Special: SNES Enhancement Chips (Super FX, DSP1, S-DD1, SA-1 etc.)

[johneymute]

personaly i disagree that the snes has to stop the superfx chip everytime the snes has to read those finished 3d images,becouse if so, that would,ve force the fx chip to slow down thus interrupting speed and gameplay,making even smooth fmv impossible to run on snes,wich is not impossible,check 21fx,

cuzz the snes can do 20/30 fps of fmv,the superfx can only do 3d graphics at 10/15 fps,cuzz the superfx is just too slow,doesnt mean that the snes forces the fx chip to slowdown to read it,s results!

[Legion2000]

@johneymute

I got this information from the SNES developers manual. I didn't say it has to "slow down" something. It just has to stop the S-FX chip while reading the buffer, that's all. That probably still happens very fast. Just look at the PS2 Video memory with only 4MB but a very high bandwith. Most PS2 games exchange texture data constantly while playing. You may be right that it might have an impact on speed, but not a very significant (or noticeable) in my opinion.

[ScReWaTtAcKeD]

Why is Tifa in the related videos?

[johneymute]

there was even an more advanced chip wich far exceeding even the superfx2 and sa1 chip,it was the st0018 nec810 chip wich was an 32bit 21 mhz chip, and was used in only 1 snes game called hayazashi nidan ghousy2.

if they had put that chip in snes doom we would,ve had one of the best ports ever!!!

,m mean if,s the fx2 chip is really nothing more then just an overclocked 16bit fx1chip,i will allway's wonder how cut they be so dumb foolish enough to base snes doom on that chip.

[Legion2000]

@johneymute

Thanks for the info about the chip. Since the game you mention was published by seta, I assume the ST in "st0018" stands for seta and unfortunately, Seta had nothing to do with DOOM at all. I wonder what they used the st0018 for anyway, the game you mention is just a board game and looks like any "normal" SNES game.

[Shaunloo2]

Sigma Virus and Neo Sigma uses cx4 only,a waste of money

[Legion2000]

@Shaunloo2

As far as I know, the games use the Cx4 chip constantly but the chip is performing stuff that the SNES already can do on its own like sprite positioning and transparency effects. The wireframe models are the most "notable" function of the Cx4 chip. So basically, yeah, kinda a waste of money.

[FlatAbove732]

@Legion2000 imho it prevented piracy of these games up until they were emulated so they basically were able to sell as many as ever would sell. I liked the effects on the nature stage in megaman x2 where it rains. I'm not really sure if they put these chips in to prevent piracy but it had that side effect anyway regardless. I own x2 and x3 and they were pricey for some time here in the US but I got x2 for $20 from newsgroup post and x3 I probably paid $30-$40 for.

[Shaunloo2]

Street Fighter Alpha uses a electric shock to disable the lockout chip

[Shaunloo2]

I like carts than CDs because 1.it won't scratch 2.Crackeble password(only NES and SNES)3.loads faster

[MasSergioVEVO]

@Shaunloo2 in the 90s we actually had computers in school wich had CDs incased in plastic with a metal slider for reading (like a floppy disc)... games should be made like that... i have no idea why that design died? if games were enclosed in plastic like a floppy disc u could eject them easier (making the counsel more durable less parts like eject motor for tray)... i like cartridges cuz zero load times but hate how they have no storage space compared to CD/DVD/BlueRay price wise

[fogosona]

@MasSergioVEVO Yes , but now, you know, as far as years pass by, they develop faster flash cards.. and it seens that finaly current games could be sold like candies and bullets in a grocery...

sorry my english....

[geyza0711]

Are you german? :)

[watcbd]

GREAT video!!!

[TAND0M]

I love the star fox music in the back :) in the beginning

[TAND0M]

I love the star fox music in the back :)

[sl9sl9]

Very good video, contains the sort of interesting technical info that most people are unwilling (or likely unable) to provide.

I still find it amazing that Nintendo could make money on these cart-based games which had powerful RISC DSP's inside them, especially since in many cases these DSP's were much more powerful than the SNES's main CPU...

[Draknfyre]

@sl9sl9

They made money because they required licensees to fork up the money for it. All second and third-party games required all additional hardware and the cart itself to be paid for by the developer. So you paid Nintendo a licensing fee, and paid for the cartridges. This kept their game quality mostly high because they could nix any game they didn't like, but bit them in the end when the PSX came out, and had no licensing fees, and the medium was cheaper.

[Bylga]

This is a great video. Thank you so much.

[digitaldud]

SA-1 isn't a graphics chip, it's just an identical copy of the SNES's CPU except clocked at a higher speed.

[Legion2000]

@digitaldud

That's what I said in the video

[Legion2000]

@johneymute

You can't just add up processors and add up the bits as well. With that logic, the Sega Saturn would be a 64-Bit console cause it has 2x 32-bit Main CPU's. So the Super FX2 is still 16-Bit, as far as I know. Could you post a link to the website where it says that the Super FX2 is 32-Bit?

[HerecomestheCalavera]

@Legion2000 Why not they did it with the Jaguar ;)

[Draknfyre]

@Legion2000

I have seen this guy before. He has no idea what he's talking about. He goes around to the SuperFX videos, and talks about how it's 32-bit, and beats the 32X, and the PSX, ect. ect.

[nooblet911]

I think sa-1 chip is used for better graphics because super mario rpg, kirby superstar and dream land 3 do look exceptionally good for the snes.

although donkey kong country suposedly didn't use any chips and still looked amazing (thanks to silicon graphics pre-renreded graphics).

[nooblet911]

snes was actually pretty weak but with in cart chips it became quite powerful

[HongKongKanto]

i like cartridges way better than cds, if the consol runs out of power just add some chips on the cartridge.

[SOUTHWESTENZ]

sfa2 does have short loading times....

good video btw

[TheSpeedfreak14]

actually just did some research and it is used for the wireframe grafix on X2 & 3. ya know like the digital sigma head at the end of X2.

[TheSpeedfreak14]

hey about the cX4 chip in the megaman x 2 and 3 games i heard it was also used for some of the 3D style grafix in those games. like the opening stage of X2 the boss at the end moves like in a somewhat 3D fashion. i may be wrong and if i am my bad. your vids are awesome dude!

[slipknot2k4]

feels like school again good video i learned alot thanks

[alec1382]

Cool! I love how you cued in Tetris when you pulled out the super gameboy. What was some of the music you used? I started wondering at about 10:00.

[Legion2000]

@alec1382

Well I used the music from the games I talked about (Vortex is Vortex, when I talk about S Mario Kart it's Super Mario Kart) and at 10:00 it's from Street Fighter Alpha 2. PGA European Tours music sucks though so I used Mega Man 7 Music while talking about the SA-1 ^_^

[bigM10231]

@Legion2000 the SA-1 i believe creates 3d images that arent polygon like sonic 3d blast. if you see kirby superstar intro, you will see the true power of it

[Tonyippee]

very good video man.