Bandai RX-78
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Manufacturer | Bandai |
---|---|
Type | Home computer |
Release date | July 1983 |
Introductory price | ¥59,800 (Japan) [1] |
Media | Cartridges, Compact Cassette |
Operating system | BS-BASIC |
CPU | SHARP LH0080A (Z80A) @ 4.1 MHz |
Memory | 30KB RAM; 8KB ROM |
Graphics | 192 × 184, 27 colors |
Sound | SN76489 (3× voices (4 octaves) with 1 noise generator) |
Connectivity | 2× Joystick, 1× RF, 1× RCA, 2× ROM cartridge |
Power | 10W |
Predecessor | Bandai Arcadia |
Successor | Playdia |
The Bandai RX-78 is a Japanese 8-bit microcomputer manufactured by Bandai.[2][3][4][5] Its name comes from the RX-78-2 Gundam. It was released in July 1983,[6][1][7] and employed a SHARP LH0080A (Zilog Z80A clone) CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 4.1 MHz,[8][9] and shipped with 30 KB of RAM and 8KB of ROM.[10][9] It had two joystick ports in a proprietary format[11] using 8-pin DIN connectors.
The computer can generate 27 colors, created from 3 levels of intensity of each RGB channel, arranged into VRAM video planes,[12] with a maximum resolution of 192×184 pixels, and is capable of displaying 30 x 23 text characters using a 6x8 pixel font.[9] Sound was generated by the Texas Instruments SN76489 chip, providing 3 voices in four octaves and noise generator.[13] Software was available on cartridges[14] or cassettes.
The RX-78 had a release cost of 59,800 yen,[6][7] and was sold with a dozen of games and software, including a BASIC interpreter cartridge featuring a cassette tape interface .[1][9]
Software
[edit]The Bandai RX-78 was primarily a gaming machine, with two joysticks included. Software was released on ROM cartridges ("Sen'you Soft Cartridge")[15] and compact cassettes ("Sen'you Tape Cassette").
Games
[edit]About 20 games for the Bandai RX-78 were released:[16]
- Cannon Ball (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Card World (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Challenge Golf (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Champion Racer (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[17][16]
- Combined Fleet[16][5]
- Donjara (Sen'you Tape Cassette)
- Excite Baseball (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[18][16]
- Excite Tennis (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Hamburger Shop (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[19][16]
- Fight! Ultraman[16]
- Hitsuji Yaai (Sen'you Tape Cassette)
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Luna Two no Tatakai (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[20]
- Perfect Mah-jongg (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[21][16]
- The Pro-Wrestling (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[22][16]
- Rengo Kantai (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)
- Sekigahara (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[23][16]
- Sheep[16]
- Space Capsule (Sen'you Tape Cassette)[16]
- Space Enemy (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[24][16]
- Super Motocross (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[25][16]
- Tatakae! Ultraman (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[26]
- Yellow Cab (Sen'you Tape Cassette)[16]
- Zero Fighter[16]
- Zerosen (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)
Educational (Education Series)
[edit]A smaller number of non-gaming titles were released:[16]
- ABC Tangou Game (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Graphic Sugaku (Sen'you Tape Cassette)[27][16]
- Keisan Enshuu Drill (Sen'you Tape Cassette)[16]
- Sansu Tsuma Zuki
Applications (Culture Series)
[edit]A smaller number of non-gaming titles were released:[16]
- 3-Dimension Graphics (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Animation Graphics (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- BS BASIC Ver.1.0 (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Creative Graphics (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Healthy Life Plan (Sen'you Tape Cassette)[16]
- Kanji Word Processor[16]
- Music Master (Sen'you Soft Cartridge)[16]
- Z80 Assembler[16]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer Games Preserved! – Gaming Alexandria". www.gamingalexandria.com.
- ^ "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card Scans (600DPI) : Bandai : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". July 1983.
- ^ "『パソコン博物館』:2.『高速3次元グラフィック』がキーワードの『ガンダムという名のパソコン』 : RX-78-GUNDAM (バンダイ:1983)". blog.livedoor.jp. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ 株式会社インプレス (2019-10-29). "「ガンダム」の名を冠したパーソナルコンピュータ「RX-78 GUNDAM」". AKIBA PC Hotline! (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ a b レトロゲーム専門ニュースサイト, ファミコンのネタ!!. "ガンダムがトラウマになった日、克服した日 【1/3】". famicoms.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ a b "Bandai RX-78 Gundam - Computer - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
- ^ a b "RX-78 GUNDAM | henly Museum | MUUSEO 487002". ミューゼオ(MUUSEO) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ "RX-78 Gundam Bandai Electronics (Japan)". 1000 BiT.
- ^ a b c d "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card Scans (600DPI) : Bandai : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". July 1983.
- ^ "Gundam RX-78". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
- ^ Blanchard, Jonn (October 15, 2018). "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Personal Computer Joystick Pinout".
- ^ "eRX-78 謎WIPページ". takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp.
- ^ "Platform Bandai RX 78 · z88dk/z88dk Wiki". GitHub. 14 December 2022.
- ^ Blanchard, Jonn (March 7, 2019). "RX-78 Cartridge Information".
- ^ "Bandai Rx 78 Games". Ocean of Games.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "rx78". 2012-03-03. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
- ^ "Champion Racer [0201005] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Excite Baseball [0201007] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Hamburger Shop [0201011] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Mobile Suit Gundam - Luna Two No Tatakai [0201004] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Perfect Mah-Jongg [0201008] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "The Pro Wrestling [0201013] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Sekigahara [0201027] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Space Enemy [0201019] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Super Motocross [0201024] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Tatakae! Ultraman [0201012] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
- ^ "Graphic Sugaku [0201035] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.