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NAMCO SYSTEM 22 HARDWARE
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HARDWARE DESCRIPTION
CPU : Motorola 68EC020 32-bit @ 24.576 MHz
Sound CPUs : 2 x Namco C74 (M37702 based 16-bit) @ 16.384 MHz
3D DSPs : 2 x Texas Instruments TMS320C25 16-bit fixed point DSP @ 49.152 MHz
Sound chip : Namco C352 32 channel 42KHz stereo supported 8-bit linear and 8-bit muLaw PCM - 4 channel output
Colours : 16.7 million colours onscreen
Features : Texture mapping, Gouraud shading, Translucency effects, Depth-cueing, Up to 240000 polygons/sec.
Board composition : Crate containing many PCB's
Hardware Notes :
- coprocessor and BIOS to handle sound and inputs
- a character layer: 64x64 8x8 256 color pixel tiles
- polygons, which are rendered by the DSP coprocessors

The main CPU describes a set of objects in 3d space by writing a scene description to shared memory. This includes:
- a list of opcodes, transformations, and object parameters
- attributes for up to 8 windows

Each window defines:
- projection paramaters
- clipping information
- optional camera viewing transforms
- priority
- light source data

The graphics coprocessors take as input:
- the scene description from the main CPU
- a table of 3d objects encoded in "Point ROMs"
- a single giant 256 color tilemap encoded in texture ROMs, that the object models reference
- parameters for depth cueing (fog effects)

The coprocessors render the scene and acknowledge when they are done.
The actual number and arrangement of DSPs can change from game to game, but from the main CPU's point of view it's talking to a single slave using a consistant API.
Aside from the status bits and self tests, communication is strictly one-way. The slave CPU doesn't report collision detection, for example.
The polygon layer consists of a large number of quads, and the texture source is a single huge tilemap, with 8 pens per pixel. The part of the master palette that is used is specified per quad.
There's also a set of 2d sprites, which can be zoomed but don't rotate. They have a z coordinate that interacts with
the zbuffer to decide whether they appear in front or behind polygon pixels.
Finally, there's a single tilemap that has priority over everything.
Board Pictures (HUGE) : CPU - Video - Video Rom - I/O - Point Rom - System
Emulators : Viva Nonno (HLE/Partial) - MAME (Preliminary)


KNOWN NAMCO SYSTEM 22 GAME LIST
Ace Driver
Ace Driver : Victory Lap
Cyber Commando
Rave Racer
Ridge Racer
Ridge Racer 2
Ridge Racer Full Scale
Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version
Sim Drive


Ace Driver
1994
Ace Driver Ace Driver
Ace Driver Ace Driver
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Normal Flyer
Cabinets : Deluxe - Super DLX
Sequel : Ace Driver : Victory Lap (1996)
 

Ace Driver : Victory Lap
1996
Ace Driver : Victory Lap Ace Driver : Victory Lap
Ace Driver : Victory Lap Ace Driver : Victory Lap
Cabinets : Twin - Controls
Notes : A rom upgrade for Ace Driver.
Prequel : Ace Driver (1994)
 

Cyber Commando
1995
Cyber Commando
Cyber Commando Cyber Commando
Notes : The follow up to Cyber Sled on System 21 hardware.
Prequel : Cyber Sled (1993)
 

Rave Racer
1995
Rave Racer Rave Racer
Rave Racer Rave Racer
Flyers : Normal Flyer - German Flyer
Cabinets : Twin
Notes : 3rd in the Ridge Racer series.
Prequels : Ridge Racer (1993) - Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version - Ridge Racer Full Scale (1994) - Ridge Racer 2 (1994)
Sequel : Ridge Racer V Arcade Battle (2001)
 

Ridge Racer
1993
Ridge Racer Ridge Racer
Flyers : US Flyer
Magazine reviews : C+VG Apr '94
Other versions : Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version (Namco System 22) - Ridge Racer Full Scale (1994,Namco System 22)
Sequels : Ridge Racer 2 (1994) - Rave Racer (1995) - Ridge Racer V Arcade Battle (2001)
 

Ridge Racer 2
1994
Ridge Racer 2 Ridge Racer 2
Flyers : Normal Flyer
Prequels : Ridge Racer (1993) - Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version - Ridge Racer Full Scale (1994)
Sequels : Rave Racer (1995) - Ridge Racer V Arcade Battle (2001)
 

Ridge Racer Full Scale
1994
Players : 1 Player (but someone can sit in the passenger seat)
Video : 2 x 110inch RGB Projectors - 18 Foot Screen
Sound : 4 channel BOSE sound system
Dimensions : 6 metres wide, 5 metres Long, 2.5 metres High
Controls : Full car controls, including steering wheel, clutch, brakes, throttle, and all of the dials in the car work and correspond to what the car is doing on screen (i.e. rev counter)
Ridge Racer Full Scale
Ridge Racer Full Scale
Notes : This is one of the first games that is actually almost impossible to drive in manual unless you can really drive a car, as you need to use the clutch, gearstick and a proper 3 turn steering wheel.
The gameplay is based on Ridge Racer with the exception of it having 5 gears instead of 6.
The board crate is under the cars bonnet, giving new meaning to the term "graphics engine" ;)
More Notes : Pointless information but handy if its a hot arcade, the air blowers all work in the car as well ;)
Other versions : Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version (Namco System 22) - Ridge Racer (1993,Namco System 22)
Sequels : Ridge Racer 2 (1994) - Rave Racer (1995) - Ridge Racer V Arcade Battle (2001)
 

Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version
199?
Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version
Ridge Racer Three Monitor Version
Other versions : Ridge Racer (1993,Namco System 22) - Ridge Racer Full Scale (1994,Namco System 22)
Sequels : Ridge Racer 2 (1994) - Rave Racer (1995) - Ridge Racer V Arcade Battle (2001)
 

Sim Drive
1992
Sim Drive
Notes : SimDrive uses the actual body of Mazda Eunos RoadStar. It was actually developed and did appear on AM show, but was not released to the market, the concept eventually because Ridge Racer Full Scale.
Prequel : Eunos Roadster Driving Simulator (1990)
 

 

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