G-Shock to the system: PV-1000 / Pooyan / Super Cobra | NES Works Gaiden (Casio) 62
948Hello! Want to learn more about Casio PV-1000 and other failed 1980s consoles in Japan? Check out my upcoming book, The NES Era Vol. I: Japan & the Road To NES, available exclusively via preorder at Limited Run Games: https://limitedrungames.com/collectio...
The PV-1000 was another would-be competitor to Famicom that vanished nearly as soon as it entered the world. Of all the failed consoles to emerge from Japan in 1983, the disaster that was Casio's PV-1000 seems the most like a massive own-goal. Between Casio's engineering prowess and the impressive lineup of arcade hits their licensing team managed to land, the PV-1000 had all the makings of a hit—a console at least on par technologically with Sega's SG-1000, if not a wee smidge better. But it flamed out on the launch pad, for reasons I can only speculate about in this episode.
But if you put aside the system's performance at retail and strictly focus on its software library, you end up with the most promising platform to have taken a fatal nosedive while the Famicom and SG-1000 ascended to the heavens. In the next few episodes, I'll be working my way through Casio's weird mix of solid adaptations and absolute marketing ineptitude. If you dig respectable albeit imperfect ports of B-tier early ’80s coin-op games, you're gonna love the PV-1000.
Special thanks once again to Christa Lee for modding this PV-1000 for composite output.
Production notes:
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PV-1000 footage recorded from original hardware, modded for composite output by Christa Lee of Sound Retro Co. NES/Famicom footage captured from @analogueinc Nt Mini; SG-1000 footage recorded from Analogue Mega Sg Video; arcade footage generally captured from a MiSTer. All capture upscaled to 4K via Retrotink 4K or to 720p with an xRGB Mini Framemeister.