Casio Loopy game console

b/Consoles publicado por u/Dream of Omnimaga June 26, 2016, 03:19:35 AM

Casio Loopy game console

So in one of TI-Planet's TI-Casiez Vous article, I learned about the existence of the Casio Loopy game console. Yes, Casio actually made a game console before: https://tiplanet.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=65&t=18769

Apparently it only came out in Japan, only had 10 games and the target audience were girls. The console definitively failed since they only targeted a then-niche audience and only had a limited game genre range. However, it's weird in the way that it's apparently a 32-bits console that lacks 3D support, but also it has a small thermal color printer on the front.

Most games on it were dating/clothing simulators. Not sure if anyone here would be interested in trying games for it if they're enough into anime and visual novel stuff. Maybe there could be something interesting for them?

Anyway I thought I would share. I am curious about if it can be hacked?

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u/Yuki June 26, 2016, 03:25:15 AM

Welp, that's... very interesting. Nice printer, though.

u/gameblabla June 26, 2016, 04:44:37 AM

The Casio Loopy has one of the greatest add-ons ever made : the Magical Shop.
Basically, it can take screenshots from another device (like a Megadrive), edit them
and then print them.

Someone showcased this on a real casio loopy :

A nice curiosity this console.
However, i prefer the NEC PC-FX over this since i can actually easily make homebrew games unlike the Loopy
and it just has more interesting games overall. (as far as obscure video game consoles go anyway)

QuoteI am curious about if it can be hacked?

It has a SH-1 processor, which should be supported by GCC...
The only problem is making a cartridge that would fit inside this thing.

u/Dream of Omnimaga June 26, 2016, 04:51:54 AM

Oh I thought the Magical Shop was just one of the 10 games rather than an add-on lol. This console was released a bit too early IMHO. Sure, if it came out later the technology would have needed to be different, but with how popular anime and Japanese culture got outside Japan nowadays it could have become some sort of console for JRPG gaming or visual novels.

u/Yuki June 28, 2016, 09:47:44 PM

Quote from: gameblabla on June 26, 2016, 04:44:37 AM
QuoteI am curious about if it can be hacked?
It has a SH-1 processor, which should be supported by GCC...
The only problem is making a cartridge that would fit inside this thing.

Well, any emulator out there?

u/gbl08ma June 28, 2016, 10:37:08 PM

Quote from: gameblabla on June 26, 2016, 04:44:37 AM
It has a SH-1 processor, which should be supported by GCC...

Ha! So Casio was already using SuperH back in 1995... that confirms my suspicion that they used that architecture in (most of) their calcs for reasons beyond those detailed by TeamFX at https://www.cemetech.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=250134#250134

In all, products like the Casio Loopy and the Casio ML-81 ("musical calc", also mentioned at TI-Planet previously) are good examples of the kind of exotic products Japanese companies like to create and show off at tech tradeshows, sometimes to never be seen again (at least outside of Japan). Gotta keep those R&D departments busy...

u/gameblabla June 28, 2016, 10:58:57 PM

Quote from: Juju on June 28, 2016, 09:47:44 PM
Well, any emulator out there?

Yes, there's MESS (now MAME) which emulates the Casio Loopy pretty well.

u/Yuki June 29, 2016, 01:11:51 AM

Quote from: gameblabla on June 28, 2016, 10:58:57 PM
Quote from: Juju on June 28, 2016, 09:47:44 PM
Well, any emulator out there?
Yes, there's MESS (now MAME) which emulates the Casio Loopy pretty well.

Ah, nice, I should check that out. Even though I don't speak Japanese.

Quote from: gbl08ma on June 28, 2016, 10:37:08 PM
In all, products like the Casio Loopy and the Casio ML-81 ("musical calc", also mentioned at TI-Planet previously) are good examples of the kind of exotic products Japanese companies like to create and show off at tech tradeshows, sometimes to never be seen again (at least outside of Japan). Gotta keep those R&D departments busy...

Japan don't really seem to have the same mentality as America when it comes to products.

Japan:
- Hey I have this really great idea
- Let's make it and show it off at this tech tradeshow, let's see if everyone will like it!
- Yeah come to think the target public is very narrow
- I don't care, we have enough money to make it!

America:
- Hey I have this really great idea
- lol no it's bad, not everyone will buy it, the target is narrow so it's not worth it and it's gonna suck anyway
- but
- I said no

Might explain why Japan is the king of useless inventions, too.

Last Edit: June 29, 2016, 01:13:59 AM by Juju

u/Dream of Omnimaga June 29, 2016, 05:19:42 AM

Quote from: gbl08ma on June 28, 2016, 10:37:08 PM
Quote from: gameblabla on June 26, 2016, 04:44:37 AM
It has a SH-1 processor, which should be supported by GCC...

Ha! So Casio was already using SuperH back in 1995... that confirms my suspicion that they used that architecture in (most of) their calcs for reasons beyond those detailed by TeamFX at https://www.cemetech.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=250134#250134

In all, products like the Casio Loopy and the Casio ML-81 ("musical calc", also mentioned at TI-Planet previously) are good examples of the kind of exotic products Japanese companies like to create and show off at tech tradeshows, sometimes to never be seen again (at least outside of Japan). Gotta keep those R&D departments busy...

It would be funny if the early Casio calcs also used SH processors. I don't remember what they used because documentation is hard to find. But the AFX was said to have a 4 MHz CPU (although it was fast enough to allow a flickerless grayscale action RPG). So maybe they started using Super H processors as early as 1995 in all their calculators? (IIRC, the first color Casio calculator was released in 1995)

Quote from: Juju on June 29, 2016, 01:11:51 AM
Quote from: gameblabla on June 28, 2016, 10:58:57 PM
Quote from: Juju on June 28, 2016, 09:47:44 PM
Well, any emulator out there?
Yes, there's MESS (now MAME) which emulates the Casio Loopy pretty well.
Ah, nice, I should check that out. Even though I don't speak Japanese.

Quote from: gbl08ma on June 28, 2016, 10:37:08 PM
In all, products like the Casio Loopy and the Casio ML-81 ("musical calc", also mentioned at TI-Planet previously) are good examples of the kind of exotic products Japanese companies like to create and show off at tech tradeshows, sometimes to never be seen again (at least outside of Japan). Gotta keep those R&D departments busy...
Japan don't really seem to have the same mentality as America when it comes to products.

Japan:
- Hey I have this really great idea
- Let's make it and show it off at this tech tradeshow, let's see if everyone will like it!
- Yeah come to think the target public is very narrow
- I don't care, we have enough money to make it!

America:
- Hey I have this really great idea
- lol no it's bad, not everyone will buy it, the target is narrow so it's not worth it and it's gonna suck anyway
- but
- I said no

Might explain why Japan is the king of useless inventions, too.

Well, weird stuff happens in Japan after all. I mean,
#1 look at the kind of games they produce compared to us.
#2: They have TV shows where people fall down scary pits and the audience is left wondering if they're dead and weird stuff like that.
#3: Despite producing the best cameras and Internet speeds in the world, all Youtube videos from Japan are still in 240p resolution.