Capcom CPS Changer

The CPS Changer (short for Capcom Power System Changer) was a cartridge-based video game console released exclusively in Japan in late 1994 by Capcom, in an attempt to sell their arcade games in a home-friendly format. Only eleven games were released for it before it was discontinued sometime in 1996. Technically speaking, the system itself was not a true console. The main console unit itself is, in fact, a self-contained, SuperGun-style adapter board designed to play arcade system boards at home. However, the adapter board also features SNES-specification controller ports. But, because arcade system boards could not understand the input signalling from SNES-compatible controllers, the CPS Changer features a custom co-processor by Capcom that converts the controller's input signals into discrete signals that are compatible with the game board attached to the main system. For video output, the adapter board uses a Sony CXA1645 chroma encoder which converts the game's RGB signals to home-friendly S-Video or composite signals. It also had line-level mono audio output. It also uses an external power brick, similar to consoles such as the Nintendo GameCube and NEC TurboGrafx-16. Acting as "cartridges" for the system, the games for the CPS Changer are actually standard CP System (CPS-1 in retrospective terms) motherboards housed in plastic casings for home use. Each game has a vertical interface board that is used to connect the board's male connector to a female connector on the outside, with another interface board that connects it to the main unit. The plastic casing is adapted from those used by Capcom's CP System Dash (A.K.A. CPS-1.5) arcade system boards, with some features removed, along with the addition of a large backplate that allows the main unit to properly and securely mount onto it.