Machine of the Month:
NEC PC-9800 (1982)
1
DEVELOPMENT AND LAUNCH
The PC-98 was a strategically brilliant move by NEC, beating
Western competition by exploiting their inept support for
Kanji: the complex characters inherited from Chinese, used in
any formal writing. NEC recognized the limitations of Western
rivals and designed its machine from the ground up to provide
solid Kanji rendering and input.
>> NEC based its new computer around Intel’s 8086 processor,
but don’t be fooled—even though these machines are powered by
x86 CPUs (and can run modified versions of DOS and Windows),
these are not “IBM-Compatible” PCs. This is a proprietary
platform with a different BIOS, I/O ports, graphical system,
expansion slots, and even different floppy drives.
>> NEC wanted its computer to run Microsoft BASIC and be
code-compatible with the N88-BASIC of its previous PC-88 line.
However, NEC was unable to reach a deal with Microsoft, and
simply reverse-engineered N88-BASIC, re-writing it to work on
x86 processors.
>> The first model, the PC-9801, launched in October 1982, for
¥298,000 (worth around $1,200 then). Its 8086 CPU ran at 5MHz
and came with a base 128KB of RAM, expandable to 640KB.
>> While IBM PCs were still lumbered with four-color CGA,
NEC’s μPD7220 twin video chips ran at a much higher 640x400
resolution, with eight colors. However, like IBM PCs, the sound
was basic, with only a simple beeper.
>> For storage, customers were offered 8-inch 1.232MB
external floppy drives, though 320KB 5.25-inch models followed.2
SOFTWARE
The PC-98 was designed to be a work machine and doesn’t
feature the kind of sprite or blitter processing that action
games demanded. The most popular applications were word
processors, and the platform also received ports of serious
business operating systems, such as CP/M-86, OS/2, and Unix
variant PC-UX. Nevertheless, despite its all-business intent, its
market share ensured the PC-9800 had a thriving game scene.
>> Its high-resolution graphics spawned countless interactive
graphical novels, dating simulations, and huge amounts of
Hentai (cartoon pornography). These games usually featured a
point-and-click adventure-style interface, with high-resolution
images and occasional animations.
>> The machine’s extra clock speed and memory also made it
a great platform for simulators, like Air Management (1992), and
strategy role-playing games, such as the Sangokushi series and
Brandish games. The machine also had its share of “bullet-hell”
shoot-'em-up titles, such as the famously bizarre Touhou series!
>> Of course, the main issue is finding games that don’t require
a working knowledge of Japanese. You can guess your way
around simple arcade titles, like the shoot-'em-up Rude BreakerTHIS MONTH’S COMPUTER may be unfamiliar, but NEC’s PC-9800 series, usually shortened
to PC-98, was arguably Japan’s most important computer and played an integral part in
developing both Japanese language computing and video games. Despite the potential gaming
fun offered by this system, there are technical hurdles to be overcome. So after a brief history
of the PC-98, let us show you how to emulate the machine as easily as possible. –JOHN KNIGHTYOU’LL NEED THIS
A COPY OF THE
NEKO PROJECT
http://nenecchi.kirara.st/
(1996). Plus, there were ports of Western games that
had an English language option, such as AD&D: Dragon
Strike (1992), Sim City (1990), Wizardry 3 (1987), and The
Bard’s Tale (1988).
>> However, there is now a much better source for
English speakers (see the box).3
LEGACY
Although the PC-98 never sold outside of Japan,
NEC’s computer dominated sales in its home
territory, with a market share of between 60-70 percent.
>> As the x86 architecture continued to develop and
evolve, the PC-98 platform evolved with it. Each new
generation of Intel processor would bring new PC-98
models. Some machines had Intel CPUs, some had
NEC’s “V” clone CPUs, and some even had both.
>> Although the original machine had only simple
beeper audio, proper sound cards soon followed. The
main sound chip of note is the Yamaha 2203, or “OPN”.
This chip was quite basic but predated cards like the
Sound Blaster or AdLib, and still has fans today.
>> Data storage was quick to upgrade. Customers
soon had the option of 640KB Double Density 5.25-inch
drives or 1.232MB High-Density 3.5-inch models. The
PC-98’s SCSI hard disk interface was much faster than
most PCs and was easy to install due to the machine’s
special C-Bus expansion system.
>> Over time, the PC-98 series grew closer to IBM’s
standard and its software library. The factory-installed
OS moved away from NEC’s BASIC to ported versions of
MS-DOS and Windows. Later machines were updated to
VGA standard with 256 colors and a 640x480 resolution.
>> The PC-98 eventually began losing sales to cheaper
machines running IBM Japan’s DOS/V: a DOS variant
capable of rendering Kanji through standard VGA.>> The PC-98 established Japan’s interactive novel style.
The thick borders and distinctive font are still used today.62 MAXIMU MPC JUN 2022
R&D