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The Book of CP-System
Before the era of overpowered PCs and home consoles, there was a time when video-game enthusiasts could only experience the very best and the most challenging in places called "arcades".
In these locations, players of all ages and origins gathered to take their passion to a level no consumer grade hardware could.
The arcades of the early 90s were a highly competitive environment where publishers only had a few seconds to catch a player's attention, and more importantly their quarters. It was during that time that a young company named Capcom managed to elevate itself above the competition and turn itself into an icon.
This book is an engineering love letter to the platform that allowed this metamorphosis. If you have always wanted to learn about the machine behind the legendary CPS-1 titles Street Fighter II, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and Final Fight, the "Book of CP-System" is for you.
Inside, you will find the hardware of the CPS-1 described and explained in excruciating detail. The software is also covered with a fully detailed modern pipeline, turning code and assets into ROMs
.
Jump in and discover a world of one hundred explanatory illustrations, sprinkled with typos and broken English to remind you this isn't just a dream!
In these locations, players of all ages and origins gathered to take their passion to a level no consumer grade hardware could.
The arcades of the early 90s were a highly competitive environment where publishers only had a few seconds to catch a player's attention, and more importantly their quarters. It was during that time that a young company named Capcom managed to elevate itself above the competition and turn itself into an icon.
This book is an engineering love letter to the platform that allowed this metamorphosis. If you have always wanted to learn about the machine behind the legendary CPS-1 titles Street Fighter II, Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and Final Fight, the "Book of CP-System" is for you.
Inside, you will find the hardware of the CPS-1 described and explained in excruciating detail. The software is also covered with a fully detailed modern pipeline, turning code and assets into ROMs
.
Jump in and discover a world of one hundred explanatory illustrations, sprinkled with typos and broken English to remind you this isn't just a dream!
240 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 18, 2023
I used to love arcades. Perhaps my standards were low as a child, but I enjoyed going to places that had arcade machines. Bowling alleys, Chuck E Cheese, Aladdin's Castle, and Pizza Parlors all had one or two at least. Who could forget the Winners Don't Use Drugs advertisements on all of them?
One of many games that I noticed was Street Fighter II. I remember seeing the game and being enthralled by the characters. Some people knew how to perform special moves, and I thought of them as gurus; how did they know how to throw a fireball or charge themselves with electricity?
The Book of CP-System is a technical manual. It demonstrates the specifications of Capcom's in-house Arcade boards. The system drove many of their popular arcade games from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. It made Capcom a household name.
The book covers all of this history, but most of it focuses on the engineering aspects of the system. Providing a basis for emulation is the purpose of the book.
I enjoyed the book, but it didn't feel like something I usually read. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
One of many games that I noticed was Street Fighter II. I remember seeing the game and being enthralled by the characters. Some people knew how to perform special moves, and I thought of them as gurus; how did they know how to throw a fireball or charge themselves with electricity?
The Book of CP-System is a technical manual. It demonstrates the specifications of Capcom's in-house Arcade boards. The system drove many of their popular arcade games from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. It made Capcom a household name.
The book covers all of this history, but most of it focuses on the engineering aspects of the system. Providing a basis for emulation is the purpose of the book.
I enjoyed the book, but it didn't feel like something I usually read. Thanks for reading my review, and see you next time.
February 3, 2024
Every book that Fabien Sanglard writes is pure gold. I learned so much about hardware and how assembly instructions actually interact with the hardware. I really grew to appreciate how much effort and sacrifice was involved in the making of some of my favorite games growing up. If you grew up playing Street Fighter 2 in the arcade and finding yourself developing software as an adult you owe it to yourself to read this book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews