Alternate SEGA - Revision history

Keiji: /* Sega Neptune */

2011-09-16T16:38:39Z

Sega Neptune

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 16 September 2011
Line 4:		Line 4:

	== Sega Neptune ==		== Sega Neptune ==
-	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in early 1996.	+	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and [[32X]] but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the [[Dreamcast]]. The Neptune was finally released in early 1996.

	=== Technical specifications ===		=== Technical specifications ===

Keiji: /* Technical specifications */ filling this with red links because I can :3

2011-09-16T16:38:20Z

Technical specifications: filling this with red links because I can :3

Keiji: ontology

2011-09-15T18:11:09Z

ontology

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:11, 15 September 2011
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		+	<[#ontology [kind topic] [cats SEGA Metaverse]]>
	{{Selfref\|[[SEGA]], as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing [[Sonic 3\|Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not been such utter nutjobs.}}		{{Selfref\|[[SEGA]], as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing [[Sonic 3\|Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not been such utter nutjobs.}}
	{{WIP}}		{{WIP}}

Chao: /* Sonic RPG */

2011-09-15T18:04:42Z

Sonic RPG

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:04, 15 September 2011
Line 37:		Line 37:

	== Sonic RPG ==		== Sonic RPG ==
-	[[Sonic RPG]] was released in 1997 for the Neptune.	+	[[Sonic RPG]] was released in 1997 for the Neptune. It was an action-RPG hybrid that combined fast paced battles with elements of traditional Sonic games and RPGs. The plot of the game revolved around [[Dr. Eggman]] seizing an ancient relic called the [[Crystal Orb]] to rival the power of the [[Chaos Emerald]]s. The game was known for it's extensive use of the 3D software rending capabilities, as well as maximizing the sound chips.
-	~~{{Short section}}~~	+

	== Sonic X-Treme ==		== Sonic X-Treme ==

Keiji at 17:50, 15 September 2011

2011-09-15T17:50:04Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:50, 15 September 2011
Line 35:		Line 35:
	== Sonic 4 ==		== Sonic 4 ==
	''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' would be released as a launch title for the Neptune. It would be a mostly [[2D]] version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure]], except without [[Big the Cat]] and with optional [[adventure field]]s. Playable characters would be [[Sonic]], [[Tails]], [[Knuckles]] and [[Tikal]]. Each character would be able to play through the same kind of gameplay as Sonic, just like in [[Sonic 3]], but would have the Adventure elements added in as optional extras. Some parts of the game would involve [[3D]] elements, such as the part where you ride on Tails' plane. The game would be able to transfer [[Chao]] between the [[Chao Garden]] and the VMUs available from the Saturn controller.		''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' would be released as a launch title for the Neptune. It would be a mostly [[2D]] version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure]], except without [[Big the Cat]] and with optional [[adventure field]]s. Playable characters would be [[Sonic]], [[Tails]], [[Knuckles]] and [[Tikal]]. Each character would be able to play through the same kind of gameplay as Sonic, just like in [[Sonic 3]], but would have the Adventure elements added in as optional extras. Some parts of the game would involve [[3D]] elements, such as the part where you ride on Tails' plane. The game would be able to transfer [[Chao]] between the [[Chao Garden]] and the VMUs available from the Saturn controller.
		+
		+	== Sonic RPG ==
		+	[[Sonic RPG]] was released in 1997 for the Neptune.
		+	{{Short section}}
		+
		+	== Sonic X-Treme ==
		+	Due to the [[great success]] of the Neptune and Sonic 4, the [[Chris Senn\|most important]] ''Sonic X-Treme'' developers were never taken off the project, and the game was also given a much longer timescale, allowing it to come to completion. It would eventually be released as a launch title for the Dreamcast in 1998. It would be the second game, after [[Sonic 3D Blast]], to feature voxel-based 3D worlds.
		+
		+	== Sonic 5 ==
		+	''Sonic the Hedgehog 5'' would be released for the Dreamcast in [[1999]] as a version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure 2]]. Its Knuckles/Rouge and Tails/Eggman stages would be roughly unchanged from the version we know, though the Sonic/Shadow action stages would have been made in [[2.5D]]. That is, instead of being fully 3D where you'd hold forward almost the entire time, they would be arranged as a 2D grid of 3D chunks which you would navigate left to right like the game's predecessors. This engine allowed the Sonic/Shadow levels to be much longer and more complex, on par with Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic 4.

Keiji: derp

2011-09-15T17:16:38Z

derp

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:16, 15 September 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
	{{Selfref\|[[SEGA]], as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing [[Sonic 3\|Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not been such utter nutjobs.}}		{{Selfref\|[[SEGA]], as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing [[Sonic 3\|Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not been such utter nutjobs.}}
-		+	{{WIP}}
-	~~== Sonic 4 ==~~	+
-	''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' would be released in early 1996 for the [[32X]]. It would be a mostly [[2D]] version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure]], except without [[Big the Cat]] and with optional [[adventure field]]s. Playable characters would be [[Sonic]], [[Tails]], [[Knuckles]] and [[Tikal]]. Each character would be able to play through the same kind of gameplay as Sonic, just like in [[Sonic 3]], but would have the Adventure elements added in as optional extras. Some parts of the game would involve [[3D]] elements, such as the part where you ride on Tails' plane. The cartridge would have been specially designed (similarly to how the ''Sonic & Knuckles'' cartridge had its [[Lock-On Technology™]]) to hold the [[VMU]] units one can transfer [[Chao]] to, and in fact the VMU technology itself would have been invented specifically ''for'' this game in the first instance.	+

	== Sega Neptune ==		== Sega Neptune ==
-	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in ~~mid~~ 1996.	+	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in early 1996.

	=== Technical specifications ===		=== Technical specifications ===
Line 27:		Line 25:
	*One 72-pin (36-pin double-sided) expansion port. Notable uses of this port are for the Genesis/32X cartridge adaptor add-on and for attaching debuggers.		*One 72-pin (36-pin double-sided) expansion port. Notable uses of this port are for the Genesis/32X cartridge adaptor add-on and for attaching debuggers.
	*Video resolutions the same as the 32X.		*Video resolutions the same as the 32X.
		+	*Two controllers available at launch
		+	**the standard Neptune controller, which is a 6-button Genesis controller plus digital L and R buttons
		+	**the so-called Saturn controller, which is essentially what we know as the [[Dreamcast]] controller, including its [[VMU]] functionality.

-	~~{{WIP}}~~	+	=== Launch titles ===
		+	*''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' (see below)
		+	*[[Project Nanako]]
		+
		+	== Sonic 4 ==
		+	''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' would be released as a launch title for the Neptune. It would be a mostly [[2D]] version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure]], except without [[Big the Cat]] and with optional [[adventure field]]s. Playable characters would be [[Sonic]], [[Tails]], [[Knuckles]] and [[Tikal]]. Each character would be able to play through the same kind of gameplay as Sonic, just like in [[Sonic 3]], but would have the Adventure elements added in as optional extras. Some parts of the game would involve [[3D]] elements, such as the part where you ride on Tails' plane. The game would be able to transfer [[Chao]] between the [[Chao Garden]] and the VMUs available from the Saturn controller.

Keiji at 15:37, 15 September 2011

2011-09-15T15:37:08Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:37, 15 September 2011
Line 25:		Line 25:
	**Sega CD games couldn't play CDDA (pre-recorded) music and load data at the same time, which is evident in [[Sonic CD]]. However, because of the faster speed and the abundance of processors and RAM, one can quite easily compress their music in a format such as MP3 and run a realtime decoder on one of the SH2 processors. This decoder can then load its data in segments at a low priority and output directly via the DAC. This enables prerecorded music to be playing (and even ''looping'') while data is being loaded.		**Sega CD games couldn't play CDDA (pre-recorded) music and load data at the same time, which is evident in [[Sonic CD]]. However, because of the faster speed and the abundance of processors and RAM, one can quite easily compress their music in a format such as MP3 and run a realtime decoder on one of the SH2 processors. This decoder can then load its data in segments at a low priority and output directly via the DAC. This enables prerecorded music to be playing (and even ''looping'') while data is being loaded.
	*Two controller input ports of the same type (DE-9) as the Genesis.		*Two controller input ports of the same type (DE-9) as the Genesis.
		+	*One 72-pin (36-pin double-sided) expansion port. Notable uses of this port are for the Genesis/32X cartridge adaptor add-on and for attaching debuggers.
	*Video resolutions the same as the 32X.		*Video resolutions the same as the 32X.

	{{WIP}}		{{WIP}}

Keiji: Added Neptune tech specs.

2011-09-15T15:31:43Z

Added Neptune tech specs.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:31, 15 September 2011
Line 6:		Line 6:
	== Sega Neptune ==		== Sega Neptune ==
	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in mid 1996.		During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in mid 1996.
		+
		+	=== Technical specifications ===
		+	*One contiguous RAM chip, 4MB in size. This would be divided by a separate memory mapping chip when compatibility mode was enabled (for Genesis, 32X and SCD games).
		+	*32kB of battery-backed RAM, four times the size of the Sega CD's equivalent, used for storing game data. The Neptune would be 100% compatible with the same Backup RAM Carts that the Sega CD used.
		+	*32-bit address space, mapping the Neptune's new RAM space and system functions to addresses unused by the 32X.
		+	*Main processors:
		+	**Two SH2 processors running at 26MHz. These would be used by 32X games. Neptune games would usually use these to control audio/video loading, decompression and rendering.
		+	**Two Motorola 68k processors running at 13MHz (exactly half that of the SH2 as it runs from a hardware divider from the SH2 clock for convenient synchronisation). These would be used by Sega CD games. For Genesis and 32X games, one would be used and the other would be idle. Neptune games would usually use these to control game logic and the original Genesis audio/video processors.
		+	**One Z80 running at 3.58 MHz (the same speed as in the original Genesis to ensure sound quality is retained). Some games, particularly Genesis games, would use this to control the YM2612 audio processor.
		+	*Sound chips:
		+	**One YM2612 chip and one SN76489 chip as used on the Genesis, which can each be controlled either from the Z80 or the primary 68k.
		+	**One RF5C164 as used on the Sega CD for 8-channel sample mixing.
		+	**Four PWM channels as used on the 32X.
		+	**The SN76489 chip has four channels, however the original Genesis can only ever access three of them at once due to bad design. The Neptune, however, can access all four at once. The total number of channels accessible to the Neptune is therefore 22: 6 YM2612 + 4 SN76489 + 8 RF5C164 + 4 PWM
		+	*One YM7101, plus whatever the SCD's custom chip was, for displaying Genesis, SCD and 32X graphics. These chips, like everything else, are also accessible to Neptune games for masochistic programmers, but it's far easier to just use the 32X's framebuffer-based graphics exclusively and be done with it.
		+	*One 8×-speed CD-ROM drive.
		+	**Compare that to the 1×-speed, yes, just 1×-speed CD-ROM of the original Sega CD.
		+	**Sega CD games couldn't play CDDA (pre-recorded) music and load data at the same time, which is evident in [[Sonic CD]]. However, because of the faster speed and the abundance of processors and RAM, one can quite easily compress their music in a format such as MP3 and run a realtime decoder on one of the SH2 processors. This decoder can then load its data in segments at a low priority and output directly via the DAC. This enables prerecorded music to be playing (and even ''looping'') while data is being loaded.
		+	*Two controller input ports of the same type (DE-9) as the Genesis.
		+	*Video resolutions the same as the 32X.

	{{WIP}}		{{WIP}}

Keiji: /* Sega Neptune */

2011-09-15T14:15:27Z

Sega Neptune

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:15, 15 September 2011
Line 5:		Line 5:

	== Sega Neptune ==		== Sega Neptune ==
-	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast.	+	During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast. The Neptune was finally released in mid 1996.

	{{WIP}}		{{WIP}}

Keiji: Created page with "{{Selfref|SEGA, as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not b..."

2011-09-15T14:14:26Z

Created page with "{{Selfref|SEGA, as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing Sonic 3 & Knuckles. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not b..."

New page

{{Selfref|[[SEGA]], as we know it, completely fell apart shortly after releasing [[Sonic 3|Sonic 3 & Knuckles]]. This page is about what surely would have happened had they not been such utter nutjobs.}}

== Sonic 4 ==
''Sonic the Hedgehog 4'' would be released in early 1996 for the [[32X]]. It would be a mostly [[2D]] version of what we know as [[Sonic Adventure]], except without [[Big the Cat]] and with optional [[adventure field]]s. Playable characters would be [[Sonic]], [[Tails]], [[Knuckles]] and [[Tikal]]. Each character would be able to play through the same kind of gameplay as Sonic, just like in [[Sonic 3]], but would have the Adventure elements added in as optional extras. Some parts of the game would involve [[3D]] elements, such as the part where you ride on Tails' plane. The cartridge would have been specially designed (similarly to how the ''Sonic & Knuckles'' cartridge had its [[Lock-On Technology™]]) to hold the [[VMU]] units one can transfer [[Chao]] to, and in fact the VMU technology itself would have been invented specifically ''for'' this game in the first instance.

== Sega Neptune ==
During 1994 and 1995, SEGA would have two separate teams working on two different consoles: the Saturn and the Neptune. They had said to the teams very early on that only one console would actually make it through and the other would be scrapped, as if encouraging competition and therefore innovation. Until near the end of this period, everyone thought that the Saturn would be the one to come out and that the Neptune would be a complete flop. However, the Neptune team had been keeping most of their ideas under the radar, and once their final prototype was demonstrated to the [[executive]]s the situation reversed completely. It turned out that the Neptune, retaining its [[legacy]] of [[BLAST PROCESSING]] from the [[Genesis]], was able to do fairly good 3D in software. It integrated the technology of not only the Genesis and 32X but also the [[Sega CD]], but throwing out the 32X's 4MB ROM limit and the SCD's ridiculous loading times. Using a CD drive for its media, it was able to play all Sega CD games by itself, and Genesis and 32X games were also fully playable with a cheap $20 add-on, which would come as a free extra for the first 10,000 units sold. Even with all this, the cost per unit was ''still'' far cheaper than that of the Saturn. So the Saturn team were told that their hardware 3D technology wasn't yet ready and should be saved for later - this would become the Dreamcast.

{{WIP}}

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:38, 16 September 2011
Line 7:		Line 7:

	=== Technical specifications ===		=== Technical specifications ===
-	*One contiguous RAM chip, 4MB in size. This would be divided by a separate memory mapping chip when compatibility mode was enabled (for Genesis, 32X and SCD games).	+	*One contiguous [[RAM]] chip, 4MB in size. This would be divided by a separate [[memory mapping]] chip when compatibility mode was enabled (for Genesis, 32X and SCD games).
-	*32kB of battery-backed RAM, four times the size of the Sega CD's equivalent, used for storing game data. The Neptune would be 100% compatible with the same Backup RAM ~~Carts~~ that the Sega CD used.	+	*32kB of [[battery-backed RAM]], four times the size of the Sega CD's equivalent, used for storing game data. The Neptune would be 100% compatible with the same [[Backup RAM Cart]]s that the Sega CD used.
	*32-bit address space, mapping the Neptune's new RAM space and system functions to addresses unused by the 32X.		*32-bit address space, mapping the Neptune's new RAM space and system functions to addresses unused by the 32X.
	*Main processors:		*Main processors:
-	**Two SH2 processors running at 26MHz. These would be used by 32X games. Neptune games would usually use these to control audio/video loading, decompression and rendering.	+	**Two [[SH2]] processors running at 26MHz. These would be used by 32X games. Neptune games would usually use these to control audio/video loading, decompression and rendering.
-	**Two ~~Motorola~~ 68k processors running at 13MHz (exactly half that of the SH2 as it runs from a hardware divider from the SH2 clock for convenient synchronisation). These would be used by Sega CD games. For Genesis and 32X games, one would be used and the other would be idle. Neptune games would usually use these to control game logic and the original Genesis audio/video processors.	+	**Two [[68k]] processors running at 13MHz (exactly half that of the SH2 as it runs from a hardware divider from the SH2 clock for convenient synchronisation). These would be used by Sega CD games. For Genesis and 32X games, one would be used and the other would be idle. Neptune games would usually use these to control game logic and the original Genesis audio/video processors.
-	**One Z80 running at 3.58 MHz (the same speed as in the original Genesis to ensure sound quality is retained). Some games, particularly Genesis games, would use this to control the YM2612 audio processor.	+	**One [[Z80]] running at 3.58 MHz (the same speed as in the original Genesis to ensure sound quality is retained). Some games, particularly Genesis games, would use this to control the YM2612 audio processor.
	*Sound chips:		*Sound chips:
-	**One YM2612 chip and one SN76489 chip as used on the Genesis, which can each be controlled either from the Z80 or the primary 68k.	+	**One [[YM2612]] chip and one [[SN76489]] chip as used on the Genesis, which can each be controlled either from the Z80 or the primary 68k.
-	**One RF5C164 as used on the Sega CD for 8-channel sample mixing.	+	**One [[RF5C164]] as used on the Sega CD for 8-channel [[sample mixing]].
-	**Four PWM channels as used on the 32X.	+	**Four [[PWM]] channels as used on the 32X.
-	**The SN76489 chip has four channels, however the original Genesis can only ever access three of them at once due to bad design. The Neptune, however, can access all four at once. The total number of channels accessible to the Neptune is therefore 22: 6 YM2612 + 4 SN76489 + 8 RF5C164 + 4 PWM	+	**The [[SN76489]] chip has four channels, however the original Genesis can only ever access three of them at once due to bad design. The Neptune, however, can access all four at once. The total number of channels accessible to the Neptune is therefore 22: 6 YM2612 + 4 SN76489 + 8 RF5C164 + 4 PWM
-	*One YM7101, plus whatever the ~~SCD's~~ custom chip was, for displaying Genesis, SCD and 32X graphics. These chips, like everything else, are also accessible to Neptune games for ~~masochistic~~ programmers, but it's far easier to just use the 32X's framebuffer-based graphics exclusively and be done with it.	+	*One [[YM7101]], plus whatever the [[Sega CD custom video chip]] was, for displaying Genesis, SCD and 32X graphics. These chips, like everything else, are also accessible to Neptune games for [[masochist]]ic programmers, but it's far easier to just use the 32X's [[framebuffer]]-based graphics exclusively and be done with it.
-	*One 8×-speed CD-ROM drive.	+	*One 8×-speed [[CD-ROM]] drive.
	**Compare that to the 1×-speed, yes, just 1×-speed CD-ROM of the original Sega CD.		**Compare that to the 1×-speed, yes, just 1×-speed CD-ROM of the original Sega CD.
-	**Sega CD games couldn't play CDDA (pre-recorded) music and load data at the same time, which is evident in [[Sonic CD]]. However, because of the faster speed and the abundance of processors and RAM, one can quite easily compress their music in a format such as MP3 and run a realtime decoder on one of the SH2 processors. This decoder can then load its data in segments at a low priority and output directly via the DAC. This enables prerecorded music to be playing (and even ''looping'') while data is being loaded.	+	**Sega CD games couldn't play [[CDDA]] (pre-recorded) music and load data at the same time, which is evident in [[Sonic CD]]. However, because of the faster speed and the abundance of processors and RAM, one can quite easily compress their music in a format such as [[MP3]] and run a realtime decoder on one of the SH2 processors. This decoder can then load its data in segments at a low priority and output directly via the DAC. This enables prerecorded music to be playing (and even ''looping'') while data is being loaded.
-	*Two controller input ports of the same type (DE-9) as the Genesis.	+	*Two [[controller]] input ports of the same type ([[DE-9]]) as the Genesis.
-	*One 72-pin (36-pin double-sided) expansion port. Notable uses of this port are for the Genesis/32X cartridge adaptor add-on and for attaching ~~debuggers~~.	+	*One 72-pin (36-pin double-sided) [[expansion port]]. Notable uses of this port are for the Genesis/32X cartridge adaptor add-on and for attaching [[debugger]]s.
-	*Video ~~resolutions~~ the same as the 32X.	+	*[[Video resolution]]s the same as the 32X.
	*Two controllers available at launch		*Two controllers available at launch
-	**the standard Neptune controller, which is a 6-button Genesis controller plus digital L and R buttons	+	**the standard Neptune controller, which is a [[6-button Genesis controller]] plus digital [[L and R buttons]]
-	**the so-called Saturn controller, which is essentially what we know as the [[Dreamcast]] ~~controller~~, including its [[VMU]] functionality.	+	**the so-called Saturn controller, which is essentially what we know as the [[Dreamcast controller]], including its [[VMU]] functionality.

	=== Launch titles ===		=== Launch titles ===