PlayChoice-10
Encyclopedia
PlayChoice-10 was an arcade
machine which could consist of as many as 10 different games previously available only on the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) home console
. The games for this system were in the modular form of circuit boards which would be plugged into one of the ten open slots on the PlayChoice-10's motherboard.
presented a machine which contained several Sega Master System
and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games. SNK
's NeoGeo
was another cartridge-based system that was simultaneously available at the arcade and for home console use.
Nintendo, being the industry leader at the time, was especially successful with this concept. Nintendo packed its most popular games into a machine case and called it the PlayChoice-10. The machine was compatible with the NES, but with some key differences. An extra CPU controlled the gameplay timer, game select, and displayed hints for the current game on a separate monitor (on single-monitor systems, a button would switch between gameplay and the hint screen). Normal NES cartridges could not be used; rather, the PlayChoice used special expansion cards containing (usually unmodified) NES games along with an extra 8KB ROM to display hints. Because the PlayChoice-10 output RGB video using a slightly different palette, games did not look exactly the same as they did on the NES. It is in fact possible to replace the NES PPU
with the PlayChoice-10 PPU, allowing it to output RGB natively.
Each machine had a different mix of games in it. Instead of a player getting to play one game until it was finished, the player got a fixed time limit to play as many PlayChoice games as they wanted to.
Nintendo also created a standalone PlayChoice which only had a single available game.
Arcade cabinet
A video game arcade cabinet, also known as a video arcade machine or video coin-op, is the housing within which a video arcade game's hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the JAMMA wiring standard...
machine which could consist of as many as 10 different games previously available only on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) home console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. The games for this system were in the modular form of circuit boards which would be plugged into one of the ten open slots on the PlayChoice-10's motherboard.
Description and history
By the late 1980s, console systems were quickly catching up with the arcade machines in terms of popularity. Therefore, the video game companies decided to capitalize on this trend by making stand up arcade machines out of their existing console systems. Many companies tried this tactic. SegaSega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
presented a machine which contained several Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games. SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
's NeoGeo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
was another cartridge-based system that was simultaneously available at the arcade and for home console use.
Nintendo, being the industry leader at the time, was especially successful with this concept. Nintendo packed its most popular games into a machine case and called it the PlayChoice-10. The machine was compatible with the NES, but with some key differences. An extra CPU controlled the gameplay timer, game select, and displayed hints for the current game on a separate monitor (on single-monitor systems, a button would switch between gameplay and the hint screen). Normal NES cartridges could not be used; rather, the PlayChoice used special expansion cards containing (usually unmodified) NES games along with an extra 8KB ROM to display hints. Because the PlayChoice-10 output RGB video using a slightly different palette, games did not look exactly the same as they did on the NES. It is in fact possible to replace the NES PPU
Picture Processing Unit
The PPU , more specifically known as Ricoh RP2C02 / RP2C07 , is the microprocessor in the Nintendo Entertainment System responsible for generating video signals from graphic data stored in memory....
with the PlayChoice-10 PPU, allowing it to output RGB natively.
Each machine had a different mix of games in it. Instead of a player getting to play one game until it was finished, the player got a fixed time limit to play as many PlayChoice games as they wanted to.
Nintendo also created a standalone PlayChoice which only had a single available game.
List of available games
The following is a list of all 54 games that were made available on various PlayChoice-10 machines.- 19421942 (arcade game)1942 is a vertically scrolling shoot 'em up made by Capcom that was released for the arcade in . It was the first game in the 19XX series. It was followed by 1943: The Battle of Midway....
(1986 CapcomCapcomis a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
) - Balloon FightBalloon Fightis a 1984 video game developed by Nintendo. The arcade version was released in 1984 and the Nintendo Entertainment System version was released in 1986. The gameplay is similar to the arcade game Joust by Williams Electronics.-Gameplay:...
(1985 Nintendo) - BaseballBaseball (Nintendo game)Baseball is a simple baseball video game made by Nintendo in 1983 for the Nintendo Family Computer, making it one of the first games released for the Famicom. It was later one of the NES's 18 launch titles when it was released in 1985 in the United States. As in real baseball, the object of the...
(1985 Nintendo) - Baseball StarsBaseball StarsBaseball Stars, released in Japan as , is a baseball video game developed by SNK. It was released for the NES in . It became a major hit in many countries worldwide, particularly in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico...
(1989 SNKSNKSNK is a former name of SNK Playmore, a Japanese video game company . This may also refer to:* SNK European Democrats* SNK Union of Independents* Southeast Airlines ICAO code...
) - Captain SkyhawkCaptain SkyhawkCaptain Skyhawk is a single player video game developed by Rare and released in 1990 by Milton Bradley Company for the Nintendo Entertainment System.It features music by acclaimed composer David Wise.-Story:...
(1990 Milton BradleyMilton Bradley CompanyThe Milton Bradley Company is an American game company established by Milton Bradley in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1860. In 1920, it absorbed the game production of McLoughlin Brothers, formerly the largest game manufacturer in the United States, and in 1987, it purchased Selchow and Righter,...
) - CastlevaniaCastlevania (video game)Castlevania, known as in Japan, is a console video game developed and published by Konami for the Family Computer Disk System in Japan in September 1986. A year later, in May 1987 it was ported to cartridge format and released in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System followed by a...
(1987 KonamiKonamiis a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
) - ContraContra (arcade game), known as Gryzor in Europe and Oceania, is a run and gun action game developed and published by Konami originally released as a coin-operated arcade game on February 20, 1987. A home version was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in , along with ports for various computer formats,...
(1988 Konami) - Chip 'n Dale Rescue RangersChip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers (video game)Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers is a platformer video game released for the NES in 1990. It is based on the Disney cartoon about crime-fighting chipmunks of the same name.-Storyline:...
(1990 Capcom) - Double DragonDouble Dragonis a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
(1988 Technos) - Double DribbleDouble Dribble (video game)Double Dribble, known in Japan as , was the second basketball arcade game developed and released in 1986 by Konami, following Super Basketball...
(1987 Konami) - Dr. MarioDr. Mario (video game)is an action puzzle game designed by Gunpei Yokoi and produced by Takahiro Harada. It was developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy consoles and released in 1990 and 1991....
(1990 Nintendo) - Duck HuntDuck Huntis a video game for the Nintendo Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System game console system in which players use the NES Zapper to shoot ducks on screen for points. The game was developed and published by Nintendo, and was released in 1984 in Japan...
(1985 Nintendo) - ExcitebikeExcitebikeis a motocross racing video game franchise made by Nintendo. It first debuted as a game for the Famicom in Japan in 1984 and as a launch title for the NES in 1985. It is the first game of the Excite series, succeeded by its direct sequel Excitebike 64, its spiritual successors Excite Truck and...
(1985 Nintendo) - Fester's Quest (1989 SunsoftSunsoft (company)is a Japanese video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation, itself a division of Sun Electronics, or in Japan is a Japanese video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation, itself a division of Sun Electronics,...
) - GauntletGauntlet (arcade game)Gauntlet is a fantasy-themed hack and slash 1985 arcade game by Atari Games. It is noted as the first class-based multiplayer game. Released during the emergence of popularity of other role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons, the game was a sensation, being one of the first true dungeon crawl...
(1985 Atari) - GolfGolf (video game)Golf is a sports-simulation video game released in 1985 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1984 for the Nintendo Family Computer...
(1985 Nintendo) - The GooniesThe Goonies (Famicom game)The Goonies is a platform game based on the film of the same name produced by Konami for the Nintendo Family Computer in Japan. It was later ported to the Disk System in . While the game was never officially sold in North America, an arcade port was released there for the Vs. System titled Vs....
(1986 Konami) - GradiusGradiusThe Gradius games, first introduced in 1985, make up a series of scrolling shooter video games published by Konami for a variety of portable, console and arcade platforms. In many games in the series, the player controls a ship known as the Vic Viper...
(1986 Konami) - Hogan's AlleyHogan's Alley (arcade game)Hogan's Alley is a 1984 arcade game by Nintendo. It was one of the first games to use a light gun as an input device.-Overview:"Hogan's Alley" is the FBI's training camp tool to train new recruits...
(1985 Nintendo) - Kung Fu (1985 IremIrem (company)is a Japanese video game console developer and publisher, and formerly a developer and manufacturer of arcade games as well. The company has its headquarters in Hakusan, Ishikawa Prefecture....
) - Mario Bros.Mario Bros.is an arcade game published and developed by Nintendo in 1983. It was developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It has been commonly featured as a minigame in the Super Mario Advance series and other games...
(1984 Nintendo) - Mario's Open Golf (1991 Nintendo)
- Mega Man 3Mega Man 3Mega Man 3, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the third game of the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on September 28, 1990. The game localized in North America later in 1990 and in European...
(1990 Capcom) - MetroidMetroidis an action-adventure video game, and the first entry in the Metroid series. It was co-developed by Nintendo's Research and Development 1 division and Intelligent Systems, and was released in Japan in August 1986, in North America in August 1987, and in Europe in January 1988...
(1986 Nintendo) - Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!Punch-Out!!, originally known as Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!, is a boxing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Nintendo in 1987. It is a port of both the Punch-Out!! and Super Punch-Out!! arcade games with some variations. It has consistently been ranked among...
(1987 Nintendo) - Ninja GaidenNinja Gaiden (NES), known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game. It was developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System ; its development and release coincided with the beat 'em up arcade version of the same name. It was released in in...
(1989 Tecmo) - Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of ChaosNinja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of ChaosNinja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos, known in Japan as and as Shadow Warriors 2 in Europe, is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was released in Japan on , in North America in May 1990, and in Europe on...
(1990 Tecmo) - Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of DoomNinja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of DoomNinja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom, known in Japan as is a side-scrolling platforming video game developed and published by Tecmo. It was released in Japan on for the Famicom and in North America in August 1991 for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
(1991 Tecmo) - Pinbot (1990 Rare)
- Power BladePower BladePower Blade, known in Japan as , is an action platform video game developed by Natsume and published by Taito for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America in March and in Europe on...
(1991 TaitoTaito CorporationThe is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
) - Pro WrestlingPro Wrestling (video game)is a Nintendo Entertainment System game, as well as a Family Computer Disk System game for one or two players first released in 1986. The game was the second wrestling game on the Nintendo Entertainment System and was ranked 172 on Nintendo Power's Top 200 Nintendo Games Ever.-Gameplay:The player...
(1987 Nintendo) - Rad RacerRad RacerRad Racer, known in Japan as , is a racing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It was programmed by Nasir Gebelli, designed and supervised by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and featured music by Nobuo Uematsu, all of whom later contributed to Final Fantasy in...
(1987 Square) - Rad Racer II (1990 Square)
- RBI BaseballRBI BaseballR.B.I. Baseball is a baseball video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Namco and published by Tengen and originally released in 1987. RBI spawned two sequels on the NES as well as versions for the Mega Drive/Genesis, TurboGrafx-16 , Sega 32X, Commodore Amiga, Super...
(1987 Atari) - R.C. Pro-AmR.C. Pro-AmR.C. Pro-Am is a racing video game developed by United Kingdom-based company Rare. It was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System by Nintendo at North America in February 1988, and then in Europe on April 15 that year. Presented in an overhead isometric perspective, a single player...
(1988 Rare) - Rockin' KatsRockin' KatsRockin' Kats, released in Japan as is a platform video game produced by Atlus Software Inc. in for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The side-scrolling game involves the adventures of a cartoon cat in his quest to defeat a criminal gang that has taken over the city.-Gameplay:left|framed|Channel...
(1991 AtlusAtlusis a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
) - Rush'n AttackRush'n AttackRush'n Attack, originally released in Japan and Europe as , is an action/platform arcade game released by Konami in 1985. Rush'n Attack is remembered for its Cold War setting and its reliance on the player using a knife to dispatch enemies...
(1987 Konami) - RygarRygar (NES game)is a fantasy-themed action-adventure platform game with action RPG elements developed by Tecmo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released on April 14, 1987, in Japan for the Family Computer as Argos no Senshi and later that year in the United States for the NES...
(1987 Tecmo) - ShatterhandShatterhandShatterhand is a side-scrolling action game for the Nintendo Entertainment System developed by Natsume and published by Jaleco in North America and Europe in . An alternate version of Shatterhand was released in Japan as a licensed game for the Family Computer based on the live-action superhero...
(1991 JalecoJalecois a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
) - Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden WarpshipSolar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden WarpshipSolar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship is the third video game in the Jetman series. It was designed and developed by Zippo Games for Rare and released in the US by Tradewest in 1990, and in Europe by Nintendo, for the NES...
(1990 Rare) - Super CSuper Contrais a Run and Gun-style action game produced by Konami, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to the original Contra and the second game in the Contra series released for the arcades. Like in the original game, the game centers on soldiers Bill Rizer and Lance...
(1990 Konami) - Super Mario Bros.Super Mario Bros.is a 1985 platform video game developed by Nintendo, published for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1983 game Mario Bros. In Super Mario Bros., the player controls Mario as he travels through the Mushroom Kingdom in order to rescue Princess Toadstool from the antagonist...
(1985 Nintendo) - Super Mario Bros. 2Super Mario Bros. 2Super Mario Bros. 2, often abbreviated SMB2, is a platform game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a sequel to the 1985 game Super Mario Bros. The game was also remade as part of the Super Mario All-Stars collection for the Super Nintendo Entertainment...
(1988 Nintendo) - Super Mario Bros. 3Super Mario Bros. 3, also referred to as Super Mario 3 and SMB3, is a platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System , and is the third game in the Super Mario series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, in the United States in 1990, and in Europe in 1991...
(1990 Nintendo) - Tecmo BowlTecmo Bowlis an arcade game developed and released in 1987 by Tecmo. While moderately successful in the arcades, the game became and remained widely popular and remembered when it was ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. The NES version was considered by many to be the first NES American...
(1989 Tecmo Inc.) - TennisTennis (video game)Tennis is a sports game released in Japan for the Famicom in 1984, and in North America for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. In North America, Tennis was one of 18 launch games for the NES.-Gameplay:...
(1985 Nintendo) - Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES game)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe, and in Japan, is a 1989 platform game for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
(1989 Konami) - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade GameTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (arcade game)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, released as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles in Europe, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Kame Ninja in Japan, is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released by Konami as a coin-operated video game in...
(1990 Konami) - Track & Field (1987 Konami)
- TrojanTrojan (video game)is a side-scrolling action game produced by Capcom originally released as a coin operated video game in . The arcade version was distributed in North America by Romstar. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released during the same year. The original coin-op version is included...
(1987 Capcom) - VolleyballVolleyball (video game)is a volleyball video game developed by Nintendo and Pax Softnica and released by Nintendo for the Family Computer Disk System and Nintendo Entertainment System. Originally released in 1986, it was re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Europe on August 10, 2007. It is part of the NES Sports...
(1987 Nintendo) - Wild GunmanWild Gunmanis a light gun shooter game created by Nintendo.-Early version:The original version of Wild Gunman was one of Nintendo's electro-mechanical arcade games created by Gunpei Yokoi and released in 1974. It consisted of a light gun connected to a 16mm projection screen...
(1985 Nintendo) - World Cup Soccer (1990 Technos)
- Yo! NoidYo! NoidYo! Noid is a platform video game released in the United States for the NES by Capcom during November, 1990. It stars the Noid, the claymation mascot of Domino's Pizza in the late 1980s, going through fourteen different side-scrolling levels throughout various locations of New York City to battle...
(1990 Capcom)