Thanks and credit to Chris Covell for these images and translations.
1st PC-Engine Demonstration - July-September 1987
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The September 1987 issue of Famimaga brought its readers this SCOOP! (they say.) NEC demonstrated their new PC-Engine hardware and games, set to be released that October. The report doesn't really reveal any secrets or revolutionary information, but it is cool to see prototype hardware and games that are slightly different from when they were released.
The original white PC-Engine has a slightly different controller (see below) and controller plug, and the casing is also slightly different: All markings (ON/OFF, ANT, NEC, HE System... are painted (silkscreened) on the case rather than being embossed as the released hardware has them. Additionally, the small arrow pointing into the card slot is not here in this prototype. (Yes, I know, very small differences.)
Announced as being in the daydream/planning stage are such hardware add-ons as the CD-ROM unit, LCD screen, and phantoms like the keyboard, PC link board, and modem unit. All of these were actually produced, but the latter 3 didn't get any release outside of NEC/Hudson's offices. I'm sure the PC link board is what Hudson's graphic artists used to draw graphics on their PCs and display them through PCE hardware as seen in some videos.
Famimaga marvels at the small size of the hardware and HuCards, the large size of its graphic characters, and complain for a whole paragraph and a half about its high price. I don't know... ¥24,800 doesn't seem like that high a price, but the mag does vent the same criticisms later made in the U.S.: At such a high price, the system still comes with just a single controller, and to connect more pads requires a PCE Tap and purchase of more controllers... definitely not something that two kids can just pick up and play out of the box. NEC said they might rethink the price, but they never did, demonstrating their arrogance even early on in the game.
The games shown at this time were The Kung-Fu, looking identical to its release version save for the title screen, as well as Kato & Ken. In addition to that was a game titled Paris-Dakar Rally (a very popular title for games at this time...) which would become Victory Run, of course. Criticism was leveled at the rally game as lacking any sense of speed compared to OutRun and Highway Star (Rad Racer) despite their similar looks. The player couldn't just barrel along as in those games, but rather painstakingly plan for every leg of the rally. Slightly disappointing, then.
Other notable games announced in the PCE's early release schedule include Pinball (released only in a heavily modified form as Alien Crush, most likely) and Jungle Story, which, naturally, transformed into The Legendary Axe.
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A lot more here: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/PCE_1987Q3.html
Translation here: http://www.excite-webtl.jp/world/eng...=JAEN&wb_dis=2
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SEGA: Oct.-Dec. 1988
The Mega Drive Announcement!
Famicom Hissyoubon had a lot of new game announcements in their Oct.21, 1988 issue, one of them being Sega's brand new Mega Drive.
I've transcribed the article into text below (translate it at your leisure) and some interesting points are: It was code-named "Mark 5; and along with the released modem & Mega Adaptor (Power Base Converter), several unreleased peripherals announced were a 2-inch floppy disk drive, "music tool", keyboard, graphic tool, and printer.
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more here: http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/c...D__1988Q4.html
translated on google
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New hard NEWS!! Sega, released on the 29th October at ¥ 21000,!!The CPU use of 16-bit, 68000!New hard Sega that had rumors for everything that we have published on September 29, I'll report the contents of the hard and the pattern of presentation.*The name of the new hard I called "Sega Mega Drive". Since using the new CPU to this, he does not appear to be a feeling that mark Ⅴ, which had been rumored. That, CPU, which has been in care, are using 68000 予相 street. This CPU is 16-bit, processing speed so I do be improved several steps than the 8-bit up to now. Moreover, most of the arcade game is using this CPU. That is likely to be implanted, and is a translation What can also use the software stored in the arcade. It's Sega arcade manufacturer expected. Z80 until now also be mounted as a sub-CPU in addition to it. If you are now responsible for such music, which I have adapted to distribute the processing by the CPU in two. By doing so, because I can perform high-speed processing that much. Well, as to the future for detailed specifications etc., or let's look at the body. As shown in the photograph, I have the error Katchoe unified style in black. Roundness of the center of the main unit reminiscent of the CD, but it 's a mere design. Also, It seems I can be use one ROM CD in the future of course. The peripherals of the neighborhood, as the center of the body mega drive, modem, two inches FDD, music tool, keyboard, graphics tools, printers, and mega adapter, such as are provided in a wide variety. Development is already underway, it seems to debut in the spring of next year for the game using the modem in this. The contents of the game in baseball, play Na so can in real time. Moreover, defense and attack Rather than see the same screen as the baseball game ever, attacking from the batter's box, defensive Na so can play by dividing and so on screen as seen from the pitcher. It 's great expectations from now absorbing it.*Well, more of the important software goes, it's also powerful this are available. - Space Harrier Ⅱ one. This has become a feeling that, making the changes of character and improved Mega Drive for the Supehari. However, resolution of this mega drive the same as the arcade game. This means that ground and background finer by the resolution is raised, I comfortable 3D sensation is felt and Bashibashi. Another Super Thunder Blade. This is also the form of the transplanted with arcade games. Ⅱ same Supehari, 3D is going smoothly as well. And has become a centerpiece, would be altered beast's popular arcade now. Besides, I'm fully ported almost. In addition, title sky Haunts of Alexander, pine-kun, fantasy star Ⅱ, such as the late super grand strategy is going up, it is likely to believe that the release of soft 20 or more during the current fiscal year.*It is in my opinion a little from here, but let's raise the great thing about this mega drive some. First, the double scroll function string attached. It is possible to issue strong sense of depth thereby. Sounds'm beautiful rich PSG, FM, and PCM. External output is also a main video terminal but, RGB output is also adapted to be attached as an option. Looking to the total basis, it is the feeling was considered simply because it arcade manufacturer, fine-grained hard design that has been carried out. In fact, it is bad to Sega's, but I did not think performance is good so, software has plenty of, the price is cheap. Given the strength of being able to port the arcade game, ‥ I'll might hit than SNES ... ·.*(Report / terminator Tsuji)① This is the main body. I can be attached ② is also disk drive design is also quite nifty. Specification of the disk 2 inches. Software of three to be released at the same time as the graphics tool. ③ ④ ⑤ keyboard body with undetermined package "altered beast", "Space Harrier Ⅱ" "Super Thunder Blade" still rings or 2HD become 2DD. , ¥ 5800 4M with three*▲ Supehari Ⅱ, of course, a beautiful Dekakyara*▲ I even do that can be displayed in a row up to 80 characters
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Sega: Jan.-Mar. 1989
Unreleased Mega Drive Peripherals!
As I might have mentioned before on other pages, Nintendo, Sega, and NEC locked themselves into a "vaporware arms race" throughout the 80s and early 90s. It probably began with the add-on BASIC interpreter and keyboard that every console maker felt they had to release to turn their little systems into "computers." Sega did the same with their SG-1000 II, and NEC tried to do it with their PC-Engine Tsushin Booster much, much later (they never released it.)
Next up was the disk drive unit, which Nintendo infamously released, flogged, and kept on life support until 1992 or so. Sega felt the need to copy them and tried something similar for the Master System (never got released) and, as can be seen here, for the Mega Drive. Other small weapons in the arms race included a modem (the Famicom had at least two different ones) which Sega released only to face complete apathy, and which, again, NEC tried but failed to release; a drawing tablet, of which Sega was the first to release for their SG-1000, NEC second (a light-pen thingy), and finally the Famicom (Bandai in 1990.)
It must be said that this copying by various vendors was done in a typically Japanese style: long periods of no innovation as companies were too risk-averse (euphemism) to be the first to try something new; then when one company finally summons the courage to innovate, all others scramble to copy the innovator. It's a circular follow-the-leader. Later this race took on an anticompetitive tone as one company (usually Nintendo) would announce a distant new piece of hardware at the same time as a second company was beginning to sell theirs, thereby souring consumers' interest in the hardware that was just released (hello, SNES CD.)
Anyway, as can be seen here, Sega showed off in late 1988 a keyboard, drawing tablet, and (nonstandard 2-inch) disk drive (and a modem, too, of course) for eventual use with the Mega Drive. None of these pictured were ever released, though the existence of a working tablet has been confirmed. Would these have succeeded if they had been released? I really doubt it, considering the MD's Japanese user base of older arcade-lovers and shoot-em-up fans.
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Super Famicom: December 1988
The First Super Famicom Demonstration
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The Super Famicom was demonstrated to the Japanese press on November 21, 1988 (precisely 2 years before its proper release), and so Famicom Tsushin Magazine published a special report in their December 23, 1988 issue.
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Simply way too many images & texts to put in this post. There's a whole heck of a lot more here: http://www.chrismcovell.com/secret/SFC_1988Q4.htmlQuote:
Other interesting things from this report:
The SFC's Work RAM was set at a puny 8 Kilobytes! (To be upped before release, of course.) The sound hardware is said to be "2 Custom LSI chips" Perhaps this meant the sampled audio unit as well as the DSP.
The "Famicom Adaptor" that went unreleased in its current form was still labeled "Family Computer", so it is not by any means an adaptor that sits on top of the SFC.
The legendary picture of a "16-bit Adventure of Link" is shown here. It's likely just a still showing the SFC's graphics tile addressing capabilities, alongside the digitization and colour demonstration still pictures on the same page.
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The Neo-Geo's announcement and first ads
I've been on a little Neo-Geo kick lately, so I thought I'd scan some of the first ads for the NG arcade and home units, starting way back in April 1990. I have a real soft spot for the early Neo games too, before fighting contests took over the whole damn system.
SNK efforts like Nam 1975, Baseball Stars, and Cyber-Lip were full of gratuitous voice samples, Motley Crue guitar licks, and inexperience with the new hardware, while Alpha Denshi products like Magician Lord and Crossed Swords had great, moody music and gobs of giant, rainbow-coloured sprites.
Enjoy the first look at a game platform that quite accurately dubbed itself 'the system of the '90s!'
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