38 replies to this topic

[A2600]

What Games are in this series?

- Star Fox
- Stunt Racer FX
- Star Fox 2

[JerseyDevil]

A2600 said:

What Games are in this series?

- Star Fox
- Stunt Racer FX
- Star Fox 2

Doesn't Yoshi's Island use the FX chip?

[A2600]

What games are in the SNES 1991 Line Up?

- Super Mario World
- F-Zero
- Pilowings
- Sim City
- Mario Paint
- NCAA Basketball
- Hals Hole In One Golf?
- Super Soccer/Tennis/Football???

[chrisbid]

NCAA Basketball?

i think that was later than 91...

it was kindof cool though, you played in outer space

[A2600]

chrisbid said:

NCAA Basketball?

i think that was later than 91...

it was kindof cool though, you played in outer space

TRUE 1992 HAL

[Tempest]

I thought Doom used the FX chip.

Tempest

[A2600]

Tempest said:

I thought Doom used the FX chip.

Tempest

I think Thats Possible

[Scooterb23]

Yes Doom did, and so did Vortex...I don't believe Yoshi's Island uses it jerseydevil...

[Punisher5.0]

These are some games that used the FX2 chip:

Street Fighter Alpha 2
Dirt Trax FX
Super Mario World 2
Winter Gold

[SS]

http://www.nintendol...m?snes/tech.htm

http://www.gamersgra...tory/chips.html

[Ze_ro]

Scooterb23 said:

I don't believe Yoshi's Island uses it jerseydevil...

Yes, it definitely does... it uses it for a handful of effects, like when the walls try to squash you in the first castle. I'm actually very impressed that they managed to use it with such subtlety... most games like Starfox and Pilotwings pretty much beat you over the head with the fact that they're using nifty effects.

Punisher5.0 said:

Street Fighter Alpha 2

I'm almost certain that SFA2 does not use a SuperFX chip... it does use a goofy chip called the SDD-1, which is used to transparently uncompress all the graphics on the fly (which, incidentally, makes it rather tricky to emulate... although I think it's been worked out recently). This chip was also used in Star Ocean, and I think some Japanese games that never made it to North America. It's possible that SFA2 uses a SuperFX in addition to this, but I think this is unlikely since it would make the cartridge really expensive to produce, and since SFA2 doesn't require any 3D effects, there's not much point in sticking a SuperFX in there.

All SuperFX cartridges have a wider set of pins on the connector... there's an extra set on each side of the normal set. I'm not entirely sure if this is a foolproof method of finding SuperFX games though, since the C4 or SDD-1 might have these too, and I know that the Super Gameboy has them as well... whatever the case, if a game has these extra pins, you know you're in for something good Of course, pretty much all SuperFX games also have a little "SuperFX" icon on their label as well... although Yoshi's Island doesn't have it, so I guess maybe they didn't stick it on all the games (Or perhaps they didn't want people knowing Yoshi's Island had the SuperFX chip so that they wouldn't expect the game to be all 3D and junk).

--Zero

[Punisher5.0]

Ze_ro said:

I'm almost certain that SFA2 does not use a SuperFX chip... it does use a goofy chip called the SDD-1, which is used to transparently uncompress all the graphics on the fly (which, incidentally, makes it rather tricky to emulate... although I think it's been worked out recently). This chip was also used in Star Ocean, and I think some Japanese games that never made it to North America. It's possible that SFA2 uses a SuperFX in addition to this, but I think this is unlikely since it would make the cartridge really expensive to produce, and since SFA2 doesn't require any 3D effects, there's not much point in sticking a SuperFX in there.
--Zero

It does. Check out the top link SS posted.

[Scooterb23]

Thanks for correcting me ze_ro...shows you how closely I followed the SNES back in the day...

[Jasoco]

I still find it pretty funny that Nintendo was able to get away with really nice 3D graphics in a chip, while Sega ended up creating a monstrous cart to do the same thing in Virtua Racing. Imagine if Sega could have used this chip. Maybe Virtua Fighter 2 could have also been 3D and maybe there would have been no 32X as it is now. Seeing as DOOM and a few other games could have just been using the chip instead.

[Ze_ro]

Punisher5.0 said:

Ze_ro said:

I'm almost certain that SFA2 does not use a SuperFX chip...

It does. Check out the top link SS posted.

Yeah, I know... but I'm pretty sure that link is wrong in this case. They probably just confused it with the SDD-1 chip (which they don't mention at all).

Jasoco said:

Imagine if Sega could have used this chip. ... maybe there would have been no 32X

Well, Virtua Racing actually DOES have a similar chip... it's called the SVP (Which I think stands for Scalar Vector Processor or something), but it only ever appeared in Virtua Racing. It's actually a fairly powerful chip too (Compare Virtua Racing on the Genesis to Stunt Race FX on the SNES and you'll see what I mean). I'm sure they originally planned to use it in other games too, but the chip was so expensive that I don't think it went over too well. Virtua Racing was priced at something like $100 because of this. I'm not entirely sure why the SVP was so expensive compared to the SuperFX... Perhaps the interfacing between the chip and system is more complicated or something?

Even though the SVP was quite powerful, it was still noticably inferior to the 32X... Since the 32X version of Virtua Fighter is a little dodgy, I don't imagine the SVP could really pull it off much better. Releasing SVP games for $100 while the PSX was on the horizon wouldn't have worked too well I'm afraid, and bundling 32X's into cartridges would have made them ridiculously more expensive. Perhaps if Sega had done the whole SVP thing a couple of years earlier, it might have given the SuperFX a run for it's money.

If you're a fan of Virtua Fighter, you might be interested in knowing that Nintendo made a 3D polygon fighting game for the SNES using the SuperFX chip... I don't think it was ever released (although maybe in Japan), but it was known as "Fighting Polygon". I've seen screenshots in old magazines, and it's not terribly impressive either. The characters all seemed to be pinkish blocks with no texture mapping or anything (Incidentally, if you've ever played Super Smash Bros on the N64, you now understand what the whole "Fighting Polygon Team" level was all about).

--Zero

[Jasoco]

Well, if they DID have the Super FX chip or a cheaper way of making games like VR but a lot cheaper, I think they probably would have held out for a while and released some lesser quality 3D games with this chip and just released the Saturn down the road. It would have been one less failure. Who knows? Maybe they might still be around making consoles today. Seems the real reason they released the 32X was to bridge the gap before the Saturn.

As I heard, the 32X was codenamed Neptune and was supposed to be the Cartridge version of the Saturn, am I sorta right? Saturn was the CD version. 32X was just released to make the wait easier on people.

Or maybe I'm babbling again.

[JB]

SFA2 DOESW NOT use the SuperFX.
NintendoLand is a horribly inaccurate site that should not be used for reference.

[Raijin Z]

Virtua Racing (Genesis) does NOT compare to Stunt Race FX.

[MsPacBitch]

Jasoco said:

As I heard, the 32X was codenamed Neptune and was supposed to be the Cartridge version of the Saturn, am I sorta right? Saturn was the CD version. 32X was just released to make the wait easier on people.

Or maybe I'm babbling again.

No, the 32x is not a catridge-based Saturn... the "Neptune" was a Genesis and 32x combined in one console. The 32x went belly-up and Sega cancelled the Neptune.

Rumor has it that Sega considered making a cartridge based Saturn console called "Jupiter" that would be cheaper than Saturn but use carts. This idea was said to be scapped because it was stupid.

The 32x is vaguely similar to the Saturn in that it uses a dual-processor layout, but the chips in the 32x run slower than those of the Saturn, plus the 32x lacks the 2 custom graphics co-processors of the Saturn as well as its high-end Yamaha sound chip. The Saturn is quite a bit more powerful and versatile than the 32x.

[Jasoco]

Raijin Z said:

Virtua Racing (Genesis) does NOT compare to Stunt Race FX.

Which is better in your opinion?

[Ze_ro]

MsPacBitch said:

Rumor has it that Sega considered making a cartridge based Saturn console called "Jupiter" that would be cheaper than Saturn but use carts. This idea was said to be scapped because it was stupid.

To make things even more celestial, the 32X was originally codenamed "Mars"... although as far as I know, the only place you can still see this mentioned is on the circuitboard inside the 32X. The Nomad was also codenamed "Venus" I believe.

And Stunt Race FX is terrible. I was completely disappointed with it. Virtua Racing was very impressive I though.

--Zero

[ubersaurus]

Stunt Race FX sucks, terrible. Even back in the day, it was terrible...I remember being soooo dissapointed with it.

[Xot]

Not checking the allegedly inaccurate list, Mega Man X2 and the unreleased FX Fighter were both Super FX games.

If anyone wants, send me a PM to remind me and I'll check my SFA2 cart for the extra pins. I'm certain it doesn't say Super FX on the label, though.

[Jasoco]

Xot said:

Not checking the allegedly inaccurate list, Mega Man X2 and the unreleased FX Fighter were both Super FX games.

If anyone wants, send me a PM to remind me and I'll check my SFA2 cart for the extra pins. I'm certain it doesn't say Super FX on the label, though.

The allegedly inaccurate list DOES have those two on it.

[Ze_ro]

Mega Man X2 and X3 both use the C4 chip, which was a custom thing that Capcom made, and was only used in those two games... They didn't use the SuperFX.

--Zero