Category:SuperGrafx

The PC Engine SuperGrafx (PCエンジンスーパーグラフィックス), also known as simply the SuperGrafx, is a fourth-generation console manufactured by NEC Corporation and released in Japan in 1989. It is the successor system to the PC Engine, released two years prior. Originally known as the PC Engine 2 during production stages, it was purported as a true 16-bit home console, featuring improved graphics and audio capabilities over its predecessor.

The console was rushed to market, released several months before its initial intended release date in 1990, only having modest updates to the hardware. With only six retail games released that took advantage of the console's hardware updates, the SuperGrafx was a commercial failure, selling only 75,000 units total. None of the hardware advancements it possessed were carried over to later PC Engine models, such as the Duo.

Hardware
Compared to the PC Engine, the SuperGrafx has four times the amount of working RAM for the main CPU. Its main upgrade is an additional video chip with its own video RAM, with a priority controller chip, which allows the output of both video chips to be combined in various ways. This gives the SuperGrafx twice as many on-screen sprites as the original PC Engine and support for two independently scrolling background layers opposed to the PC Engine's single layer.

Since the SuperGrafx was produced and marketed as an upgraded PC Engine model rather than as a new platform, it was backwards compatible with standard PC Engine HuCards in addition to its own. However, SuperGrafx-specific HuCards were expensive compared to standard HuCards, in some cases approaching as much as $110 USD at retail.

The SuperGrafx is also compatible with the CD-ROM² System add-on (via the ROM² Adaptor), as well as the Super CD-ROM² add-on. No CD-ROM² format games were produced that took advantage of the SuperGrafx's added capabilities.