Sega SG-1000

Infobox CVG system| title = Sega SG-1000



manufacturer = Sega
type = Video game console
generation = Second generation
lifespan = flagicon|Japan July 15, 1983
flagicon|AUS 1983
flagicon|NZL 1983
flagicon|Japan July, 1984(SG-1000 II)
discontinue = flagicon|JapanJuly, 1984
flagicon|AUS 1985
flagicon|NZL 1985
flagicon|JapanOct, 1985(SG-1000 II)
last software released Feb 18, 1987
CPU = NEC 780C (clone of Zilog Z80)
media = ROM cartridge
onlineservice =
topgame =
predecessor =
successor = Sega Mark III/Sega Master System

The nihongo|SG-1000|エスジー・セン|Esujī Sen, which stands for Sega Game 1000, is a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega. This system marked Sega's first entry into the home video game hardware business, and while the system was not popular,Fact|date=September 2008 it provided the basis for the more successful Sega Master System.Fact|date=September 2008

History

The SG-1000 was test marketed in Japan in 1981 and first released to the Japanese market in July 15, 1983 for ¥15,000. The console reached minor success in that market and sold moderately well within Asia until 1985. The system was launched in New Zealand as released by Grandstand Leisure Limited, Australia and in other countries, such as Italy, Spain, and South Africa. The console in its original form was never launched in North America.

Game manufacturer Tsukada Original produced the Othello Multivision, an SG-1000 clone. Bit Corp's Dina 2-in-1 ColecoVision clone was brought to North America by a company called Telegames. Telegames called its clone the Telegames Personal Arcade, which could play ColecoVision and SG-1000 games.

A caveat is the SG-1000's surprisingly wide availability on Taiwan's secondary market. This console is highly significant in Taiwan as one of its first and best-remembered consoles, where it was manufactured and sold (very briskly) under license as "阿羅士" ['Lou Shi'] . This was striking in that in the same time period from 1981 to 1986, Famicom games were widely pirated as standalone and multi-carts (replete with rudimentary switch banks to select the active ROM), as well as no less than three different pirated versions of the Atari 2600 with boastful monikers characteristic of the times ("冒險家" ['Adventurer'] , "賓果" ['Delight'] , "強棒創造者" ['Steadfast Creator'] ).

Taiwan, among a few other countries, also received a "Mark IV" version of the console (most likely a modified Sega Master System II) and the Mark naming convention was further extended to the Mega Drive/Genesis ('Mark V').

Emulation

The Gametap subscription gaming service includes an emulator of the SG-1000 console. As of June 15, 2007, eleven SG-1000 titles were available for play. The open source emulators MESS, blueMSX, and MEKA are able to emulate the SG-1000 console, among other consoles. Sega Master System emulators are usually able to play SG-1000 games, as the real Sega Master System also had that capability.

G-1000 II

In July 1984, Sega released an updated version of the console called the SG-1000 II. It is functionally identical to the SG-1000, but has a re-styled shell and the connector for the optional plug-in SK-1100 keyboard has been moved from the rear to the front. It was initially priced at ¥15,000. A computer version of this console, with a built-in keyboard, was called the SC-3000, which would go on to outsell the SG-1000.

The SG-1000 runs all SC-3000 games and applications, with the exception of Music and Basic Cartridges. The machine could be used just like the SC-3000, provided one had the keyboard attachment ready. The console also had an optional game card reader add-on called the "Card Catcher" that allowed for the use of Sega game card software.

The "Card Catcher" would become built into the Sega Mark III, as well as the first version of the Sega Master System.

ega Mark III

The Sega Mark III (Codename of Sega is SG-1000M3), a yet newer version in Japan with improved video hardware and an increased amount of RAM, would be redesigned to become the Sega Master System. It was recently announced that the system will be available on the Wii's Virtual Console. [http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/?v=news&p=21336]

ega SC-3000

The SC-3000 was the computer equivalent of the SG-1000.

The SC-3000 sold for ¥29,800 in 1983 and was marketed as a computer for beginners. Since games were compatible with both the SC-3000 and SG-1000, and since the SC-3000 was also able to run computer applications, it outsold the SG-1000.

Users were able to create their own programs and games on the machine in BASIC, as well as machine code. A speech synthesis unit, light pen, and several other third party accessories were also available.

The SC-3000H, which originally sold for ¥33,800, was an upgraded version of the SC-3000 with more RAM and an upgraded keyboard (the original keyboard was of the low-end membrane type).

The SC-3000 had an add-on called the SF-7000. The SF-7000 added 64KB of RAM and 8KB ROM, a 3-inch floppy disk drive, a Centronics parallel port, and an RS232 serial port.

pecifications

* CPU: NEC 780C (clone of Zilog Z80)
** 3.579545 MHz for NTSC, 3.546893 MHz for PAL
* Main RAM: 16 kbit (2 kB)
* Video RAM: 128 kbit (16 kB)
*Video processor: Texas Instruments TMS9928A
**256x192 resolution
**32 sprites
**16 colors
* Sound: Texas Instruments SN76489
** 4-channel mono sound
** 3 sound generators, 4 octaves each, 1 white noise generator
* Ports:
** 1 Cartridge
** 1 Composite video
** 1 Joystick(SG-1000) Player2's port.
** 2 Joystick(SG-1000II/Othello MultiVision) Player1&2's port.
** 1 Expansion parallel bus ( Peripherals that can be connected : SK-1100 Keyboard(SG-1000/II/MarkIII/Othello MultiVision) or FM Sound Unit(Mark III only) )
** 1 Cassette(It adheres to SK-1100 Keyboard)
** 1 printer(It adheres to SK-1100 keyboard)

List of SG-1000/SC-3000 series Games

* Genre Name

(*2)It is inserted into Cartridge Slot, and a 'Card Catcher' is the thing of the adapter to use card software. A 'Card Catcher' attached version existed in the first limited edition of Dragon-Wang and ZOOM-909. Because there is no card slot in the SG-1000/SC-3000 series, it is a necessary adapter (card slot SEGA Mark III/ MasterSystem(J). But, it is possible that it is used. (It isn't meaningful.))

* [Othello Multivision Cartridge List]

* [Others]

note: "TV Oekaki" is the software which draws a picture. Tablet connected with Cartridge and the cable is attached. Incidentally, "Oekaki" is meaning to say when a picture is drawn in Japanese.

External links

* [http://www.sega.com SEGA.com]
* [http://sega.jp/archive/segahard/ SEGA.jp Sega Hardware encyclopedia (Japanese)]
* [http://membres.lycos.fr/mavati/sf7000/ Page on SC-3000 and SF-7000]
* [http://www.sc-3000.com/ SC-3000 Survivors]