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Bandai RX-78

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Bandai RX-78
ManufacturerBandai
TypeHome computer
Release dateJuly 1983 (1983-07)
Introductory price¥59,800 (Japan) [1]
MediaCartridges, Compact Cassette
Operating systemBS-BASIC
CPUSHARP LH0080A (Z80A) @ 4.1 MHz
Memory30KB RAM; 8KB ROM
Graphics192 × 184, 27 colors
SoundSN76489 (3× voices (4 octaves) with 1 noise generator)
Connectivity2× Joystick, 1× RF, 1× RCA, 2× ROM cartridge
Power10W
PredecessorBandai Arcadia
SuccessorPlaydia

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] 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][8]

The Bandai RX-78 was primarily a gaming machine, with two joysticks included. Software was available on cartridges[9] or cassettes.

Specifications

[edit]

The Bandai RX-78 employed a SHARP LH0080A (Zilog Z80A clone) CPU, running a clock speed of 4.1 MHz.[10][8] It shipped with 30 KB of RAM and 8KB of ROM.[11][8] It had two joystick ports in a proprietary format[12] 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,[13] with a maximum resolution of 192 × 184 pixels, and is capable of displaying 30 × 23 text characters using a 6 × 8 pixel font.[8] Sound was generated by the Texas Instruments SN76489 chip, providing 3 voices in four octaves and noise generator.[14]

Software

[edit]

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]
  1. ^ a b c "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer Games Preserved! – Gaming Alexandria". www.gamingalexandria.com.
  2. ^ "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card". Internet Archive. July 1983.
  3. ^ "『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.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b "Bandai RX-78 Gundam". Computing History. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. ^ a b "RX-78 GUNDAM | henly Museum | MUUSEO 487002". ミューゼオ(MUUSEO) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  8. ^ a b c d "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card". Internet Archive. July 1983.
  9. ^ Blanchard, Jonn (March 7, 2019). "RX-78 Cartridge Information".
  10. ^ "RX-78 Gundam Bandai Electronics (Japan)". 1000 BiT.
  11. ^ "Gundam RX-78". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Archived from the original on 2021-06-15. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  12. ^ Blanchard, Jonn (October 15, 2018). "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Personal Computer Joystick Pinout".
  13. ^ "eRX-78 謎WIPページ". takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp.
  14. ^ "Platform Bandai RX 78 · z88dk/z88dk Wiki". GitHub. 14 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Bandai Rx 78 Games". Ocean of Games.
  16. ^ 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 "ＲＸ－７８（ＧＵＮＤＡＭ）". N o s t a l g i a. 2012-03-03. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  17. ^ "Champion Racer [0201005] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ "Excite Baseball [0201007] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  19. ^ "Hamburger Shop [0201011] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  20. ^ "Mobile Suit Gundam - Luna Two No Tatakai [0201004] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ^ "Perfect Mah-Jongg [0201008] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "The Pro Wrestling [0201013] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  23. ^ "Sekigahara [0201027] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  24. ^ "Space Enemy [0201019] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ^ "Super Motocross [0201024] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ^ "Tatakae! Ultraman [0201012] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ^ "Graphic Sugaku [0201035] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
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