The NEC PC-FX

Started by TL, February 19, 2013, 19:35:35 PM

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TL

The PC-FX is a video game console released in Japan on December 23, 1994 by NEC Corporation. It is the 32-bit successor to NEC's PC Engine (known in the US as the TurboGrafx-16).
Unlike its predecessor, the PC-FX was only released in Japan, where it is seen to have been a commercial failure, unable to compete effectively with its fifth generation peers. The PC-FX was NEC's last dedicated video game console, and was discontinued in February 1998.

You can read more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC-FX

I also found this really nice video review of it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocxM1Cx7w8s

tomwaits

The PC-FX library is very limited. Only two real 'action' games... Chip Chan Kick and Zeroigar. They're both expensive and neither are spectacular games. Unless you really enjoy early 90s anime/hentai there isn't much to enjoy on the console.

TrekMD

What a contrast compared to the TurboGraphx 16!  Looks like NEC made a big mistake by not using better hardware for the system.  Perhaps it was best they limited release to Japan.

Going to the final frontier, gaming...


zapiy

I always wanted one of these, would still love one even with the limited games.

Own: Jaguar, Lynx, Dreamcast, Saturn, MegaDrive, MegaCD, 32X, GameGear, PS3, PS, PSP, Wii, GameCube, N64, DS, GBA, GBC, GBP, GB,  Xbox, 3DO, CDi,  WonderSwan, WonderSwan Colour NGPC

Rogue Trooper

Reading old interview with Hudson Soft, where they mentioned plans to support NEC PC-FX:

They talked of plans which would'nt include games like Bomberman, as it was the companies intention to concentrate soley on software based on popular anime series, the entire marketing and software focus was to go towards development and promotion of games biased towards pre-rendered Anime footage.


The feature/interview also mentioned the PC-FX could receive faxes (and hook upto NEC's PC98 computers), what an odd best.

Capable of handling sprite+polygon based games, but going for the pre-rendered route and doubling as a fax machine, if+when needed.

Rogue Trooper

Reading up on the system, not overly sure how 'correct' some of the Wikip.claims are.

NEC's Iron Man console never had any final specs given out by the company, but originally they said it was to have 5X Hudson Co-Processors, but once it switched to being little more than a 'digital movement system' as they called it, and was re-named to simply the 'FX', NEC released the following specs for it.

Main CPU: 32 Bit RISC V810 (NEC), 2X CD Rom drive, 2 megabytes DRAM, 1.25 megabytes VRAM, 1 megabyte ROM, 256K CD RAM buffer and 32K SRAM.

System could refresh 24 Bit colour images at 30 FPS.

The original hardware design, had a demo running of Super Star Solider 3D and the project was canned because of superior hardware performance from Sega Saturn+Sony Playstation, it was due to be launched at end of 1994.

TL

Here are some videos of a few games:

Kishin Douji Zenki FX (Nec PC-FX)
Zenki - By Hudson Soft

"Last Imperial Prince" PC-FX
Last Imperial Prince - By NEC

PC-FX - BATTLE HEAT ( FULL GAMEPLAY WITH HAN )
Battle Heat - By Hudson Soft

onthinice

I like the looks of the system. I never look at systems like this as failures. I feel you just have to look for the good that each console offers.

zapiy

Typical Jap type games, would be great to have a bash on those sometime.

Own: Jaguar, Lynx, Dreamcast, Saturn, MegaDrive, MegaCD, 32X, GameGear, PS3, PS, PSP, Wii, GameCube, N64, DS, GBA, GBC, GBP, GB,  Xbox, 3DO, CDi,  WonderSwan, WonderSwan Colour NGPC

TL


onthinice

Graphics are really nice. Very good use of colors. If there is a down side the game play looks almost 16-bit instead of 32-bit.

TL

FX Fighter is a cancelled fighting game, used to promote the PC-FX and it's graphical capabilities.  A demo was shown at the Tokyo Toy Show in 1994. The game was a 1-on-1 3D fighter which used FMV to represent the characters movement.  The game was cancelled halfway through development with only 3 or 4 characters done because the sheer size of the FMVs needed to complete the game exceeded the capacity of a single CD.

You can watch a couple of videos below, one taken from a promotional video made by NEC to promote the then brand-new system

FX Fighter [PC-FX - Cancelled]

Cancelled PC-FX game, FX Fighter 1994 - Sound

Shadowrunner

Very impressive looking game, especially compared to the other games on the system!

AmigaJay

Would have played awful though....dragons lair 3d fighting!
Old School Gamer Since 1982 - Creator of various gaming websites and blogs 1998-2018

Shadowrunner

Quote from: "AmigaJay"Would have played awful though....dragons lair 3d fighting!

 :21: Good point!