What is CPS-3?

Encyclopedia : C : CP : CPS : CPS-3

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The CPS-3 or Capcom Play System 3 is an arcade system board that was introduced by Capcom in 1996 with the game Red Earth (also known as Warzard). It is an extremely powerful 2D system; many fighting game fans were amazed by the smooth, fluid animation featured in Street Fighter III and other games on this hardware. This was the last arcade system board manufactured by Capcom.

The CPS-3 features a very elaborate security mechanism. Games are supplied with a CD, which contains the encrypted game contents, and a security cartridge containing a battery-powered decryption chip and the game BIOS. When the CPS-3 board is first powered on, the contents of the CD are flashed onto a bank of SIMMs. The data is then decrypted via the security cartridge. The security cartridge is extremely sensitive to any sort of tampering, which will result in the decryption key being erased and the cartridge being rendered useless.

Very little is known about the actual hardware specifics. It is believed that the CPU is SH-2 based, with possibly two CPUs in a master/slave configuration.

The CPS-3 was not a particularly successful system, and only six games in total were produced for it. Arcade operators were particularly displeased with the system board's fragility; the CPS-3 did not stand up well to mechanical or electrical shock. Also, the game became unplayable when the battery inside the security cartridge died, which had to be replaced at cost to the owner. Furthermore, the CPS-3 was only capable of 2D graphics at a time when most games were being developed with 3D hardware in mind. The cost of the system was greater than that of other arcade system boards, and it is rumored that programming for the CPS-3 was rather difficult as well.

Specifications

• Main CPU (conjecture): Hitachi SH-2 at 20 MHz (possibly two)
• Storage:
• * SCSI CD-ROM drive
• * RAM (variable amount)
• * Flash ROM: 8 x 16 MiB

• Total on-screen colors: 4096

• Resolution, pixels: 512x384
• Known games on this hardware: 6

List of games

• JoJo no Kimyouna Bouken / JoJo's Venture (1998)
• JoJo no Kimyouna Bouken Miraie no Isan / JoJo's Bizarre Adventure (1999)
• Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997)
• Street Fighter III, 2nd Impact: Giant Attack (1998)
• Street Fighter III, 3rd Strike: Fight for the Future (1999)
• Warzard / Red Earth (1996)

See also

• CPS-1
• CPS-2

External links

• [CPS-3 at System16: The Arcade Museum]
• [CPS-3 Battery Replacement short FAQ]

 

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