Video Game Software
Introduction
This page is an exhibition of rare video game software available for various home consoles, looking at what makes them unique.
Nintendo 64
Morita Shogi 64
A big advantage of cartridge based games over optical media is that the cartridge itself can contain extra hardware to boost the capabilities of a game console. Some famous examples are Super Mario Bros 3 for the NES, which provided extra memory in the cartridge itself for enhanced scrolling, and Micro Machines Military which contained 2 controller ports on the cartridge to support additional players. Morita Shogi 64, developed and published by SETA and released on April 3 1998 in Japan only for the N64, is no exception as the game is only N64 game to feature a built-in RJ-11 connection port and modem. This gave players the ability to connect to servers to play against other players that were located in Japan by plugging in a phone line into the cart and paying a subscription fee. The game is a sequel to Saikyo Habu Shogi, a launch game for the N64, which was also Japan only. The servers for Morita Shogi 64 were shortly closed down due to poor sales of the game and the game never saw a release outside of Japan.
The released game has debug text stored inside the game, for more information please see:
My copy of Morita Shogi 64 was recently bought for me directly from Japan for ¥900 (~£6/$8) , which you can see below, boxed with the packaging and price label still intact.
A back view of the game follows which has a couple of screenshots as well as a photo of the game plugged into the N64 with a phone line plugged into the top of the cartridge.
Removing the contents from the box we can see that 2 booklets (below left), a number of supplementary information documents (below right, top), a phone line lead (below right, middle) and the game cartridge (below right, bottom) are included.
In the photo that follows you can see a closeup of the top of the game cartridge showing an indicator light and phone line socket; a little 'door' can be moved across the phone line connector to protect it.
When the game starts up the company name (SETA) is displayed before being replaced by a pre-rendered short movie with text showing 2 armies as well as shots of Shogi pieces, to get the point across that the game of Shogi is like a battle of 2 teams. You can see a screen from the movie below (take note that all screenshots of the game were taken from a real N64 using an Elgato capture card via a composite video connection):
Next we move on to the title screen:
After pressing start at the title screen (and moving passed the controller pak warning if you do not have one inserted) you will be presented with the main menu:
Since the game is in Japanese I used Google Translate's camera option to translate the game menus and parts of the game manual to get an understanding of what the various game screens are for. Numbering the menu options in the screenshot above from 1 to 7 this is what they are for:
1. Start a game against the CPU with difficulty level between 1 and 6.
2. Get certified on your skill level.
3. Set up the game board freely and play from there
4. Test the CPU to solve a 'Shogi problem' (challenge).
5. Configuration options.
6. Edit how your name appears to other players.
7. Phone line/connection options possibly with option to start online game but I couldn't progress because of the phone line settings not being set up.
Here is a screen capture of gameplay:
You can choose a CPU level from 1 to 6 before the game begins; the CPU's pieces are at the top of the screen and the player's pieces are at the bottom. A cursor allows the player to pick up a piece and then place it within the limits of the piece's moveset. With every move of a piece a female voice can be heard (unfortunately I do not know what is being said).
Next, we'll look at inside the game cartridge which you can see in the image that follows. The phone line connector, type RJ-11, (CN2) is visible at the top, with the indicator LED (LED1) to the right, as well as 2 test points labelled TP1 and TP2. There is a relay, TQ2SA-6V (RL1), below left of the phone line socket, which possibly provides isolation between the phone line and the rest of the cartridge. To the right of the relay is a MC3403D IC (U8), which contains 4 Op-amps, and to the right of the chip is a ST031 (U4), most likely a custom logic IC. Below the ST031 is a LHR51DNI 'NUS-NMSJ-0' chip (U1) which looks to be the game ROM. To the left and below the relay we have a LM358 (U7), which is a dual Op-amp chip, and below that IC is a BU9850 (U2) game save chip, and to the right of the BU9850 is a CIC6102 (U3) security chip.
Now for the underside of the cartridge (below): we have another custom logic chip (top left), the ST034 (U5), which has a white wire running from above it and across toward the bottom of the PCB. The only other component of significant interest is the 78L08T (slightly to the right and toward the cartridge connections) (U6), which is a +8V 100mA voltage regulator.
For a look at an unboxing of Morita Shogi 64 as well as gameplay please check out my video:
All content of this and related pages is copyright (c) James S. 2019