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TAITO Z SYSTEM HARDWARE
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HARDWARE DESCRIPTION
Main CPU : MC68000 @ 16MHz & MC68000 @ 12MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4MHz (optional)
Sound chip : YM2610
Video resoution : 320x240

CPU Notes : The first 68000 handles screen, palette and sprites, and sometimes other jobs [e.g. inputs; in one game it also handles the road] The second 68000 handles functions such as inputs/dips, sound and/or the "road" that's in every TaitoZ game except Spacegun.

Graphics Notes : The Taito Z system has a number of similarities with the Taito F2 system, and uses some of the same custom Taito components.
Taito Z supports 5 separate layers of graphics - one 64x64 tiled scrolling background plane of 8x8 tiles, a similar foreground plane, another optional plane used for drawing a road (e.g. Chasehq), a sprite plane (with varying properties), and a text plane with character definitions held in ram.
(Double Axle has four rather than two background planes, and they contain 32x32 16x16 tiles. This is because it uses a TC0480SCP rather than the older TC0100SCN tilemap generator used in previous Taito Z games. The hardware for Taito's Super Chase was a further development of this, with a 68020 for main CPU and Ensoniq sound - standard features of Taito's F3 system. Taito's F3 system superceded both Taito B and F2 systems, but the Taito Z system was enhanced with F3 features and continued in games like Super Chase and Under Fire up to the mid 1990s.)

Sprite Notes : The sprites are typically 16x8 tiles aggregated through a spritemap rom into bigger sizes. Spacegun has 64x64 sprites, but some of the games use different (128x128) or even multiple sizes. Some of the games aggregate 16x16 tiles to create their sprites, suggesting there is no standard object chip.
System Pictures : CPU Board - Video Board
Emulators : MAME


KNOWN TAITO Z SYSTEM GAME LIST
Aqua Jack
Battle Shark
Chase HQ
Continental Circus
Double Axle / Power Wheels
Enforce
Night Striker
Racing Beat
Space Gun
Special Criminal Investigation / SCI


Aqua Jack
1990
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Aqua Jack Aqua Jack
Magazine reviews : C+VG Oct '89 - YS Dec '89
 

Battle Shark
1989
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Battle Shark Battle Shark
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Battle Shark/Sagaia Flyer - US Flyer
Magazine reviews : YS Dec '90
 

Chase HQ
1988
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Chase HQ Chase HQ
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Other Flyer - Alternate Flyer
Magazine reviews : SU Dec '88 - C+VG Nov '88 - ACE Feb '89 - Crash Apr '89
Sequels : Special Criminal Investigation / SCI (1989) - Chase H.Q. 2 / Chase H. Q. : Nancy Yori Kinkyuu Renraku (2006)
 

Continental Circus
1989
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Continental Circus Continental Circus
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Alternate Flyer
Magazine reviews : YS Jul '88 - Crash Oct '88 - ACE Jul '88 - TGM Sep '88 - C+VG Jun '88
 

Double Axle / Power Wheels
1991
CPU : 2x68000 @ 16 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Double Axle / Power Wheels Double Axle / Power Wheels
Double Axle / Power Wheels Double Axle / Power Wheels
Flyers : Double Axle Flyer - Power Wheels Flyer
Pictures : Double Axle Connection Information
 

Enforce
1988
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz & Taito Custom
Enforce Enforce
Flyers : Normal Flyer
Magazine reviews : YS Aug '89 - C+VG Jan '89
 

Night Striker
1989
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Night Striker Night Striker
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Other Flyer
Magazine reviews : C+VG Jul '89 - C+VG Nov '89 - YS Sep '89
 

Racing Beat
1991
CPU : 2x68000 @ 16 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Racing Beat Racing Beat
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Alternate Flyer
Notes : Larger screenshots from incomplete emulation.
Magazine reviews : SU Jul '91
 

Space Gun
1990
CPU : 2x68000 @ 16 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Space Gun Space Gun
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Other Flyer
Magazine reviews : ZERO Feb '91 - SU Mar '91 - SU Feb '91
 

Special Criminal Investigation / SCI
1989
CPU : 2x68000 @ 12 MHz
Sound CPU : Z80 @ 4 MHz
Sound Chip : YM2610 @ 8 MHz
Special Criminal Investigation / SCI Special Criminal Investigation / SCI
Flyers : Normal Flyer - Other Flyer - Alternate Flyer - Poster - Other Poster
Magazine reviews : Crash Feb '90 - ACE Jan '90 - ZZAP!64 Mar '90 - SU Jan '90 - YS Mar '90
Prequel : Chase HQ (1988)
Sequel : Chase H.Q. 2 / Chase H. Q. : Nancy Yori Kinkyuu Renraku (2006)
 

 

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