Sharp X68000

The Sharp X68000 was a Japanese personal computer produced between 1987 and 1993. Commonly known as the X68k, it came in a striking double-tower case and was an extremely powerful machine for its time. Unlike its main competitor the PC 98 (as well as being the polar opposite to the ZX Spectrum), the X68000 was designed to be as much a gaming machine as a business machine; the original model came bundled with Gradius. Capcom used the X68000 as the prototype and the basis for its SDK unit for the CPS Arcade board, and many of the X68000's releases were Arcade Perfect Ports.

Processor

 * CPU: Hitachi HD68HC000 running at 10 MHz.
 * XVI models: Motorola 68000 running at 16 MHz.
 * X68030: Motorola 68300 running at 25 MHz.
 * can be over clocked to 100 MHz (Depending on the model).

Memory

 * 1-4 MB of main RAM (many later games used 2 MB, most games did not use more then 4 MB, can go up to 12 out of 16 MB, as the rest is used for video).
 * Video RAM: 512 KB of text, 512 KB of graphics, 32 KB of sprites (Can go up to 4 MB shared).
 * 16 KB of static RAM.

Sprites

 * Sprites are 16x16 pixels, with 16 colors per sprite (later models can go up to 256x256, with no color limit).
 * Up to 128 sprites on screen, 16 sprites per line (later models can go up to 1024 spites, with no per line limit).

Display

 * Various resolutions; 1024x1024 pixels maximum.
 * 256 colors on screen, 65536 total (got rid of the on screen color limit by the 2th moldel in 1988 (the X68000 ACE and the X68000 ACE-HD witch is the hard drive version of the X68000 ACE)).
 * Hardware scrolling
 * Priority control
 * Super-impose

Audio

 * FM Synth: Yamaha YM2151, paired with YM3012 DAC
 * Up to 8 notes
 * 8 channels
 * Stereo sound
 * Noise generator
 * ADPCM: Okidata MSM6258
 * 1 channel
 * 4 bits
 * Mono sound
 * Can be extended to 8 channels and updated to run in stereo as well.

Disk Drives

 * 5.25 inch floppy disk with soft eject (3.5 inch on special "Compact" models)
 * Optional internal hard disk, 20-80 MB

Original titles and Multi Platform games that started here

 * Akumajō Dracula (an exclusive Castlevania game, later remade for the PlayStation as Castlevania Chronicles)
 * Aquales
 * Cho Ren Sha 68k
 * FZ Senki Axis
 * Genocide
 * Genocide 2
 * Geograph Seal
 * Granada
 * Lagoon
 * Neural Gear
 * Phalanx
 * Sol-Feace
 * Thunder Force II

Ports

 * After Burner II
 * Alien Syndrome
 * Bomberman
 * Bonanza Bros
 * Bosconian
 * Bubble Bobble
 * Columns
 * Daimakamura
 * Detana!! Twinbee
 * Dragon Spirit
 * Drakkhen
 * Fantastic Night Dreams Cotton
 * Fantasy Zone
 * Final Fight
 * Galaga '88
 * Gradius
 * Gradius II
 * Nemesis '90 Kai (a port of the MSX Gradius 2)
 * Salamander
 * Image Fight
 * Mahou Daisakusen
 * Marchen Maze
 * Mr. Do
 * Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu
 * Nekketsu Koukou Dodgeball Bu: Soccer Hen
 * Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari
 * The New Zealand Story
 * Parodius Da!
 * Prince of Persia
 * Populous
 * Puyo Puyo
 * R-Type
 * Rygar
 * Space Harrier
 * Star Force
 * Star Trader
 * Strider
 * Super Street Fighter II
 * Syvalion
 * Terra Cresta & Moon Cresta
 * Twin Cobra
 * Undeadline
 * Valis II
 * Xenon 2 Megablast
 * Xevious
 * Ys
 * Ys III