// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhy did Capcom CPS Changer go to therapy? It had a lot of "change" to work through.
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|
 Capcom CPS Changer | |
| Manufacturer | Capcom |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth |
| Released | November 1994 |
| Discontinued | 1996 |
The Capcom Power System Changer (CPS Changer) is a home video game console developed and manufactured by Capcom. Released exclusively in Japan in late 1994, it was designed to bring Capcom's CP System arcade games into the home. The system was positioned as a competitor to the Neo Geo AES, which similarly allowed arcade games to be played at home.
Rather than being a conventional cartridge-based console, the CPS Changer is essentially a home-use SuperGun-style interface for arcade hardware. The game hardware is contained in the individual CPS Changer game units, while the CPS Changer provides the connection to a television, audio equipment, power supply, and controllers.
History
[edit]Capcom introduced the CPS Changer in Japan near the end of 1994 as an attempt to bring its arcade software to the home market. Contemporary coverage described the system as Capcom's answer to the growing market for arcade-quality home systems.
The initial package was sold for ¥39,800 and included the CPS Changer hardware, a CPS Fighter joystick controller, and a copy of Street Fighter II Turbo. Additional games were sold separately for approximately ¥20,000. Contemporary Japanese industry coverage reported an initial production run of 1,000 units.
The CPS Changer had a short commercial life. It was discontinued in the mid-1990s after a small number of games had been released for the platform. Later hardware references generally document eleven released titles.
Hardware
[edit]The CPS Changer is based around Capcom's CP System arcade hardware. Instead of placing only ROM data in a conventional home cartridge, the CPS Changer software units contain the arcade game hardware in a form adapted for home use. The main CPS Changer unit functions as an interface between the arcade board and standard home audiovisual equipment.
The system uses the JAMMA arcade interface and can be described as an enclosed SuperGun-style adapter. Its physical design was intended for use with the specially packaged CPS Changer game boards.
The CPS Changer provides:
- Composite video output
- S-video output
- Line-level mono audio output
- Connections for Super Famicom-compatible controllers
- Power and interface connections for the attached game hardware
The system's controller interface allows Super Famicom-compatible controllers to be used. Capcom also produced the CPS Fighter, a six-button arcade-style joystick intended for the system. A custom controller interface converts the signals from compatible controllers into the input signals expected by the attached arcade hardware.
Software
[edit]CPS Changer games were not conventional ROM cartridges in the manner of systems such as the Super Famicom. Instead, Capcom packaged arcade printed circuit boards in specially designed plastic housings that could be connected directly to the CPS Changer.
Most of the software was based on the original CP System hardware, while some later releases used variants of the hardware. The games were therefore substantially closer to their arcade counterparts than typical home-console conversions.
Games
[edit]The commonly documented CPS Changer library consists of eleven released titles:
| Title | Release |
|---|---|
| Warriors of Fate | 1994 |
| Capcom World 2: Adventure Quiz | 1994 |
| Final Fight | 1994 |
| Saturday Night Slam Masters | 1994 |
| Street Fighter II: Champion Edition | 1994 |
| Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting | 1994 |
| The King of Dragons | 1995 |
| Captain Commando | 1995 |
| Knights of the Round | 1995 |
| Muscle Bomber Duo: Ultimate Team Battle | 1995 |
| Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams | 1996 |
The CPS Changer version of Street Fighter Zero was unusual because the original arcade game was developed for the CP System II. Capcom produced a version for the older CPS Changer hardware, making it the final game released for the system. The conversion required adaptations to the older hardware.
Reception and legacy
[edit]The CPS Changer represented Capcom's attempt to reproduce the arcade experience at home without developing a conventional dedicated home-console architecture. Its approach differed from the Neo Geo AES: instead of maintaining separate home and arcade cartridge formats, Capcom effectively adapted its arcade boards themselves for domestic use.
The system's short release period and limited software library made it a niche product. Its unusual architecture has nevertheless made it of interest to collectors and enthusiasts of Capcom arcade hardware.
The CPS Changer is notable as one of the few commercial attempts to turn an arcade system board into a consumer-oriented home gaming platform while retaining much of the original arcade hardware.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]External links
[edit]- Capcom CPS Changer at IT History Society
- Game Machine No. 489 — contemporary Japanese arcade industry coverage
History
[edit]During the early 1990s, Capcom's CP System arcade hardware became the basis for numerous successful arcade games, including Final Fight and Street Fighter II. Capcom subsequently sought to make its arcade games available in the home in a form that retained more of the original arcade hardware than conventional console conversions.
The CPS Changer was developed as Capcom's entry into the home arcade market. Its principal competitor was the Neo Geo AES, which likewise allowed consumers to play arcade-derived games on a television.[1]
The CPS Changer was released in Japan in November 1994. The launch package was priced at ¥39,800 and included the console, a CPS Fighter controller, and Street Fighter II' Turbo: Hyper Fighting.[1] Game Machine reported that Capcom initially manufactured 1,000 units for the Japanese market.[2]
The system was not distributed as a conventional mass-market console. Its software consisted of arcade PCBs rather than cartridges or discs, making the system particularly expensive compared with contemporary fourth-generation consoles.
Hardware
[edit]The CPS Changer is essentially a consumer-oriented interface for Capcom's arcade hardware. The game PCB supplies the CPU, memory, graphics, sound hardware, and game software, while the CPS Changer provides connections for a television, audio system, and controllers.
The CPS Changer's design was based around the JAMMA arcade interface. Its connector and housing were designed primarily for Capcom's CPS boards. Other JAMMA-compatible arcade boards could be connected, although the physical arrangement of the CPS Changer adapter did not securely accommodate them in the same manner as the official CPS software.[1]
Video and audio
[edit]The CPS Changer provides consumer video and audio outputs, including:
- Composite video
- S-Video
- Line-level mono audio
These outputs allow the arcade-derived game hardware to be connected to a conventional television and audio equipment.[1]
Controllers
[edit]The CPS Changer was supplied with the CPS Fighter, an arcade-style joystick with six action buttons designed particularly for Capcom's fighting games.
The system also includes controller ports compatible with Super Famicom and Super Nintendo Entertainment System controllers. This allowed users to play CPS Changer software using standard Nintendo controllers as well as the CPS Fighter.
Game format
[edit]CPS Changer software was distributed in the form of arcade PCBs housed in dedicated plastic cases. The game hardware was therefore substantially the same as that used in the corresponding arcade machine rather than being a cartridge containing only ROM software.
The CPS Changer cases were designed to protect the arcade PCBs and to make them suitable for connection to the home system. The approach allowed Capcom to reuse its existing arcade hardware instead of developing a separate home-console architecture.
Most CPS Changer games were based on the original CP System hardware. Some releases were also based on the CP System Dash hardware.
The CPS Changer's software library consisted primarily of existing Capcom arcade games. In some cases, the home versions used modified software or configurations compared with the corresponding arcade releases.
Software library
[edit]The following games were released for the CPS Changer:
| English title | Release | Japanese title | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warriors of Fate | 1994 | Tenchi o Kurau II: Sekiheki no Tatakai (天地を喰らう2・赤壁の戦い) |
Beat 'em up |
| Capcom World 2: Adventure Quiz | 1994 | Adventure Quiz Capcom World 2 (アドベンチャークイズ カプコンワールド2) |
Quiz game |
| Final Fight (video game) | 1994 | Final Fight (ファイナルファイト) |
Beat 'em up |
| Saturday Night Slam Masters | 1994 | Muscle Bomber: The Body Explosion (マッスルボマー -The Body Explosion-) |
Sports game |
| Street Fighter II: Champion Edition | 1994 | Street Fighter II Dash: Champion Edition (ストリートファイターIIダッシュ -Champion Edition-) |
Fighting game |
| Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting | 1994 | Street Fighter II Dash Turbo: Hyper Fighting (ストリートファイターIIダッシュターボ -Hyper Fighting-) |
Fighting game |
| The King of Dragons | 1995 | The King of Dragons (ザ・キングオブドラゴンズ) |
Beat 'em up |
| Captain Commando (video game) | 1995 | Captain Commando (キャプテンコマンドー) |
Beat 'em up |
| Knights of the Round (video game) | 1995 | Knights of the Round (ナイツオブザラウンド) |
Beat 'em up |
| Saturday Night Slam Masters#Muscle Bomber Duo | 1995 | Muscle Bomber Duo: Heat Up Warriors (マッスルボマーDUO -Heat Up Warriors-) |
Sports game |
| Street Fighter Alpha | 1996 | Street Fighter Zero (ストリートファイターZERO) |
Fighting game |
The exact release status of some titles advertised for the CPS Changer has been disputed by secondary sources. In particular, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs and The Punisher have sometimes been listed among CPS Changer software despite evidence that they were not commercially released for the system. They are therefore not included in the table above.
Street Fighter Zero
[edit]The final CPS Changer release was a version of Street Fighter Zero, originally developed for the CP System II. The CPS Changer version was sold separately at a price of ¥35,000.[3]
Because the original game was designed for CP System II hardware, the CPS Changer version required a conversion to the older CP System hardware. The conversion had fewer animation frames and fewer onscreen colors than the CP System II version, and its music and sound effects were adapted to the capabilities of the older hardware.[3]
The CPS Changer version of Street Fighter Zero is therefore a distinct version of the game rather than simply the CP System II arcade program placed in a different enclosure.
A CP System conversion of Mega Man: The Power Battle was also produced around the same period. However, it was not released as a CPS Changer home title.[3]
Reception and legacy
[edit]The CPS Changer had a limited release in Japan. Contemporary coverage reported its ¥39,800 package price, while Game Machine reported an initial production run of 1,000 units.[1][2]
The system's unusual design allowed consumers to use Capcom's arcade hardware at home. Rather than developing a dedicated console architecture, Capcom adapted its existing arcade boards and provided an interface for consumer televisions and controllers.
The CPS Changer was released at a time when the fourth-generation console market was transitioning toward the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. Its reliance on expensive arcade PCBs and its limited Japanese distribution kept it from achieving the mass-market presence of contemporary home consoles.
The system is now notable for its rarity and for its unusual position between a conventional home console and an arcade SuperGun. It represents one of Capcom's most direct attempts to bring its arcade hardware to consumers.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Capcom's Home Arcade System". Electronic Gaming Monthly (67). Ziff Davis: 50. February 1995.
- 1 2 Akagi, Masumi, ed. (February 15, 1995). "Capcom Ships "CP Changer"" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 489. Amusement Press, Inc. p. 22.
- 1 2 3 "Capcom Power System Changer". VGMrips. Retrieved September 15, 2026.