check these out #1: arcade system boards

[Hydra450]

This is a topic where I put up pictures of arcade system boards and you look at them and give your opinions!

This is the DECO Cassette System, introduced into the arcades by Data East in 1980, accompanied by the Multi-Conversion Kit. First-ever arcade system board to have interchangeable games. The games are stored on audio cassettes that the system's memory will assimilate and load in 2 minutes and you can play on the machine. Each tape comes with a security dongle to protect against illegal copying. Its popularity was at its peak in 1982. However, there were problems. One thing, the tapes are sensitive to magnetics and are demagnetized easily. Another flaw is long loading times. The final flaw, is that the quality of the games on the system were kinda "bleh". The Cassette System was discontinued in 1984. Nevertheless, one of the games on it (BurgerTime) became an instant classic, and also, the Cassette System is the metaphorical prototype for later arcade system boards like it, like Nintendo's Playchoice-10 (based on the NES), and SNK's Neo-Geo and such.
this is Mission X for the Cassette System, pictured with its security dongle

speaking of the Neo-Geo MVS...
there are different types of motherboards. and there are six or seven types of them that play one cartridge, like this one; model MV-1
this is model MV-1F
MV-1A (I know what you're thinking, "It looks a lot like that MV-1F")
MV-1B (can only play the trackball game, Irritating Maze)
model MV-1C (on it, the cartridges mount vertically)
this is the MV-1FZ, another version of the MV-1F
this is the MV-2F, and it can play two games in one cabinet (not at once!)
this is the MV-4F, and it can have four games installed on the cabinet
and this is the MV-6F, and it can have six games installed in the cabinet! Of course, I heard that they're rather notorious for breaking after a while

this is the motherboard for the Europe-only Sega Mega-Tech, a multi-game jukebox system (like the Neo-Geo) whose hardware is based on the Genesis/Mega Drive (and no, you can't play its carts on a standard Genesis/Mega Drive home console)
this is the PCB for the Mega-Play, a later version of the Mega-Tech that can only have two games installed on it (and like the Mega-Tech, the hardware is based on the Genesis/Mega Drive)

tell me what you think!




Image re-sized - Admin

[dillybar64]

Who made this beast of a machine and how long did it take them?

[Hydra450]

which one?!

[dillybar64]

These were all made by different people?
I figured it was one person who had way too much free time and this was their hobby.

[Hydra450]

about time you recognized what companies made these.
anyway

this is the Bubble System, made by Konami in the early '80s and it used Bubble Memory technology for the game cartridges. This motherboard here is pictured with a Gradius Bubble Software cartridge *ahem* Gradius is one of the games made for the Bubble System. When you activate it, you'll have to wait for a minute or two before the board reaches the operational tempature (45-50 degrees celsius). Of course it's more expensive than regular ROM chip-based arcade systems and Bubble Memory technology being sensitive to anything that produces a magnetic field.

[Admin]

This thread makes me feel nostalgic.
The good old days where truly the good ones.

[Hydra450]

I see this topic has gotten your attention, Mr. Admin sir!

[Hydra450]

Capcom CPS-II (US Ver.)

what do you think? this thing played the arcade version of Super Street Fighter II! In case you didn't know, the blue thing is a game cartridge

[Hydra450]

this is the Capcom CPS Changer, a video game console released in 1994 by Capcom based on the CPS-1 arcade system board, intended to compete with SNK's Neo-Geo AES, in terms of bringing the arcade action to the living rooms. From what I have heard, they're available via mail order. Console itself, with a CPS Fighter joystick and Street Fighter II' Turbo, retailed for 38,000 Yen. Additional games were sold for 20,000 Yen. If I remember correctly, there were only 11 games released for it (among them a back-ported version of Street Fighter Alpha). I bet you're wondering why the cartridges were huge. It's because the main console of the CPS Changer is essentially a SuperGUN, a device used for playing arcade system boards on TV, and the game cartridges were essentially arcade motherboards put in plastic shells. It didn't do too well, though. Since then, they've become really rare collector's items. I saw one once on ebay. The concept where the motherboards are in plastic shells was reused in the CPS-2.

This is the Capcom CPS-3, the successor to the CPS-2, powered by the Hitachi HD6417099 (SH-2) RISC chip. The games are on CDs which contains the encrypted contents. Each game comes with a security cartridge which contains a game's BIOS (Basic Input/Output System, if you don't know any computer terminology) and the SH-2 chip with integrated decryption logic, with the per-game key stored in battery-backed SRAM (Static RAM). The security cartridges are sensitive enough to any kind of tampering that would result in the decryption key being erased and the cartridge itself useless. The games are unplayable if the security cartridge's battery dies, and you'll have to get a new one. The CPS-3 is only capable of 2-D graphics (REALLY GOOD 2-D GRAPHICS!!) and it came out in the late 1990s in a time where most games where being developed with 3-D graphics in mind. All three interations of Street Fighter III came out on the CPS-3, in case you don't know!

[Hydra450]

this is the Sega NAOMI, an arcade system based on the Sega Dreamcast.
and this is the NAOMI's GD-ROM drive, for playing GD-ROM-based games, similar to those played on the Dreamcast.
here we have the NAOMI hooked up to the GD-ROM module

also, the GD-ROM unit can be used with the NAOMI 2, the Gamecube-based Triforce (created in collaboration between Sega, Namco, and Nintendo), and the Chihiro system.