\ CAPCOM CPS2 System and Games FAQ /

\--------------------------------------------------/
\ CAPCOM CPS2 System and Games FAQ /
> by Chris Mullins, copyright 1999 <
/ VERSION 1.1c e-mail:[email protected] \
/ -------------------------------------------------\

If you want to see the updated version of this FAQ(and my other FAQs as well),
point your browser to the following address:
http://members.aol.com/CMull11217/private/index.htm

Last updated 11/17/99

For best printing results, print using Landscape mode, on Econofast type setting.

BY THE WAY, THIS FAQ IS NOT ENDORSED BY CAPCOM ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION!!

TOTAL QUESTIONS ANSWERED: 23

Table of Contents
---------------------------

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
-General
-Japanese/U.S.A./Asian/Europe Controversy
-"Capcom Suicide"

GAME LIST
-Complete CPS2 Game List
-Japanese only releases
-Japanese->U.S.A./Asian/Europe Name Conversion List

MARKETPLACE
-Price List for CPS2 Boards
-Retailers and Distributors of Capcom Equipment

OTHER
-Past Updates
-Coming Soon to my FAQ!
-Special Thanks

----------------------------

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

|-------------------|
| GENERAL Questions |
|-------------------|

----What are the specifications of the CPS2 Hardware?
Well, to be frank about it, I do not know the specifications of this hardware.
My best guess, is that Capcom didn't publish the CPS2(Capcom Play System 2) hardware specs,
or that they published it once in 1993(its debut). Anyways, I'll try my hardest to find
the specs, and when I do, they will be put here. Below, are some of the specs of the CPS2
hardware, and the memory limits on it(even though it was broken by Marvel Super Heroes VS
Street Fighter in 1997):

Color per object: 16
Color Palette: 32
Total On-Screen Colors: 4096
Object Number: 900(16x16)
Scroll Faces: 3
Maximum Capacity: 322 Megs
(* Maximum Capacity has been broken as of 1997, do not use this as a guideline)

Mind you, that these arcade games look beautiful, such as Street Fighter Alpha 3;
Capcom's brilliant programmers can work around the shortcomings(well, compared to the newer
arcade platforms) of the CPS2 hardware very well. Don't let the specifications stop you...:)

----What does the CPS2 system look like?
Imagine two oblong pieces of plastic(kind of heavy, and about as big as a
VCR)neatly sandwiched together, showing no innards whatsoever. That's what you get with
the CPS2. The motherboard is on the bottom of the sandwich; the game(or B Board, as it
will be referred to from now on) is on top.
The motherboard is jet black, the B Board can be 1 of 3 different colors(for an
explanation on this, see "Japanese/U.S.A./Asian/Europe Controversy" below).
On the motherboard, there are no markings whatsoever, except for a manufacturing
number on the back of it. The B board, has a manufacturing number, an AAMA number(if it's
a U.S.A. board), and a nicely drawn sticker, depicting the game which you are operating
currently. Very neat looking! :) On the side of the B Board, right above where the JAMMA
hookup is, when you hook up the A to the B Board, there are 3 ports, REGISTER, COMM OUT, and
COMM IN. Those ports are for games that need them(fighters do not).
Finally, the motherboard has a heatsink, and a fan(pretty powerful, you can cool
yourself off this way)that cools off the A board(motherboard, it will be referred to as
the A board from now on). When it comes to connecting the boardset(A and B board combination),
there are a few connectors, such as the JAMMA connectors, the Extra button wiring, and the
Q-Sound jacks for audio. That is about it, except for the fact that the A board has three
buttons on the side of it, which are Volume + and -, and TEST.

----What's this about ORANGE CPS2 B boards?
The speculation, by a couple emulator hounds, is that ORANGE CPS2 B boards
exist, in Spanish form. Well, that is NOT the case. It seems, a distributor in South
America decided to repaint some CPS2 B boards in ORANGE, and they aren't worth no where
near as much as BLUE or GREY boards. I wouldn't sweat it, as I am a HIGH VOLUME seller
of CPS2 boards, and I've never came across these.

----What is the TEST feature?
The test feature interrupts the game in progress, and in it, you can test the
color inputs, the controllers, the background music, the ROMs themselves, and you can
switch the difficulty of the game as well. Also, you can choose how many coins to pop in
per credit, timer speed, and such. It is a neat function.

----How do I play the CPS2 setup on my TV?
You need a machine called the Super NOVA(Super Gun), which is an RGB->NTSC
converter, and JAMMA harness all in one! You get 2 heavy duty joysticks with it as well!
It comes with also the extra button wiring(if you don't have one, ask [email protected]
for one, he has many of them).
How do you get one of these? Well, for $295, you can get one from MAS Systems
(the innovator of the Super Gun), at (714)831-5760. And sorry, you can't get a cheaper
model in the U.S.A. :( I'd advise you to get an S-Video capable TV, otherwise your arcade
games will look like shit(yes, making it composite will make it look like pure dog poop.
Trust me on that one.

----Is this JAMMA? Extra button wiring?
Yes, this is directly JAMMA, as stated above. Just plug into your Super NOVA
(or arcade cabinet), and play! But, you need the extra button wiring, and for that, just
ask [email protected], or buy a new CPS2 A Board. That extra button wiring is very
important.

----I can't get the kick buttons to work!
That's because you forgot to wire up the extra hookup out of the Super NOVA
(or arcade cabinet)to the extra button hookup that you got from [email protected],
or when you got a new A board. Don't worry, since below are the schematics for you to
just stick the extra wires from the NOVA into the extra button wire hookup. Take the
wires from the Super NOVA that don't have a hook-up, and stick each ONE in one of the
slots below(I'll tell you where):

|-----------------------------------------------------|
| | | | |6 | | |5 |3 |1 |2 |4 | | | |9 |11|8 |
|-----------------------------------------------------|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |10| |7 |
|-----------------------------------------------------|

1. This is Weak Punch, put TEAL/LIGHT BLUE wire here
2. This is Weak Kick, put OLIVE GREEN wire here
3. This is Medium Punch, put DARK RED wire here
4. This is Medium Kick, put DARK PINK wire here
5. This is Fierce Punch, put LIGHT PINK wire here
6. This is Roundhouse Kick, put DARK PURPLE wire here
7/8. These are grounding wires, put BLACK wires here
*Below are wires that may or may not be part of the hookup. These are not necessary.*
9/10. These are VOLUME UP and DOWN wires, put appropriate wires here
11. This is a grounding wire for the volume controls, put BLACK wire here

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

----How do I take advantage of Q-Sound?
Probably one of the greatest inventions ever in the arcade industry, Archer Labs'
Q-Sound technology allows more realistic feeling of the game's sound effects and background
music. Due to that, it won't be real effective to use this on your TV(unless you have a
killer home stereo system, like from Onkyo or Bose), and you should just stick your stereo
jacks to your Super NOVA, instead of the CPS2 boardset itself.
But, if you have a killer stereo system, or an arcade cabinet, then you're in luck!
Just plug in each speaker(left and right), to their respective jacks on the CPS2 boardset.
Then, prepare for the ride, because the feeling will blow you away! Well, pretty much, anyway..

----Why all the copyright messages and time-stamp, when you turn on the game?
This IS an arcade game, ya know. :) The environmental messages, and the "Drug
Users are Losers" message by William Sessions are mandatory, by the way. The time stamp
when you turn on the game tells you what game is being played right now, what date it was
released, and whether it's Japanese/U.S.A./Asian/Europe. See below for an example from
Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter:

MARVEL SUPER HEROES
VS STREET FIGHTER
970625
U.S.A.

The date reads June 25, 1997, as the year is first, followed by the month and day.

----How do I stabilize the CPS2 boardset?
Well, you don't the A+B set to be moving around anywhere in your arcade cabinet,
do you? Well, first, when you buy a new CPS2 A board, you get two clips, that clip in between
the A and B board, holding them together. They'll hold together without them, but it's good
to make sure of that.
To keep it stable in the arcade cabinet, it needs to be screwed down. There's 1
hole in the boardset(around the perimeter of the boardset) that you use bolt down to the
particle board(wood?) in the cabinet. That is what you do, to keep it stable. :)

----Can I write Capcom Coin-Op Division of America?
Of course you can! They welcome your comments, and questions about their products.
Their address is as follows:

CAPCOM COIN-OP DIVISION
475 Oakmead Parkway
Sunnyvale, CA 94086 U.S.A.

Their phone number is (408)522-5331. You can fax to that number as well.

----What's expected of the CPS2 Hardware in the future?
In 1999, there will be at least 4 more titles for it, and will be supported till
the year 2003 at least. It's one of the longest lasting systems of all time(besides the
SNK Neo-Geo), and will be supported for longer still, due to the flexibility of the system
itself.

----What's this about CPS2 Emulation?
Capcom designed the CPS2 boardset so well, that even after 6 years, no one can
crack the graphics codes yet. I am against emulation, as it's the cheap way to play these
games, instead of actually buying the board or chipping in some quarters in the arcade.
On a computer, it's watered down, and people make unfair assessments of certain games,
not like when you buy a board. Then, you can make a good assessment(or if you play some
in the arcades, for about a few hours or so) of it.
I hope the graphics codes will never get cracked, but by the time they do, we'll
be playing Street Fighter 5...:)

----How can I get the secret characters in Street Fighter Alpha 3?
In order to do so, the B Board must have at least a month playing time on it.
That means you have to have the game running a total of 720 hours in order to play as
Balrog, Juni, and Juli(don't forget the 3 additional -ism's).
Other boards from Capcom will have this in the future, so if you want to find
the secrets, play the crap out of it! For arcade operators, this is second nature(letting
it run for a month). But for collectors, this may take a while. Don't fret..

----Do you have some CPS2 Games for sale?
Yes, in fact, I do! I am a HIGH VOLUME seller of CPS2 Capcom and SNK Neo-Geo
arcade games! So, email [email protected] for a price list!

|---------------------------------------------------|
| JAPANESE/U.S.A./ASIAN/EUROPE CONTROVERSY Questions|
|---------------------------------------------------|

----What's the differences between the Japanese, U.S.A., and Asian B Boards?
Remember when I said that the B Boards come in 3 colors? Well, they do, 1 for each
of the following versions: Japanese(light neon green), U.S.A.(dark blue), Asian(dark grey).
This isn't like SNK boards, the GAME determines the language, not the motherboard.
Asian and U.S.A. are in English, Japanese boards are in Japanese. So why don't
peopl buy more Asian boards? Well, the Grey boards have one connector pin inverted(male),
whereas the U.S.A. and Japanese have all 4 connectors the same style(female).
It is also illegal to operate an Asian or Japanese board in the U.S. and Canada
for profit, as it is comprehended as copyright infringement.

----Aw come on! I want cheap Japanese boards in my arcades! It'll save me money....
I'm sure it will save you money too. But, the reason why it is comprehended as
copyright infringement, is that it's taking away from Capcom Coin-Op of America's sales,
and giving some to the Japanese, which is something that Capcom doesn't like. Also, who
wants to see Japanese kanji in an American arcade, when 95% of the population has no
Japanese learning experience whatsoever?
Some places it is allowed, when Japanese majority is over 75% of a certain place.
But when you get Japanese boards, Capcom Coin-Op of America REFUSES to service them, so
there's another reason to get U.S.A. boards. If you're a collector, then Japanese or Asian
boards are right for you. But, U.S.A. boards are worth the extra money, as they are easily
serviceable, don't depreciate as much, and are more lucrative as a whole. Perfect for the
arcade, and for distinguished collectors.

----Are all the motherboards the same?
No they are not, in the instance that the 3 buttons on the side of it are in the
colors of the origin(the buttons are Volume + and -, and Test; the colors are the same as
the B Board colors above). So, an Asian A board has grey buttons, a U.S.A. one has blue
buttons. Also, the Asian A board has one pinout inverted, the Japanese and U.S.A. ones
have all 4 connectors the same. The reasoning behind that, is so U.S.A. operators don't buy
the cheaper Asian boards as substitutes.

----I'm sure there are European B boards, right?
Yes, there are European B boards, which are compatible with U.S.A./Japanese A boards,
and are BLUE like the U.S.A. boards. They lack all the environmental messages and other
"drug users are losers" messages. Some European boards that are stamped Europe, are actually
grey Asian boards. But, for the most part, they are BLUE, just like U.S.A. ones.

----What is the price difference between the different kinds of B boards?
Well, in Japan and Asia, arcade operators cycle through their games VERY fast,
meaning that the prices of the games drop really fast. For example, Street Fighter Alpha 3
on Asian cost $1250 on 6/30/98, but on 2/20/99, it cost $325, and on 11/11/99, it costs $150.
On U.S.A. format, the same game that was $1250 on 6/30/98 now costs $850 on 2/20/99, and $350
on 11/11/99. See, that's why the U.S.A. boards are THAT much more lucrative(but still
depreciate a lot!).

|--------------------------|
|"CAPCOM SUICIDE" Questions|
|--------------------------|

----My board doesn't work! What should I do?
First, before you assume that your B board has a dead battery, check all outside
connections(JAMMA harness, Extra button wiring, and Q-Sound jacks if applicable) to the A board.
Then, make sure that the A and B boards are nicely pressed together(you can put the clips in,
to make 100% sure they won't go anywhere). If that doesn't help your situation, then read the
following statement below.

----What's this about the "Capcom Suicide"?
This is probably the only achilles' heel of the CPS2 hardware; the fact that after 5(or so)
years of a B Board being in storage, the battery will die, and the code that the game receives
when the A Board gives its "System Check", is lost; therefore, you have a dead board. Now, even
if you replace the battery, it'll still be dead, because there is no code to be detected from
the A board to the B Board.
If a game is powered most of the time, or even part of a day; it will keep going and
going for even decades. Because of that, it doesn't need its reserve energy. But, if it's in
storage for a long time, be warned: Games like Super Street Fighter 2 and Eco Fighters
will be in danger of dying very soon, as this is 1999(they were made in 1993-1994). The above two
games will die if they've been in storage for 5 years; if they have been played a lot, they
will still be alive and kicking!
I am trying to work on a solution to this problem; I will let you readers know what's
going on when I figure out a solution, or a work-around to this problem. If you have any more
questions, feel free to e-mail me at [email protected]. I thought though, that the best thing
to do, was to put in a new battery before it dies, but because there is a security chip tied to
the battery(parallel in circuit), replacing the battery will be ineffective. It will die when
you take out the old battery, working or not. But, Capcom replaces the battery and security
chip for $75(not including shipping), so you can ask them to REVIVE your dead boards, or it'll be
more secure for you to buy older CPS2 boards....:) But WAIT, if you solder a "working" battery to
the board, while you take out the real battery, it'll work! See the URL below for more information.
There may be a way to save those CPS2 B boards of yours! Go to the following URL:
http://www.online-club.de/~arcade2/suicidecps.htm
There are descriptions of what is needed to be done, to get your dead B Boards working
again! REMEMBER, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DO FROM NOW ON, on the subject of changing
batteries on CPS2 B boards.
IMPORTANT! You can only replace the battery in working boards. So, replacing the
battery BEFORE it dies is the way to do it. And, CAPCOM will only take boards back through
a distributor, not from personal users.

----Which games are affected by the "Capcom Suicide"?
Basically, any CPS2 B Board(A Boards are not affected) that is over 5 years old is
prone to this problem. Games like X-Men VS Street Fighter(1996-newer), or games that have
been played a lot, will keep on truckin' for a while. Trust me on this. :)

-----------------------------

GAME LIST ---(All Games are in Japanese name)---
*Japanese->U.S.A./Asian/Europe converted names are below the list

30 Separate Games Indexed
Rating(1 worst-10 best)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19XX: The Battle Against Destiny 9, vertical shooter(1996)
Alien vs Predator 6, side-scroller(1994)
Battle Circuit 8, side-scroller(1997)
CyberBots 8, great fighter(1995)
Dungeons and Dragons 1:Tower of Doom 5, side-scroller(1994)
Dungeons and Dragons 2:Shadow over Mystara 6, side-scroller(1996)
Giga Wing 10, vertical shooter(1999)
Marvel Super Heroes 6, fighter(1995)
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter 9, excellent fighter(1997)
Marvel vs Capcom 9, excellent fighter(1998)
Pocket Fighter 8, original fighter(1997)
Powered Gear 5, side-scroller(1994)
Quiz Naneiro Dreams 8, Japanese quiz game(1996)
Rockman 2: The Power Fighters 5, fighter(1995)
Street Fighter Zero 4, fighter(1995)
Street Fighter Zero 2 5, fighter(1996)
Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha 8, great fighter(1996)
Street Fighter Zero 3 9, excellent fighter(1998)
Super Muscle Bomber 6, wrestling game(1994)
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 X 10, superb puzzle game(1996)
Super Street Fighter 2 7, good fighter(1993)
Super Street Fighter 2 X 9, classic fighter(1994)
Ultimate Ecology 6, horizontal shooter(1994)
Vampire 6, fighter(1994)
Vampire Hunter 5, fighter(1995)
Vampire Hunter 2 7, good fighter(1997)
Vampire Savior 8, great fighter(1996)
Vampire Savior 2 8, great fighter(1997)
X-Men: Children of the Atom 4, fighter(1994)
X-Men vs Street Fighter 8, great fighter(1996)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----JAPANESE ONLY Game List
The games which were only released in Japan are the following:

Battle Circuit
Quiz Naneiro Dreams
Rockman 2:The Power Fighters
Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha
Vampire Hunter 2
Vampire Savior 2

----Japanese->U.S.A./Asian/Europe Name Conversion List
*on the left is the Japanese name, on the right is the U.S.A/Asian name, if there
is a name change at all...most games do not need a name change*

Pocket Fighter=Super Gem Fighter
Powered Gear=Armored Warriors
Street Fighter Zero=Street Fighter Alpha
Street Fighter Zero 2=Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Zero 3=Street Fighter Alpha 3
Super Muscle Bomber=Saturday Night Slam Masters 2
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 X=Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo
Super Street Fighter 2 X=Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo
Ultimate Ecology=Eco Fighters
Vampire=Darkstalkers
Vampire Hunter=Night Warriors
Vampire Savior=Darkstalkers: Jedah's Damnation*

*there are US BLUE boards with Vampire Savior on them,
instead of "Darkstalkers: Jedah's Damnation".

--------------------------------

MARKETPLACE

----Price List for CPS2 U.S.A./EUROPE Boards
*first price is when companies sell used B boards, second price is when they sell the B Board
NEW(with marquee, artwork, manual), and third is when it is an A+B boardset*

Used B NEW B NEW A+B
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
19XX: The Battle Against Destiny 140 300 500
Alien vs Predator 50 85 160
Armored Warriors 125 250 400
CyberBots 200 325 500
Darkstalkers 60 80 160
Darkstalkers: Jedah's Damnation 200 300 500
Dungeons and Dragons 1:Tower of Doom 80 100 225
Dungeons and Dragons 2:Shadow over Mystara 225 325 550
Eco Fighters 225 350 550
Giga Wing 375 500 795
Marvel Super Heroes 80 100 225
Marvel Super Heroes vs Street Fighter 250 400 675
Marvel vs Capcom 500 775 995
Night Warriors 125 175 300
Saturday Night Slam Masters 2 225 350 550
Street Fighter Alpha 60 90 160
Street Fighter Alpha 2 80 150 275
Street Fighter Alpha 3 170 350 500
Super Gem Fighter 150 400 575
Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo 150 275 425
Super Street Fighter 2 60 90 160
Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo 60 90 160
X-Men: Children of the Atom 60 90 160
X-Men vs Street Fighter 150 300 500
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*I have not listed Japanese only boards here, for prices on them, e-mail me and I'll let
you know. On the ones here, for Japanese, subtract 30% on the prices, and for Asian,
subtract 35% on these prices. These prices are for U.S.A./EUROPE Boards.*

----Retailers and Distributors
50th State Coin-op:(800)424-5050 (doesn't have a good selection at all)"www.gamegod.com"
Automaticos Valls:(34)96-291-7026 (this place in Spain has got the goods)"www.automaticosvalls.com"
Bondeal: no phone # (a great source for arcade stuff)"www.bondeal.com.hk"
Bumper:(61)3-9696-9690 (Australia's best CPS2 Source)"www.bumper.com.au"
Coinop International:(612)321-9632 (very good source of CPS2 stuff, great to deal with)"www.coinopintl.com"
Cosmic Amusements: (852)2388-2101 (great Hong Kong source for CPS2 equipment)"home.netvigator.com/~cosmicco"
Creideas: no phone # (great foreign source for CPS2 equipment)"www.vnet.es/creideas"
Fuuki: no phone # (excellent Japanese CPS2 Source)"www.mediawars.or.jp/~fuukico/"
Game City:(626)573-3832 (has CPS2 boards and other video games)"www.gamescity.com"
Great Western Trading:(541)726-1813 (has some CPS2 boards)"www.gwtrading.com"
Hugo Neumann:(800)998-4846 (good, but high priced CPS2 carts sometimes)
Kimble:(353)42-36574 (Ireland's finest supplier of arcade equipment)"www.kimble.ie"
MAS Systems:(714)831-5760 (accessories, and the Super NOVA dealer!)"www.massystems.com"
Midwest Amusements:(847)364-7722 (has some CPS2 carts, a couple rare ones)"www.midwestamusement.com"
MHP Ent. Ltd.:(44)125-45-6029 (another CPS2 source in the UK, call for info)"www.mhpuk.mcmail.com"
Mondial Group:(914)738-7411 (is a little high in the price department)"www.mondialgroup.com"
Outer Limits Amusements:(800)474-2637 (has some decent CPS2 stuff, nothing special)"www.outerlimitsgames.com"
Presto PCB's: no phone # (Steve Eisner's selling place for lots of CPS2 stuff)"www.cdc.net/~presto/pcb"
Rent-A-Game:(416)650-3718 (Canadian supplier of CPS2 units)"www.rent-a-game.com"
Sage Electronik AG:(41)61-691-1555 (Swiss dealer in CPS2)"www.sage-ag.ch"
State Sales and Coin:(410)646-4100 (CPS2 boards, complete machines)"www.sscoin.com"
Tuning:(49)89-311073 (Germany's source of good CPS2 boards, quality, and sometimes high priced)"www.tuning.com/english"
Video Connection:(800)444-6854 (CPS2 everything, board prices are good)"www.videoconnect.com"
Worldwide Distributors:(773)384-2300 (okay source for CPS2)"www.dirs.com/update/wwdi/wwdi.txt"

-----------------------------

OTHER

----Past Updates

v.0.1: First version, very rudimentary. (8/10/98)
v.1.0-1.0c: First released version, has lots of new info, especially about the "Capcom Suicide issue".
(2/20/99)
v.1.1-1.1c: More questions answered, and more info about the pinouts....(current)

----Coming Soon to my FAQ!

v.1.2: New information pertaining to battery issue...

----Special Thanks

I'd like to thank Coin-Op International, Steve Eisner, Chris Ray, Carey Durant, Greg Goff,
Hal Lowe, Andreas Nowitzki, Mike Dean, and everyone else that I forgot to credit
for helping me make this FAQ. Thank you all for helping me, and for reading this FAQ.

|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
<Copyrighted 1997, 1998, 1999 by Chris Mullins, all rights reserved. Any republication of>
<this material, without written consent from myself(Chris Mullins), and credit to myself,>
<will be subject to fines and/or sentencing due to plagiarism. >
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

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