC PC Engine line, the SuperGrafx seems near bulletproof. It can be tough to locate AC adaptors for it in the case that one is missing or dies.
Controllers	07	Little more than a differently styled PC Engine controller, the SuperGrafx controller works very well and feels great to use.
Graphics	09	Though the actual SuperGrafx library is limited, the games that make use of the extra capabilities are stunning to look at and run smoothly.
Audio	07	Certainly no slouch in the sound department, the SuperGrafx is more than capable of competing with any console of its era.
Media	08	Standard HU cards were used here with no changes, so they are as durable as what the PC Engine offers. I've run across very few that were truly dead.
Game Library	02 / 09	I had to give the SuperGrafx two scores for its library. Only five native SuperGrafx games were released with two further featuring improved graphics when played on the SuperGrafx. A rather limited library in an era of the Famicom. However, the SuperGrafx has access to the entire PC Engine library, one of the more varied and interesting of the era. That alone catapults it to the same level as any other console of the 80's.
Gamer Value	04	The SuperGrafx scores low on gamer value as it is typically more expensive than a normal PC Engine console. Only adding five new games to the mix makes it hard to recommend to a gamer.
Collector Value	07	A well known and respected Japanese only console, the SuperGrafx is a wonderful piece for a collector to own. Relatively easy to get from Japanese sources, it's a must own to any serious hardware collector.

FORMAT, PACKAGING & GENERAL INFO Interesting facts on software for this system
Software for the NEC SuperGrafx was distributed in the HuCard format. As with standard PC Engine games, titles came in standard CD style casing. The five (5) unique titles for this system all proudly display the SuperGrafx logo on the front and back covers of the CD inlays. A nice touch is the system graphic with accompanying text describing the system. Another game, Darius Alpha, was also released for this system, though it was merely an upgraded version of an existing title. The instructions for these games are in Japanese, due to the exclusive regional release of this system. Playing the titles themselves are rather easy to pick up after a little trial and error.	Game play with commentary courtesy of Wired.com

NEC SuperGrafx Game Boxes


SCREENSHOTS Captured in-game images
1941: Counter Attack	Aldynes	Battle Ace
Daimakaimura	Darius Alpha	Madouou Granzort

EMULATION
First and third party system emulators

Mednafen

Multi-system, command-line driven emulator for Windows, Linux or Mac that supports the SuperGrafx library

SPECS & MANUALS
For the hardware enthusiasts out there - all the detail you\we love.

Processor Type	Processor Speed	Other Processor Information	RAM \ Video RAM
Hudson Soft HuC6280A (8-bit)	3.58 MHz or 7.16 MHz (switchable)	HuC6260 VCE \ HuC26270A VDC	32 KB \ 128 KB
Screen Resolution	Color Palette	Polygons \ Sprites	Audio
256 x 224 to 512 x 242	512 colors (9-bit), 482 on screen	128 sprites	Six (6) PSG audio channels
Media Format	Media Capacity	Games Released	Other Supported Formats
HuCard	20 MB	5 Unique + 1 Enhanced (compatible with 700+)	HuCard, CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², Arcade CD-ROM²
Internal Storage	External \ Removable Storage	Game Controllers	Other Game \ Peripheral Devices
None	None	Gamepad (2 button + Run\Select)	PC Engine CD-ROM², Tennokoe 2 (game save device), RAU-30, etc.
Controller Ports	Network Ports	Other Ports	Audio \ Video
One (1)	None	EXT-BUS Expansion	Composite
Power Supply - External	Other Outputs	Other Details \ Notes
Input: AC 100V, 50\60Hz Output: DC 9V, 800 MA	I\O Port (was never utilized)	Compatibility Mode Switch (SuperGrafx vs. PC Engine)
Manuals
Not available. Can you help us out? You will definitely receive full credit for your contribution. Email MG@videogameconsolelibrary.com.

WEB RESOURCES Highly recommended websites for this system
Castle All Night Great article on the SuperGrafx & games	Obsolete Gamer Excellent piece focusing on SuperGrafx games

DISCUSS
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