NEC PC-8801

The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88".

The PC-8801BE was launched as a business computer in the UK with 8" floppy drives around 1982 but it was not as successful as the PC-8001 it was intended to replace.

Variations of the PC-8801 were also sold in the United States. ^[1]

Model list

Released Year	model name	model	CPU	RAM	VRAM	N mode	V1 mode	V2 mode	V3 mode	sound	ATARI D-sub 9pin I/O port	FDD	CD-ROM	comment
1981	PC-8801		NEC µPD780 4 MHz	64KB	48KB	o	o	-	-	-	-	none	-
1983	PC-8801mkII	model10	NEC µPD780 4 MHz	64KB	48KB	o	o	-	-	-	-	none	-
		model20										5.25" 2D x1
		model30										5.25" 2D x2
1985	PC-8801mkII SR	model10	NEC µPD780 4 MHz	64KB	48KB	o	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	none	-	The V2 mode that is necessary to play most PC-88 games is introduced.
		model20										5.25" 2D x1
		model30										5.25" 2D x2
	PC-8801mkII TR		NEC µPD780 4 MHz	64KB	48KB	o	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2D x2	-	PC-8801 mkII SR with 300 bit/s modem
	PC-8801mkII FR	model10	NEC µPD780 4 MHz	64KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	none	-	Cost reduced version of PC-8801mkIISR
		model20										5.25" 2D x1
		model30										5.25" 2D x2
	PC-8801mkII MR		NEC µPD780 4 MHz	192KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-	FDD 2D->2HD
1986	PC-8801 FH	model10	NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	64KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	none	-	88FR CPU upgrade
		model20										5.25" 2D x1
		model30										5.25" 2D x2
	PC-8801 MH		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	192KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-	88MR CPU upgrade
1987	PC-88 VA		NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz	512KB	256KB	-	o	o	o	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-	CPU upgrade (8bit->16bit)
	PC-8801 FA		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	64KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2D x2	-	sound card upgrade (88FR + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
	PC-8801 MA		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	192KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-	sound card upgrade (88MR + sound board2(Yamaha YM2608))
1988	PC-88 VA2		NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz	512KB	256KB	-	o	o	o	FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-
	PC-88 VA3		NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz	512KB	256KB	-	o	o	o	FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2 / 3.5" 2TD x1	-	add 2TD FDD
	PC-8801 FE		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	64KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2D x2	-	TV(NTSC) output (composit video), del external I/O
	PC-8801 MA2		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	192KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2608) Stereo +ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	-	88MA model change
1989	PC-8801 FE2		NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	64KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2203) Mono	o	5.25" 2D x2	-	88FE model change
	PC-8801 MC	model1	NEC µPD70008 8 MHz	192KB	48KB	-	o	o	-	FM(YM2608) Stereo + ADPCM Mono	o	5.25" 2HD x2	(option)
		model2										5.25" 2HD x2	o

Hardware

For its time, the PC-8801SR (V2-mode) had a high display resolution, but could only display 8 out of 512 colors simultaneously. The 640 × 400 mode was monochrome only. Its sound-producing capabilities were also more advanced than other machines of the time.

• N mode: PC-8000_Series compatible graphic mode
• V1 mode: 640 × 200 8 colors, 640 × 400 2 colors
• V2 mode: 640 × 200 8 out of 512 colors, 640 × 400 2 out of 512 colors
• V3 mode: 640 × 200 65536 colors, 640 × 400 256 out of 65536 colors, 320 × 200 65536 colors, 320 ×  400 64 out of 65536 colors

• PC-8801/PC8801mkII
  • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)
  • Resolutions: ( N mode / V1 mode )
  • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48 = 112 KB RAM
  • Sound: beep only

• PC-8801mkIISR/TR/FR/MR
  • CPU: NEC PD780C-1 (Z80A-compatible)
  • Resolutions: (SR) ( N mode / V1 mode / V2 mode ) or (TR/FR/MR) ( V1 mode / V2 mode )
  • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MR = 244 KB)
  • Sound: beep + YM2203 ( 3 FM channels, 3 SSG ) Mono

• PC-8801FH/MH/FE/FE2
  • CPU: µPD70008 (Z80H-compatible)
  • Resolutions: ( V1 mode / V2 mode )
  • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MH = 244 KB)
  • Sound: beep + YM2203 ( 3 FM channels, 3 SSG ) Mono

• PC-8801FA/MA/MA2/MC
  • CPU: µPD70008 (Z80H-compatible)
  • Resolutions: ( V1 mode / V2 mode )
  • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 64+48+4 = 116 KB RAM (MA/MA2/MC = 244 KB)
  • Sound: beep + YM2608 ( 6 FM channels, 3 SSG, 6 rhythms) Stereo + 1 ADPCM Mono

• PC-88VA/VA2/VA3
  • CPU: NEC V50 (µPD9002) 8 MHz
  • Resolutions: ( V1 mode / V2 mode / V3 mode )
  • Memory: 40+8+24 = 72 KB ROM, 512+48+256 = 816 KB RAM
  • Sound: beep + (VA)YM2203 ( 3 FM channels, 3 SSG ) Mono or (VA2/VA3)YM2608 ( 6 FM channels, 3 SSG, 6 rhythms) Stereo + 1 ADPCM Mono

A part of software corresponds to YM2608 and ADPCM. (ex: Snatcher)

Software

Companies that produced exclusive software for the NEC PC-8801 included Enix, Square, Sega, Falcom, Bandai Soft, Hal Laboratory, ASCII, Pony, T&E Soft, Wolf Team, Dempa, Champion Soft, Starcraft, Micro Cabin, PSK, and Bothtec. Certain games produced for the PC-8801 had a shared release with the MSX, such as those produced by Game Arts, ELF, and Konami. Many popular series first appeared on the NEC PC-8801, including Snatcher, Thexder, Dragon Slayer, RPG Maker, and Ys.

Nintendo licensed Hudson Soft to port some of Nintendo's Family Computer games for the console, including Excitebike, Balloon Fight, Tennis, Donkey Kong 3, Golf, and Ice Climber, as well as new editions of Mario Bros. called Mario Bros. Special and Punch Ball Mario Bros. and a unique Super Mario Bros. game for the computer, Super Mario Bros. Special.

The computer also had its own BASIC dialect, N88-BASIC.

References

1. ^ Info World: p.52. May 1984. http://books.google.com/books?id=uS4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52&dq=pc-8801&hl=de&ei=qL3CTcurGJH64Abhjr3NBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=pc-8801&f=false. 

External links

• System Information emulation site for retro Japanese computers
• OLD-COMPUTERS.COM: The Museum: NEC PC-8801
• NEC PC-8801 info page popular games, tags and developers at uvlist.net
• NEC PC-8801 MK I comercial on YouTube
• NEC PC-8801 MK II commercial on Youtube
• NEC PC-8801 MK II MR comercial on YouTube
• A list of downloadable PC88 emulators

Preceded by NEC PC-6001 NEC PC-6601 PC-8000 Series

NEC Personal Computers

Succeeded by NEC PC-9801