The SG-1000, which stands for Sega Game 1000, was a cartridge-based video game console manufactured by Sega.

History

The SG-1000 was Sega's first console. It was test marketed in Japan in 1981 and first released to the Japanese market in July 1983 for ¥15,000. The console reached minor success in that market. The system sold well within Asia until 1985. It was also sold in Australia by John Sands , in New Zealand by Grandstand Leisure Limited , and in other countries, such as Italy, Spain, and South Africa. The console in its original form never reached North America.

In July 1984, Sega released an updated version of the console called the SG-1000 Mark II, which featured a connector for an optional plug-in keyboard. A computer version of this console, with a built-in keyboard, was called the SC-3000. Ironically, the SC-3000 would outsell the SG-1000.

The SG-1000 Mark III, a yet newer version in Japan with improved video hardware and an increased amount of RAM, would be redesigned to become the Sega Master System.

Game manufacturer Tsukada Original made Othello Multivision , an SG-1000 clone. Bit Corp 's Dina 2-in-1 Colecovision clone was brought to North America by a company called Telegames . Telegames called its clone the Telegames Personal Arcade , which could play Colecovision and SG-1000 games.

The SG-1000 is an extremely rare and extremely sought after console.

Screenshots

Specifications

• CPU: NEC 780C (clone of Zilog Z80)
  • 3.579545MHz for NTSC, 3.546893MHz for PAL
• Main RAM: 16 Kbits (2KB)
• Video RAM: 128 Kbits (16KB)
• Sound: Texas Instruments SN76489
  • 4 channel mono sound
  • 3 sound generators, 4 octaves each, 1 white noise generator
• Screen resolution: 256x192 (16 colors)

• Ports:
  • 1 Parallel
  • 1 Cartridge
  • 1 Cassette
  • 1 Composite video
  • 2 Joystick

External links

• SEGA.com
• SG-1000 Console Database