CPS3 (Capcom Play System 3) Ultimate Collector's Guide

1. The Birth of a Legend

• Release Year: 1996 (Capcom's final 2D arcade board)

• Development Background: Specially designed for Street Fighter III

• Historical Significance: The "swan song" of 2D arcade era, outperforming all contemporary 2D systems

2. Cutting-Edge Hardware

• Dual-Core Power:

  • Main CPU: Dual Hitachi SH-2 32-bit RISC (25MHz x2 architecture)

  • Co-processor: Custom CPS3 chip (optimized for 2D graphics)

• Graphics Revolution:

  • Resolution boosted to 496×384 (supports 31kHz high-scan mode)

  • 16.77 million true colors (65,536 on-screen simultaneously)

  • Proprietary "Color Palette Animation" technology (core of SFIII's fluid animations)

• Audio System:

  • Custom QSound v2 chip (environmental audio processing)

  • 32-channel CD-quality PCM playback

3. Immortal Masterpieces

• Fighting Game Holy Grail:

  • Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (1999, most balanced fighting game ever)

  • Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact (1997)

  • Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997)

• Exclusive Title:

  • Warzard (1996, only non-fighting CPS3 game)

• Cancelled Projects:

  • Vampire Savior 3 (prototype stage)

4. Anti-Piracy Tech

• Ultimate Encryption:

  • Triple-layer security (ROM encryption + custom CPU + CD-ROM verification)

  • Interchangeable SIMM encryption modules (game-specific)

• Fatal Flaw:

  • Battery leakage causing permanent damage (<100 intact boards remain worldwide)

5. Preservation Efforts

• Emulation Breakthrough:

  • 2007 MAME team cracked encryption (key achievement: SH-2 reverse engineering)

  • Recommended emulator: FB Alpha (perfect color palette effects)

• Hardware Solutions:

  • Darksoft multi-game kit (2018 release, SD card loading)

  • CPS3 Digital Preservation Project (global community effort)

6. Performance Comparison

7. Tragic Legacy

• Lifespan: 1996-1999 (only 3 years)

• Total Sales: <5,000 boards (~300 functional units remain)

• Collector Value:

  • Complete 3rd Strike kit auctions >$15,000

  • "Final CD-ROM verification unit" displayed at 2023 Tokyo Game Show

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