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GPC Documentation Page

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This page is under construction and may be constantly updated.
(Last Updated (CEST): 2024-02-17 18:07)

Of course, if you find any new information about this hardware, or actually have something of it, please contact me through the social links on the main page via the link above.

Summary

Game Processor hardware patent illustration

The Nintendo GAME PROCESSOR is a development kit from 1995 based on the Super Famicom hardware with a 32-bit computer inside, focused on making game creation easier for the Super Famicom.

MARIO FACTORY is currently the only known software made for it, which can make games by using a base game genre and samples (such as MARIO BROS.), with editors made for the Super Famicom Mouse in mind, and sometimes a specifically made keyboard for it.

As you play the game, you can pause the gameplay and edit graphics, sounds or programming, and unpause where you left off and see the changes you made immediately. Once you're done with making the game, you can export the game on a Game Processor RAM Cassette and play it on commercial Super Famicom hardware.

The only known use of it has been in HAL College of Technology & Design in 1994, using the software MARIO FACTORY to make games.

History

The earliest reporting (found so far) of the Game Processor was in Weekly Famitsu #219 (1993-02-26), alongside the end of the Nintendo-Dentsu Game Seminar, a seminar about teaching game design, which was around for 1990 to 1992 included.

According to Micom's report, the motivation to create the Game Processor came from the fact that their Game Seminars were always flooded with more applicants than they could manage in Tokyo and Osaka.

The Game Processor would allow more people to learn how to make games, thanks to their newly formed partnership with Nomura Research Institute who would provide a network where Game Processor users would have access to Nintendo's lectures about game development, and would able to exchange with other users including co-development of games with each other.

The hardware was originally announced to release later in 1993 for less than 100 000 yen.

Later in Weekly Famitsu #234 (1993-06-11), Nintendo would announce a new game design course at the Nintendo backed HAL College of Technology & Design, planned to be established in April 1994, with two courses of either 2 years or 4 years, using the newly announced game making computer.

Hardware

The hardware contains the Super Famicom hardware, alongside a 32-bit computer, the video output is made of outputs overlaid by one another ("Super Impose" technology), very similar in idea to the 32X from Sega, where the 32-bit computer side that contains the editor can overlay the Super Famicom video output and show extra information.

It would plug to a consumer TV screen, and has 4 controller ports that can support Super Famicom controllers, a Mouse and a specifically made Keyboard.

Game Processor Horizontal Hardware

There are two known versions of the hardware, a vertical one seen in the patent and flyer, and a horizontal version seen at HAL College and Hudson's Yume Matsuri '95.

Specifications

Based on patent information, the following may or may not be fully accurate.

Software

Mario Factory title screen patent illustration

The hardware can have different software, but the flagship software is MARIO FACTORY.

MARIO FACTORY is Nintendo's attempt at an easy to use game making tool to teach how to make games, using a base game model and modifying based on it. There would be different base game models for different genres, like Action, RPG, Adventure, Shoot 'em up, and so on.

It allows you to edit graphics, both for background and sprites, edit music and sound effects, and reprogram the game and objects using either premade processes or use a programming language similar to BASIC to do further changes.

You can either start by editing the assets directly, or by starting the game, and then pause the gameplay to make changes, and then unpause and see how it works in real-time.

Games

Screenshot

MARIO BROS. (Sample Game)

This game was made by Nintendo as a sample, to allow people to understand how Mario Factory works.

It is an adaptation of the arcade game MARIO BROS. with new graphics that would be used on the Game Boy Advance adaptation in the Super Mario Advance series and Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga.

The following 6 games were made by HAL students and were available on Satellaview as part of the Game Tora no Ouana - HAL College Special program from January 1996.

You can click each screenshot to find a recording of the game in question in its full context, thanks to kukun kun's uploads of Satellaview programs.

Screenshot

Easy Racer

It is a simple top down racing game with 2 players, Mario & Luigi, one of them can be a computer player, with 4 course tracks.

Screenshot

Sweet Honey Action

It's a single screen platformer where you need to defeat every enemy with a projectile, then reach the goal. It contains 3 stages with 3 acts each, with varied level design and objects.

It was made by modifying the MARIO BROS. sample according to the developer.

Screenshot

PAずLE & BREっど / Puzzle & Bread

A sokoban-like game, where a witch-like character has to reach the bread as the goal by pushing blocks out of the way or pushing them into holes to walk on them.

Screenshot

FLOWER

You have to control the character, your sidekick and a cursor at the bottom of the screen at the same time.

While evading enemies, you must launch them up using the cursor, and then shoot a fireball into them with the sidekick at the top left of the screen.

Screenshot

ラジパズ / Radio Puzzle

This is a puzzle game with falling blocks of several kinds. Two blocks attached to each other will fall down and can be rotated.

Each colored block has a face pointing to a direction, left, right, up or down, and then a radio block will also appear.

The radio block will make the colored block people dance to its left and right, and every block looking at a dancing block will then dance on their own as a way to rank up combos and make them disappear.

A stage can be completed by making a certain amount of blocks disappear.

Screenshot

Wonderful my race

Developed by YAB, this is a game inspired by old arcade games.

You control a blue car in a top-down maze level where you have to evade other cars, the goal is to catch all the colored flags in the level.

You can go faster by holding the Y button but it will make the engine temperature go up, an overheat will make you unable to accelerate.

Taking the exhaust pipe powerup will make your car spit out fire in the back, it can be used to attack the other cars and destroy them, and in some cases can give you extra flags if you catch them fast enough.

Screenshot

アスタリスクの大冒險 / Asterisk's Great Adventure

Game Processor RAM Cassette

This game was dumped from a Game Processor RAM Cassette in 2005 by d4s. It was originally thought that the data was deteriorating but I am starting to believe it wasn't aside from a few bits.

The goal of the game is to take the coin at the end of the level, then go back and defeat the boss by hitting it 5 times with either the sword or the fireball, then the credits would appear.

The dump was not done correctly, but no data is missing, I managed to fix it to be more in line with the actual cartridge specs, and then patched to make the game playable.

Game Dump & Patch Download / SPC Music Download / MP3 Music Download


Unfortunately, the future of Game Processor games preservation is dire: All batteries in Game Processor RAM Cassettes are now dead, and all data is now lost. We were too late to get interested on it.

The future of it mostly depends on finding the ones released on Satellaview.

Logo Design

The logo design of the Game Processor uses a horizontally scaled down "ITC Serif Gothic Std Bold" font.

Nintendo Game Processor logo

Staff

The following are staff info found on patents as inventors or personal websites.

Sources & Links

Special Thanks

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