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; 4KB 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] and employed a SHARP LH0080A (Zilog Z80A clone) CPU. It ran at a clock speed of 4.1 MHz,[8][9] and shipped with 30 KB of RAM and 8KB of ROM.[10][9] It had two joystick ports in a proprietary format[11] 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,[12] with a maximum resolution of 192×184 pixels, and is capable of displaying 30 x 23 text characters using a 6x8 pixel font.[9] Sound was generated by the Texas Instruments SN76489 chip, providing 3 voices in four octaves and noise generator.[13] Software was available on cartridges[14] or cassettes.

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][9]

Software

The Bandai RX-78 was primarily a gaming machine, with two joysticks included. Software was released on ROM cartridges ("Sen'you Soft Cartridge")[15] and compact cassettes ("Sen'you Tape Cassette").

Games

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)

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)

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

  1. 1 2 3 "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer Games Preserved! – Gaming Alexandria". www.gamingalexandria.com.
  2. ↑ "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card Scans (600DPI) : Bandai : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive".
  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. 1 2 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. 1 2 "Bandai RX-78 Gundam - Computer - Computing History". www.computinghistory.org.uk. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
  7. 1 2 "RX-78 GUNDAM | henly Museum | MUUSEO 487002". ミューゼオ(MUUSEO) (in Japanese). Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  8. ↑ "RX-78 Gundam Bandai Electronics (Japan)". 1000 BiT.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Computer - Manual and Warranty Card Scans (600DPI) : Bandai : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive".
  10. ↑ "Gundam RX-78". OLD-COMPUTERS.COM : The Museum. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  11. ↑ Blanchard, Jonn (October 15, 2018). "Bandai RX-78 Gundam Personal Computer Joystick Pinout".
  12. ↑ "eRX-78 謎WIPページ". takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp.
  13. ↑ "Platform Bandai RX 78 · z88dk/z88dk Wiki". GitHub. 14 December 2022.
  14. ↑ Blanchard, Jonn (March 7, 2019). "RX-78 Cartridge Information".
  15. ↑ "Bandai Rx 78 Games". Ocean of Games.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 "rx78". 2012-03-03. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2023-07-05.
  17. ↑ "Champion Racer [0201005] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  18. ↑ "Excite Baseball [0201007] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  19. ↑ "Hamburger Shop [0201011] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  20. ↑ "Mobile Suit Gundam - Luna Two No Tatakai [0201004] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  21. ↑ "Perfect Mah-Jongg [0201008] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ↑ "The Pro Wrestling [0201013] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  23. ↑ "Sekigahara [0201027] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  24. ↑ "Space Enemy [0201019] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  25. ↑ "Super Motocross [0201024] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  26. ↑ "Tatakae! Ultraman [0201012] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
  27. ↑ "Graphic Sugaku [0201035] (Bandai RX-78 Gundam) Box, Manual, Cart Scans (1200DPI)". September 10, 1983 – via Internet Archive.
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